Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-06-05

up sheet oil hgureS and looked II over
We have in round numbers more than
two bundled and twenty-eight millions
| of dollars on hand, or, setting aside enc
hundred million dollars as geld re-
serve, we have cash balance OF one
hundred and tweniy-eight million dol
! lars. The fact is that we have a hun
bred and ort,-fve million dollars in
gold, twenty-five million dollars in silver
+, certificates. and little more that thirty
three million dollars in treasury notes"
Can you tell, MIR. Secretary, just
how much money you take In every
day."
Certainly we cam" was the reply.
eve know to a cent just what we are
| spending aud what we are receiving.
Today, for in lance, we have gotten over
| s6i5, 900 from customs. We got S33S,oco
from the internal revenue, and about
| s42,coo from other sources. All told to-
day we have taken in 5000, 39I47 So
FAR. this month, we have received S2o,-
900 COO; and during the current fiscal
| year our receipts have amour ed to
5000, 900, ooo. OF course, | give you
these amounts in round numbers rather
than down to the cents
ONE DAYS EXPENSES.
"What have you spent today, M.
Secretary" asked.
"The general items are all down on
this statement" was The reply. I'VE
have spent today for the war depart
ment S754 oco. for the navy, $50 900, for
the Indians, $4,000. for civil and mis-
cellaneous. $4,000, and for pensions,
100000. We get a statement of this
kind every day showing exactly what we
have spent for the day, for the month
and for the year. This gives us a knowl-
edge OF just how we stand at the close
OF each day, and tells us whether we
I, are running ahead or behind Our re-
ceipts. AT present we are considerably
behind So far this month we have re-
cieved S473, 600 less than we have spent,
and so far this year our receipts have
been s33, 100000 less than our ex-
penses."
81 should think it would scare you to
have charge oil SO much money! How
does it feel to handle mi lionsi
Gas long as the figures are all right and
the balances on the right side oil the ac-
count it is just as easy to handle millions
as thousand or hundreds" said the sec
rotary. 81 have been dealing IN large
sums for years. The business OF the
First National bank of Chicago, ran well
UP into the millions. Our foreign BUSH
ness alone amounted to as much as
5000, 900 a year. A business OF that
kind soon becomes a matter Of figures.
The figures represent money, but they
do not impress you any more than they
would II they represented SO much
wheat or corn.'
THE MONEY SCARED HIM.
"And still, Mr.. Gage, you worked for
IS a month. / should think 1t would be
hard for a person who had worked
Tor so little to become used to handling
so much"
II suppose came to 1t gradually" re-
piled the secretary OF the treasury. 81
can tell you, however, OF time when
was really scared by having what seemed
big sum OF money on hand. Itw!s
when was boy and had just received
my first wages. ! worked for fruit
vendor in little corner store at Rome,
N. Y. We sold oranges, apples, pears.
ginger ale. peanuts and Graetenberg
pills. The hours were from early in the
morning until ten at night, and my
wages were s. mon h. 1t was about
10 40 O'Clock the last S Saturday night OF
the first month when my employer paid
me my first IS. The money was in
halves and quarters and each of those
half dollars seemed as big as a dinner
plate. was small boy then and the
sum filled my hand. Twas afraid should
lose it, and ran all the way home,
hoping to get there before my mother
had gone to bed and show 1t to her."
A GREAT BANKERS START.
"Did you work long for such wagesr
| asked
"Yes," replied Mr. Gage. ~ worked
for several years for from IS to s. a
month. ] was employed in the post
Office at fIoo ayear. Then bank was
started in our little town twas known
as the Oneida Central bank. The CASH
Ter received 81 200 year. the teller
$500, and got place as messenger at
SIoo year. ! had to sweep Out the
bank, make the fires and run errands, as
well as do other things. After | had
worked for the bank year aqd half
wanted an increase Of wages. had
learned to keep some OF the books.
was In my twentieth year. and thought
that | ought to have more pay. The
cashier said he would refer the matter TO
the directors. He did so, and the next
day he told me that the directors had
said that the times we're hard and that
they could not afford to increase their
expenses; but, that II waited for few
years vacancy might occur, and could
be the teller at a salary Of $500. Upon
that | decided to leave, Had they Of
tered me $3.50 year 4 should have
stayed, but as II was concluded TO go
West and try my luck in Chicago"
| what did you do in Chicagof'
| 81 first tried to get place in bank"
was the reply, "but there were no vacan-
cies had to do something, and | took
| the first Job that offered. This was in a
Il lumber yard. ! did all seris. oil work
there. / measured lumber, fed the cir
5 cuar saw, and now and then dove a
team oil mules. did not get much pay.
but it was enough t? keep me until
something better turned up. After time
4 l beeapie lpight walchman in the. lumber
"A yard, and then was promoted TO be
| 6ookkecper. was keeping the books
when the panic OF 1857 scame on. The
I times then were great deal worse than