The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-12
The OBSERVANT BANKER
HE JAYS WHAT HE THINKS OF DIF-
FERENT KINDS OF PEOPLE.
The Son of N Banker Who Wore n
Uniform-Comment ON Gust
omers of All Kinds.

Warriors and military men, said the
Observant Banker, ARE very scarce in the
bankers profession. With the exception of
the Morgan raid 1 do not recall any men of
this profession that were men of gore. At
that time a lot of bank clerks borrowed all
the carriage horses in town and rode down
to Greenwood, about ten miles away, to
meet Morgan, and were very glad to get
back to their books the next day and were
forced to eat their meals from the mantel-
piece for a week afterwards.
O course, L have found isolated cases of
ankers or the progeny of bankers he
continued, that hankered for war. The
Spanish-American conflict is not very far
away. L can remember a son Of a very dis
tinguished banker that went to war then.
That is all. He simply went (was honored
for bravery, was dubbed a captain. not for
the blood he shed, but for the perspiration
he LOST He came home with a title, shook
hands with all his friends for a month, for
getting each day that he had thus greeted
them the day before. His personal friends
became alarmed when it became noised
about that he slept in his military clothes.
1t was afterwards reported that he was
6ANth OAAAO4 O1OAA III anu hh1 CNO
from him, but if there is a X. of p. street
parade or a funeral for a dead policeman
or a Rathbone Sisters conclave, out come
those military clothes and that hat, and
mounted on the self-same buggy horse the
embryo banker displays himself to an ad-
miring and gaping populace.
AN INTERESTING CHARACTER.
"A mighty interesting character to me-"
wont on tho OhSarUanf Rankpr sis the rich
mans son-in-law who slides into ones fam
lily on his Apollo-like figure, a fine set of
teeth and a well-adjusted nerve tissue. OF
course he has lots of merit, is a college
graduate CHS parents pinched themselves
for his education), he is a royal good fell
low, a hail-fellow-well-met, for has he not
met the tailor, and the ~bootmaker, and the
liveryman, and the florist, and the haber-
dasher. yea. even the circumspect jeweler
and bestowed on them with impartality the
honor OF his acquaintance ana Obligations?
The rich mans son-in-laW always shows
grit. He wants to work, is always after a
position, but he is always too late or some
thing happens to prevent him from coming
face to face with the situation. But that
does not discourage the young man. He eats
three meals every day, dresses well and in
the time not occupied in rearing a FAMILY
he persistently calls upon the rich mans
friends in search of a position. il q new
enterprise is about to be started he applies
for the secretaryship or the position of
treasurer, or asks some other official posi-
ton with a good salary attached. He as
sures the management that If he gets the
place his father-in-law will take a block of
stock and lend his influence in making the
enterprise a success.
But these men somehow always prefer
to advance the young man at a distance,
and shrink from robbfng the rich man of
any of his privileges in supporting his SON
in-law or raising his family. But the rich
mans son-in-law has a buoyant disposition.
He Is uD and coming. Your secretary goes
abroad for his health, and presto the rich
mans son-in-law appears before you and in
great confidence admits with dignity that
il the secretary does not return he (the
son-in-law) might be induced to take the
position. OF course, he says, the position is
not quite up to his ability, he is better quail
flied to fill the presidency of a trust or In
surance company, still this is a step in the
right direction, and he/is willing to help
YOU. You thank the young man and tell him
you will notify him at the earliest moment
of anything you may know to his advan-
tage. Then you pull yourself into your shell
and the. rich mans son-in-law goes out with
head erect, expecting to be called to-mor-
row.
odd customers continued the Observant
Banker, land one in particular that rises
before me as it were like a dream is the
customer / had helped twenty-five years
and who had become successful through
When he reached the solid point he 'puffed
up on some trivial matter and wanted TO
know il he owed me anything ana III ne naQ
not always paid his debts promptly.
GOOD CUSTOMERS WIFE.
Then there is the wife of a good Gus
toner who comes in saying her husband is
on a foot hat 1 am the only man he re-
spects and will heed. and cries bitterly
about conditions at home until L jump UP.
put on my hat and go to the rescue Of the
customer.
Another customer has had a windfall
and since he has never owned a horse, pro-
ceeds to ask me if 1 know anything about
horses. 1 weakly answer in the affirmative
and then he drags me around to another
customer of mine who is proposing to take
him in on a good horse OF course. for
polite reasons, | do not give my decision,
but for years after | am looked at queerly
bv the man that bought the animal. He
does not consult me any more about horses.
There is the good customers wife who
Is treasurer of a church fair and who
brings in s1,7S3.50 IN pennies. nickels and
dimes and wants a cashiers check for the
amount so she can pay a note at a COM
petitor bank.
Another customer brings i'm a note with
forty odd partial payments of uneven
amounts, wants the interest figured In three
minutes and says he Will wait.
"A customer buys foreign exchange on
Germany. then does some figuring and de-
clares you have charged him too much, and
remains with you Tor thirty minutes Wrang-
ling about , cents.
Then there is the rich customers son
who desires to make "A loan with fathers
Endorsement forged and you know it,
probably the best note you have in the bank
hut when the son comes into his own he
grows suddenly virtuOus, and takes his ac-
count TO your competitor, not having faith
in your Judgment as a banker.
THE customer that applies for a small
loan. tells you he cannot get an indorser.
everybody being afraid OF him, but that he
has a good clerical position and viii pay
YOU II he has TO steal the money, is gener-
ally good.
"A vexatious thing is to loan to the son
of a rich customer small sums OF money at
odd times when his father refuses him.. and
then have the young fellow when he comes
into his estate remove his account to an
other bank