The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-30
MIR. BURToN's PAPER.
Treats of the Evolution of Banking
Not without Some Humor

1t affords me great pleasure to greet the
bankers of Minnesota upon this occasion.
Some of you | claim as personal friends; with
nearly all of you l have what may be termed
a photographic acquaintance, and it requires
no great effort Of imagination to fancy my
self duly accredited delegate to this con-
vention. But for the shifting sand which de-
termines the channel of the Mississippi river
the second city OF Wisconsin might today be
standing upon the soil of Minnesota. Such
is said to have been the expectation of early
settlers. and in strict confidence / am will
ing to confess to you occasional regret
that nature ordered otherwise. At any rate
l feel at home among you barring a slight
misgiving as to the contract 1 have under
taken. Whenever it Details me to attempt a
formal address to my fellows beings 1 am con-
fronted by the gaunt specter of that ancient
Scotch bead-e who is said to have astounded
the new minister with this criticism of his
first appearance in the pulpit We'll, sir,
First, We read it; second, We didna read it
wee, and, third, it wasna worth reading"
Should there be gentlemen of the Scotch
persuasion in this audience 1 crave their in
diligence
The evolution of banking is broad sub
1ect-broad enough to cover a multitude of
hope, to admit Of exhaustive discussion at
this time and by that l mean discussion
which exhausts the subject, the speaker and
for history records that silver passed current
in his time by weight-an honest weight.
doubtless 1t suggests also the Descent of
Mali, ior SILVER certainty passes today by
anything but an honest weight It provokes
a natural curiosity as to the first man who
ever undertook to care for his neighbor's
money-with the neighbours consent Bank
ing is generally held to be an ancient and
honorable calling, and one might easily as
sumo that it was founded by some great and
good man, whose name is venerated and
whose memory is preserved as benefactor of
the human race. Who was he? History is
full of men who, like the Scotch Presbyterian.
kept the Sabbath and everything else they
could lay their hands on, but surely our
great progenitor is not among these fer while
he kept his neighbours money we must as
sumo that he agreed, at least, to return 1t
when called for. So far as l am informed
the first banker is shrouded in the mists of
time and distance.
Whatever he may have done for humanity
was not sufficiently striking to preserve his
name. Having in mind the experience of Mr.
Darwin in his search for pedigree we NAV
perhaps regard this as a fortunate circum-
stance. 1t is our privilege, if we choose to
manufacture the father of banking, and it
will be our fault if he proves to be an ape.
Doubtless we must locate him somewhere in
the patriarchal age, with an abundance Of
focks and herds and great retinue about
HMM short man of wealth. Probably
also he had more wives than we should
think 1t prudent in these days for q banker
to undertake to love, honor and obey Pos
sbly he had few enlightened ideas as to life
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness; but one
thing we believe of him, he was honest, and
the way. to be considered honest unless he is
so. The first banker was genuinely honest
and that was all he needed to be. It requires
neither energy nor ability to receive bag
of silver, keep it safely and return the full
weight, and that in brief was primeyal bank