Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-12

garden of paradise. / have seen the
time when a Texan scarcely knew the
difference between a mole hill and COM
mercial bank.
To-day we support over seven hundred
banking institutions and all are prosperous
In more or less degree. Our State Ban
kers Association has over $50 members
We can boast of producing one-thrd OF
the greatest industrial product known to the
world-King Cotton. We have great rice
plantations and more flowing oil wells than
any other state in the Union. We also raise
more horses, mules and cattle than any
other state.
why" he declared you could build
wall around Texas and it could get along
very we'll without the rest of the worlde'
Perhaps" remarked banker from an,
other state. who was standing near by and
overheard this boast. but | hope you
won't try to do that"
A Popular Mixer.
Everybody from New York city and
great many persons from other parts OF
the country know Alfred MoGrath, vice
president of the Shoe and Leather Bank
of New York city. Mac they call him
Familiarity, and he is always seen shaking
hands with somebody he knows and saying
a pleasant word or cracking joke with
him. He is one of the most popular NIX
ers' of the convention and most vaiuapie
man to his bank at gathering Oh tiis
kind, where there is an opportunity 10 mahe
many valuable acquaintance
An Interesting Figure.
One of the most interesting figures of the
convention is ..the man with the yellow
hat" He is known by that designation 10
every one about the convention who has
seen him but doesn know him personally.
But there is something more interesting
than the PREDETERMINED and voclferous
yellow hat that tops s shreWd race ne
is w S. Whitman of Atlanta, Ga, and he
is the president of chain or sixty-ohe
banks Incidentally he draws salary OF
81 GOO a year from each bank as president.
His banks are III state banks, ana are
thoroughly organized with a system OF
travelling auditors and local stan mum
beriug over 500. He some years ago took
300 of his clerks at one time on an excur-
sion to New York and left plenty at nome
to do the work.
A number of the bankers object 10 tne
idea of a chain of banks under single
head but they admit that although the sys-
tenn is a despotism and capable of infinite
harm in the hands of a bad man, sun II is
almost an ideal form of management II IT
is In the hands of good one. 1t Is UNI
derstood that the stock of the various
banks is subscribed almost wholly IN the
town where the bank is located, and local
board of management passes on the iocai
loans, but the general management Is in
the hands of Mr. Witham entirely, and so
far he has made vast success OF the series
of banks.
Mr. Edwin F. Mack, vice president of the
Royal Trust Company of Chicago, Is
great believer in advertising, and has got
ten out the most artistic souvenir of his
institution in the form of little booklet,
entitled Animals That Save. He has IN
cluded colored plates by good artists of
dozen animals and insects who have the
acquistive habit, with page of facts about
each one. OF course, the book is devoted
also to the interests of the savings COM
pany that Mr.. Mack represents, but the
IL 100 Il, ;,,$o
ing one
Another great believer in publicity is II.
P. Wenig of the Windsor Trust Company,
who is at the Shoreham. He is young
man, one of the youngest members of the
convention. He is successful man and 4
member of the publicity section.
Banker and Newspaper Man.
H. D. Copeland, president of the Burling-
ton Savings Bank of Burlington, Iowa. and
one of the proprietors of the OsceoIa Senti-
mel, OsceoIa, Iowa, is in the east not alone
to attend the bankers convention. He
promised some years ago to bring his moth
er-in-law, Mrs. susanna Custer. to visit her
old home in Fairfax Courthouse, Va, and is
row fulfilling the promise. Mrs. Custer is'a
member of an old Virginia family and has
never been back since she left sixty-eight
years ago for the west. She is seventy-eight
years of age, and wants to see her birth
place before she dies. She is connected
with the prominent Farr and Summers
families of Virginia.
Mr.. Copeland says that Iowa Is well repre-
scented here, and that the bankers and bust
ness men have nothing Ito kick about out
there.
First Savings Bank.
One of the most interesting souvenirs the
bankers have provided is a page of type
writing in the savings bank section, giving
a copy of the first savings bank account
ever opened in the United States. 1t was
by Curtis Roberts, residing at 303 Chestnut
street. Philadelphia, in 1916 with the Phila-
delphia Savings Fund Society. The account
and closed April l. 1919. The whole amount
involved was only $1l, with several inser-
lions of interest. The depositor in that
day had to be introduced to open an ac-
count, and the introducer IN this case was
one Condy Raquet. They possibly did not
appreciate at that time that they were the
pioneers in what was to be such an import
ant movement, involving millions of dollars
and hundreds of thousands of citizens an
nually.
Com pliment to President Roosevelt.
An interesting incident during the session
in the National Theater yesterday was when
the apprecative resolution concerning
President Roosevelt was made. 1t was sec
onded by Mr. Jennings of Florida, who
happens to be cousin of William Jennings
Bryan and who has twice voted for him for
the presidency. He said, however, that the
people of the south admired President
Roosevelt n man, and he was proud to
be able to second the resolution.