The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-05-19


old or Theodore Roosevelt on the
heights of San Juan.
Crhen follows a tribute to such men
closing as follows.)
Such men quietly controlling the
loans of a bank are the salt that
saVors your business.
Mr.. Mendenhall on Bank Clerks.
Mr.. Mendenhall in his address on
Bank Clerks''--the men behind the
! guns-said in substance:
1T is q we'll known fact that the
| individual makes the nation, as the
| character OF the individual, 50 is the
| character of the nation. 1t is equally
| true applied to a bank. Gather behind
her counters, as officials and directors,
the greatest captains of industry
lect for the president the leading fl
mancier of the age; but if you nave
not honest, conscientious and faithful
plodders To take care of the detail
drudgery of the office, your financial
craft is fast approaching the break
ers; and yet We as business men, and
the public generally, usually make the
mistake of placing entire credit for a
banks success upon the broad shout
ders Of its active president, or ener-
getic cashier or upon the wisdom of
the board OF directors-as the case
may be. The activity of the president,
the wisdom of the board of directors
and the energy of the cashier are ali
tC be praised and are of great value;
but something more than all these is
needed to build up q successful bank
ing business.
The officials of any institution OF
this character must have the help ana
the faithful work of men who are will
ing to become the slaves To detail and
consign themselves to obScurity behind
the personality of president cashier
or directors, before they can hope for
q successful contamination of their
efforts.
1T is well for every official to ac-
quaint himself with the worth and
character of those who are in his en-
ploy and give them encouragement
and advancement as opportunities pre-
sent, for it is a self-evident fact, that
ii the characteristics of fidelity and
honesty are shown forth in Il clerk S
life, there is such a premium on those
traits, that unappreciated, he viii not
long waste his sweetness on the desert
air.
ut is more than probable that the
bank clerks of today will be the bank
officials of tomorrow and the present
can only cast a slight reflection of
what the future holds in store for
them.
Hope stands on the horizon with a
new crown in her hand reckoning the
bank clerks to a throne of promise
never dreamed of by the financiers of
q half century past. Thus we would en-
courage those priVateS who are weak
and disheartened in the turmoil of the
battle of commercialism to hope for
better things and neglect no oppor-
tunity to prepare themselves for the
responsibilities of the future. We
would say to these who have passed
over the rough and rugged pathway
of the bank clerk--from the lowest po- !
eition, through the intricate meander
lngs OF the ledgers, both individual
and general, into the green pastures
OF oflcial life, not TO forget their mort
unfortunate co-workers who have not |
as yet attained the dizzy heights, but
to accord to the bank clerk the consid- |
Grafton which they merit, and above |
all. remember that it is only through |
the combined efforts of both officials |
and clerks working in harmony that |
success can be attained"