Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-19

sum on deposit, then the date, to see that
1t was not predated, and then he glanced
that took but the fraction Of a minute, but
in those few seconds the teller had sized
you up and rated you all along the line,
for we have no authority to overpay q
check one single dollar and are personally
responsible for errors that may occur If
we do. We are buoy at the time. and Gus
toners in line do not like to be put to the
embarra ssment Of being kept waiting when
they present check. Every depostor feels
that he has sort OF interest In the bank,
and when his check is questioned he gets
warm around the collar. no matter how
gentle he may be at other times. He feels
that his honor is questioned and 1t makes
him want to fight. These are few OF the
things that we have to avoid in order to
make the bank popular, yet at the same
time We must be alert to the banks inter-
ests.
Recognition of Signatures.
'"To give you an idea Of what IT is to be
perfectly familiar with several Thousand
signatures tell me how many you know SO
we'll that you would be willing to take the
responsibility Of paying other peopaes
money on the strength of your surety?"
The Star man, after several minutes
spent in recalling signatures confessed that
he knew half dozen that would full the
bill, for the first time actually real
izing what 1t meant to know thousands,
and his respect for the capabilities OF the
teller growing several thousand per cent
In the interval. The expert laughed.
'Some men Of business will recognize
hundred signatures, but even these cannot
be SO sure Of them that they would be
willing to go a large amount on their judy
ment. Signatures are part OF the world
Of the teller. He becomes as used to them
as the broker does to the fluctuations of
the stock bulletin board. He lives one
third Of his hfe among them and when
forgery comes to him It Is in the face Of
the presenter Of the check that he, nine
times in ten, reads the guilt, for good
your own signature. for example Do you
know that, after a year, you could posi-
lively swear that you wrote 1t? No, and
you would hardly care to take the risk Of
In every criminal trial, where handwriting
comes into play, You will almost invariably
read that the witness said that he thought
that the signature was genuine or forged
but seldom or never sure Of 1t, and even
when they say they are sure OF 1t 1t happens to
be a handwriting expert who says 1t, and
he bases his conclusions on his set of rules
and not on rapid Judgment, as we have to
do. You will seldom find a teller on the
stand who will positively assert that he
knows signature to be good or bad. He
always qualities his testimony. But take
that same teller behind his window and
the check. and he will tell you positively
If the check Is good or bad at once That
Is what makes him valua ble-his ability to
read signatures and human nature at the
same time.
Some Of Their Troubles.
"We like all men who deal directly with
the homogeneous public, have our troubles
Banks nowadays are always ready to cor
rect errors, and II such claim was made
by any one at the window he would be
given courteous attention and told that If
at the close Of the days business the ball
ance showed an error 1t would be remedied.
Frequently checks are overpadd. but it
generally happens that the time can be
calculated and very rearely is there loss to
the bank from this cause. Tellers are only
human, and are liable to error, but their
percentage Of error Is so slight that there
Ii not on foot any plan at present to sup
plant them with machinery.
Every hour In the day there are people
at the window who object to being told that
they are unknown to the teller and Will have
to be identified. 1t hurts their sensibilities
They seem to feel that we offer them a
gratuttous insult by doubling them, and
at these times. particularly when the per-
son Is a woman. we have to exercise all
our diplomacy to make them feel that we
are doing them a favor well az the bank
by protecting them from dishonest persons
by insisting that all who come for money
be personally known to some one in the
bank. A good old story is told of Joseph
Jefferson's attempt to cash a check in a
Chicago bank several years ago. The tel
Ter did not know him, never having seen
him save on the stage In rip Van Win