Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-05-18

Bank. in Louisiana, was instrumental IN
achieving for that bank the prestige OF
a larger circulation than any other bank
of the South II not of the country. lie
encouraged new accounts by sending out
handsOmely bound books of deposit and
check books with the name or the de-
positOr engraved upon the checks The
innovation aroused desire TO secure the
books and brought business. Every new
account afforded an additional avenue for
currency to the interior, as remittancGS
to planters and stOrekeepers were OF fire.
quent occurrence. But the manner in
which the notes Of the bank were brought
into almost national circulation was by
inviting the steamboat men to bring
their freight-bll checks TO the Citizens
Bank for payment. These bills dSgre-
gated from 5000 to $4,000. and they
We're generally paid by check on some
one of the numerous banks or banking
houses Of New Orleans. 1t was decided
innovation and u great saving OF time
and labor to the collectors, who in the
past had been obliged TO present each
check at the particular bank upon which
II was drawn.
In this way, as was foreseon by Mr..
Cammack the steamboat men became
of great service 10 the bank, AZ the major
part OF the sum Of their collections was
carried out OF the city TO be disbursed
throughout the Mississippi valley, in pay
ment for fuel wharf-bOat dues, stores,
wages port charges, &c. Thousands
upon thousands OF dollars were taken out
of the city every week by packets bound
for points on the Mississippi, Missouri,
and ohio rivers and their tributaries. the
Wabash, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Red.
I'm this manner, throughout the wide
territory from Pittsburg Pa; ST. Paul,
Mimi, and st. Louis Mo, to the gulf,
these notes were kept in constant cir
culation, until they became better known
than those of any bank I'm the South, or
in the Union, and the circulation or the
bank mounted up TO four or nYe millions
Of dollars, then an unprecedented sum-
The following clipping from the COM
mercial Bulletin, OF New orleans, gives
AN Idea OF the banks credit
THE extra ordinary success iOllONll :
the reorganization Of the Citizens Bank,
the unparalleled pinnacle OF fame. the
remarkable extent To which operations
have reached the great advance IN value
OF the stock, the steady increase OF IL
already vast business, have attracted
large share Of the attention OF the
mOneyed men Of the country.
During the panic Of 1891 the BANK WIN
stood a two days run upon II, ana came
ont with dying cOlOrs, while others Ieii
all about II. This established its credit
80 hrmiy that one of us notes was as
good AZ a national bank note Is to-day.
The bank was known bOth as the Nltl-
zeps Bank OF Louisiana and La Banque
des Citoyens de la Louisiana. Inc de-
nominations were also printed In french
and English-fiye, cinq; ten. dix: twenty,
yingt; fifty cinquante; one hundred, cent
one thousand. mile. II Will be readily
seen that the French names OF any de-
nomination but ten were unpronouncable,
and no one attempted IL, but the ten.
dix" seemed 10 attract the eye and 10
meet a public demand. always existing
for something unique, unusual As a re-
suit the 80 notes OF ths Citizens were
seldom, II ever. referred TO In any other
way than as 'dixes." And. besides. II
was the most natural way IN the world
10 Identify this particular note. The de-
nomination. too was a convenient size
for the steamboat men TO meet their obli-
cations with. not too large or too small
and OF the many thousands OF dollars
taken out OF the city every week by the
river boats a very large proportion OF II
was I'm "dixes." In consequence these
notes had a much larger circulation than
any other notes issued by the bank. and
ere long the expression, "a dixie note.
or a note from the Dixie Bank" was
very common among the large number OF
people everywhere who We're familiar
with the currency. This was the mos
| natural thing in the world, for the wore
"Dix" Is prominent on the front OF the
| rote. and so much 40 on the back thai
| the observer. in hasty glance. would
see nothing else.
! A common. almost universal expression