The Mena weekly star., 1897-05-12
THE BANK OF nENA.
opens to Good Business With Twen- ty-three Depositors.-$s ,oS8
 Deposited First Day.

Mo-, the cashier of the new bank ar- rived last Friday morning and the big safe and furniture, which had been de- layed in the shipping, arrived that night and was put in position Satur- day.
 k. M. Quigley, of St. Louis, the pres ident, arrived Saturday and assisted in arranging for the opening of the bank on Monday morning, and is now in charge. MT. Edward Keogh. part ner with MT. Quigley in railway con- tracing, is the vice president and the bank opens as private institution with the officers as above named, but will be incorporated soon, under the laws of the state, with board of G- rectors composed of some of our local capitalists aud leading business men. The bank starts with D paid up cash capital of slo,ooo. and an abundance of capital behind it, together with the best of endorsements
 The big safe as well as the furniture are first class in every particular and make a- nice appearance in the corner room of Blocksom's brick building at the corner of Mena street and Jansen avenue.
 When the bank opened Monday morning Miss Sawdon made the first deposit for the millinery firm of Saw don 6G Cunningham. Miss Mamie Me Gee made the third deposit of S30 in gold for herself and little brother, under the firm name of M. r. McGee G Bro. The little boy is six and the girl eight years old, children of Mir and Mrs. Chas. McGee. Twenty-three de- positors opened accounts with an az gregate of S3,Oss deposited and over S, GOO in checks were cashed during the first day, and on Tuesday the de. posits increased to over $5, GOO, rather indicating that our people appreciate the opening of such an institution in our city.
 These gentlemen being comparative strangers in our midst, we take the liberty of reproducing the following very excellent endorsement from Mir. ". A. Rule, cashier of the National Bank of Commerce, of Kansas City, with whom we have been correspond ing regarding the starting of bank here:
 National Bank of Commerce,
 Kansas City, Mo. May 10, 1897. A. w. ST. JOIN, ESQ,
 Mena, Ark.
 MY DEAR SIR AND FRIEND: l have your letter of the 9th and l was quite glad to hear from you again. Yes, I know the parties of whom you speak and knew they had opened a bank in Mena. I think your town is to be con -ratulaAed upon getting parties as good as 1 think Mir. Quigley is. He is a railroad contractor from St. Louis The information 1 get is that he is worth about $75, 900. He seems to be thorough business man and perfect gentleman. Associated with him is Mr. Kelly, who for years has been con- nected with the Citizens Bank of
 
 banks in our state. Mir. Kelly has been under Mir. Calfee, who is cashier of the Citizens Bank of Windsor, and I know that his banking education has been good. I think yon will find them first class people in every way; do all you can for them. We had about made up our minds to come down and open a bank ourselves but upon looking up Mir. Qulgley and his associates, we thought the much needed want was filled.
 Very truly yours,
 ". A, RULE, Cashier. In this connection the following let ter written by Mr. J. S. CaIfee, the gentleman referred to by Mir. Rule gives additional assurance if any were need ed of the reliability of the gentlemen who have established The Bank of Mena,
 Citizens Bank of Windsor,
 Windsor, Mo. May 7, ls97 MIR. A. w. ST. JOIN,
 Mena, Ark.
 DEAR SIR: Mr. J. Spencer Kelly in- forms me before he left Windsor for your city that you had been very kind to him in assisting him in arranging for the opening of The Bank of Mena, and on behalf of Mir. Kelly's many friends here, I desire to thank you for the interest you have taken in his wei fare
 Mr. Kelly has been our assistant cashier for the past five years during which time he has proven himself to