Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-11-14

1t takes long time to do business
In European bank, because all the
bookkeeping connected with the
transaction is done while you wait
and before the money is paid. If you
have check to be cashed you pre-
sent it at the window of the paying
teller. He makes note of 1t on his
pad. with your name and the name
OF the signer and the amount, and
passes the check over to the indi-
vidual bookkeeper. who looks up the
account of the person by whom the
check is drawn. If the check is not
good he passes it back Immediately.
If 1t is all right he enters the amount
in the book against the account of
the signer. places his initials o.. ciph-
er on the margin of the cheel: and
passes IL over to the cashier wLc
makes a note in his daybook and
puts the check on a spindle. He
then counts out the money on little
silver tray and sends 1t by a page to
the paying teller, who hands it over
to the person presenting the check
who has been kept waiting all this
time. If Identification is necessary
there is even more delay, but the
transaction is entirely complete so
far as the bank is concerned, and the
bookkeepers keep right along with
the business.
Letters of credit are paid the same
way. and there is usually large
group of people sitting or standing
around waiting the summons OF the
teller. The bookkeepers take the
checks in their proper order. Favor
itism is seldom shown. The first to
| come is the first served Each trans
action is noted four times by the tel
Ter, bookkeeper and cashier, and each
has the names and the amounts. So
that their books must agree.
In Russia it Is even more tedious
When I called at bank to make 4
draft against my Letter of credi. |
was met at the door by a man In
gorgeous livery with long staff in
his hand He wore silk knee breech-
es. silver buckles on his shoes. long
scarlet coat with silver braid two
inches wide. the epaulets of major
general and big cooked hat. He
led me into reception room which
was sumptuously furnished. 1t
might have been the liberty of
club. There We're fine oil paintings
upon the walls. bronze and marble
statuary. and the furniture was ar
tistic and expensive. Upon the cen
er table were several volumes Of
photographs. city directory. rail
road guide. the last report of tho
hank. two three guide-books and sew
eral morning papers. Over in one
Of the corners was a handsomely
carved writing desk furnished with
all sorts of stationery.
While ] was wondering what
was there for a gentleman cf ire
proachable attire and manners en-
tered and ask how he could serve
me. explained that | would like
ESQ on my letter of credit. and Won
dered how he knew | was an Ameri-
can, but he had doubtless learned
from long experience to distinguish
the different nationalities, and | soon
discovered by the manner in which
he received subsequent arrivals that
he could speak German and French
as fluently as English.
| handed him my letter of credit
and he bowed politely and left the
room. For a time ! was alone With
my own thoughts. looked over
all the books and papers, watched the
traffic in the street from the window,
made two or three entries in my
note book, and wondered If the po
lite gentleman had not forgotten all
about me, when a page in bottoms
entered with a silver tray upon
which were two drafts-duplicates
for my signature. The little fellow
bowed like French dancing maste,,
and seemed to be deeply impresse
with sense of responsibility. He
came in several times afterward on
similar service for other people. and
his salutes We're repeated each time
with an exactness that showed care
ful training.
| was afraid he was going to be
gone all day and became impatien'
sat down at the desk to write a
letter, and had written nearly
whole sheet when he came back
with my letter of credit and the
money upon his tray. But the lat
ter was all in big bills. | hande
him one of them and asked him to
get it changed He bowed again and
disappeared. l must have spent fiji
teen minutes regretting my folly,
when the handsome manager came
in to inquire II there had been mis-
take. He seemed to think / had
been overpaid, and was greatly re-
lieved when l told him only wanted
a bill changed. He disappeared, and
1t was another ten minutes before
boy returned with the smaller bills.
had been in that room for more
than threequarters of an hour.
At the top of the dome of the
great Palace of Potsdam is an enor-
nous gilt crown, supported by three
finale figures. They represent Maria
Theresa, the famous Empress of
Austria; Catherine the Great of Rus
sa. and Nine. Pompadour, the mis-
tress of King Louis of France, and