The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-22
TOLD BY BANKERS
ONE MAN PAID TWO POLITICAL As
sEssMENTs WITH \ CHECK
story of the Day when One Thousand
Dollars Was an Immense Lonn
-Beggar offered TO Bet.

about a silver dollar being circulated about
In an establishment in such manner as TO
discharge an extraordinary number of
debts" observed a prominent hnancier re-
Gently. well, | once had an experience
something similar to that. l succeeded in
paying two campaign assessments with a
single check. Ii was during a campaign
when the State and county committees of
both political parties were at work. | am
a Republican. but the nature OF my bust
ness almost compels me to contribute a lit
tie to the Democrats occasionally. One
Saturday afternoon after banking hours
the secretary of the Democratic State com-
mittee rushed into my office and said that
he must have a loan of SIS right away.
"T have to pay off my stenographer and
clerk he said, and the banks are closed
so I can't make a draw
81 let him have the money. but took his
note. which he assured me would be paid
promptly the following Monday. About a
month afterward the secretary of the
| Democratic county committee approached
me for a contribution.
Why, have contributed already to the
State committee | said.
The State be hanged he
CALCULATED. i want money for the county
committee
I'll tell you what I'll do I replied. L
have a note here signed by the secretary
or your State committee and | Will just
turn IL over to you as my contribution
Just the thing he said. smiling. 1T is
as good as gold to me- And he walked out
carrying that note triumphantly. l have
always looked uron that as a fine lesson In
political economy. with emphasis on the
economy"
81 used to transact a great deal of bus
mess with an old farmer In northern In
DIANA" said o. NJ. Packard, and / do not
reCaI having ayat. knnun a N a N that made
use of more peculiar expressions. 1t
seemed that he could not understand the
correct spelling of ordinary business terms.
He raked and scraped around until he &C
cumulated enough money to buy a few
government bends, and | well remember
the air of delight on his face whenever he
came to the bank TO cut off the coupons.
Well he would say with a chuckle.
I've come in to-day to cut off my cow
After awhile he branched out into the
money-loaning business and quite often he
would come across a piece of property that
he wanted but that had a mortgage cover
ing the greater part of It's value. He would
pay so much for the owners equity or re-
naming interest in the land and then
come 10 me and ask me 10 make out a
coed to the property: Make it so as TO
would invariably say, meaning, of course,
assume the mortgage. Well. he con
sumed' a good many mortgages before he
passed TO the better world"
II once heard John Ross, of Vincennes,
tell a story that serves admirably to illus
trate the marvellous growth of banking and
other lines of business in this State" said
NJ. B. Wilson, president of the Capital Ma
tional Bank. MIR. Ross is now president
OF the Vincennes National Bank, but at the
time the incident he related TO me hap
pened he was president of the branch of
the old State Bank located in Vincennes.
He told the story about twenty-five years
ago. One day a customer of the State
Bank came in and asked that his note for
$1,000 be discounted. At that time 1900 was
the largest amount the bank had ever been
called on to loan an individual. The direc-
tors were hastily summoned to a special
meeting and the proposition was laid be-
fore them. The man was called into the
directors room and questioned closely as
to what he wanted to do with so much
money. He gave a complete explanation,
but the directors thought the matter was
of such Importance they had better let it
lie over until the next day. So they told
the man to come back the following morn
decision. They finally decided to take the
note, but 1t was done with great fear and
Nowadays the president of a bank
would decide such a matter and 1t would
take him just about half a minute. He
good enough noSsine credit rsis to o b t%9iyS~o Loco eoA wo nad
be fully competent to dispose of the money
and would look upon the idea of asking
AAAi "ho HC IA ~ NO "ith INC
money az a decided impertinence. 1t is
Low more q matter of security and col
rover of money intends to do with the
money"
when my first boy baby was born.' said
q mar who has been connected with a bank,
"a few friends went with me to a refresh
ment stand to celebrate the great event
appropriately. AS we sat at a table doing
~ - 49, 1t a. 49,.
entered the place that strangely attracted
our attention. He was quite seedy, and
yet there was something about him that
kept us from CHASING him as a regular
tramp or hobo. He came up to the table
ut which we were sitting and told a hard
luck story. One of the party began to ply
him with questions. and pretty soon ELECTED
| resident of Lawrenceburg Ny friend at
once asked the fellow If he knew Mr.. So
and-So, who used to reside on the SOUTH
west corner of two streets in the old part
Of Lawrenceburg. Yes, | know him very
WELL the nan replied, and he Is living
where he always lived, on the northeast
| corner Of those streets
~ guess you are right about that said
my friend. and then he pulled out a dollar
to give to the fellow; The rest of us chip
lar, and / took the change and gave the
man a silver dollar. so that he had two dol
lars to put in his pocket. Then my friend
happened to think of another person about
whom he wished TO inquire, a woman who
kept a boarding house at which he boarded
a number of years ago. He mentioned her
name and referred to her as having resided
on a certain corner. Il beg your pardon
said the man. she is living just where she
always did, but it is not on the corner you
name
u know / cannot be mistaken declared
my friend. for l used to board with the
woman, and 1 certainly ought to know
where she lived
1.-The fellow persisted that my friend was
wrong, and the argument grew quite heat
ed. Finally the man put his hand down
in his pocket. and, drawing out the two
silver dollars we had given him.. said, with
an air of triumph: We'll. pardner, I'll Just
bet you them two bones that / am right
and you are wrong
That took the wind out of all our sails.
and We admired the fellows nerve so much
that we took up another collection for him
and sent him on his way rejoicing with four
dollars in his pocket"
Bonds of Bank Officers.
State Auditor Hart sent out yesterday a
circular letter 10 State hanks answering q