The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-06-03
FIRST NATIONAL
 ENLARGES. FACILITIES
Men of Merchants and Planters
 Farley Retained.
u. P. LeGrand is vice-Presidents A. s. wooIfolk, Cashier, and Messrs. BartIett and seibels Assist ant Cashiers of Consoli-
 dated Institution.


 By the merging of the Merchants and Planters Farley National Bank of Montgomery into the First National Bank which was consummated Satuf- day, the latter bank becomes the lead fne financial institution in Alabama. There is but one other bank in Ala bama with s1,000,000 capital
 Negotiations for consolidation of the two Montgomery banks have been in progress about three weeks Final ar rangements were made Saturday when stockholders of both institutions met and perfected the details of the con solidation. The Board of Directors of the consolidated bank was selected and this Board, at a meeting, held la ter in the day, elected officers.
 A. M Baldwin. who has been Presi- dent of the First National Bank since 1898, will continue at the head Of the enlarged banking establishments M. F. LeGrand, formerly vice-President or the Merchants and Planters Farley Ma tional bank, was elected to a similar office with the consolidated bank. A. s. woolfolk, several years cashier of the First National Bank, was re-elect- ed and Henry T. Bartlett and R. Elm melt Seibels were elected Assistant Cashiers. Charles c. Norton, formerly exchange and collection manager or the First National Bank, was elected Auditor and G. W. Craik vas contin- ued as Trust Officer of the bank.
 With the merger of the Merchants and Planters-F Farley National Bank into the First National Bank the former in- stttution, of course, ceases to be factor in the financial life of Mont eomery J. L. Hall, several years President of the Merchants and Plant ers-Farley National Bank. retires from the banking business. All other offl- cers and employees of the defunet pank will become associated with the Flrst National,
 Greater Facilities Provided.
 With It's enlarged facilities and nat ural increase in business, 1t was found necessary to provide more room in the handsome six story office buiioins which the first National Bank occupies, and to create additional officers or the bank. Raphael Semmes, Jr.. and Ar chic Johnston were appointed receiv- ing tellers and L. W. Tyson and James II Campbell were appointed paying tel Iers. Messrs Semmes, Tyson and Camp bell were with the Merchants ana aPianters-Farley National Bank. All other clerks employed by the Merchants and Planters- Farley National Bank, will be retained in the posiuons they filled with that bank.
 The splendidly equipped banking house of the First National Bank has been enlarged to make room Tor the additional force of men and the con solidated bank will be ready for ousl- ness Tuesday morning, tomorrow be- ing a legal holiday. The steel cages have been arranged so as to provide room for the additional cashiers and tellers. The. bookkeepers and other attaches of the bank who do not come into contact with the public have been transferred to the offices in the large and commodious basement of the building. There is no more perfectly annointed banking house in Alabama than that of the First Nationai or Montgomery.
 At A meeting of the stockholders Of 4he consolidated bank held Saturday rnornine A Board of Directots was elected as follows: W. A Gayle, J: 5. Wilcox c. G. Abercrombie' Francis G' sigmund Roman, Arthur Pelzer, J. L. Hall. M. P LsGrand and Robert F. IIron. Messrs. Gayle. Wilcox, Aber- cron1bie. Caffey and Baldwin composed the Board of the old First Nauohdl Bank. Messrs. Hobbie, Roman Pelzer, Hall, LeGrand and Ligon were on the Board of the Merchants and Plahters Farley National.
 The First National Bank had capi- +al of s225,000. The Merchants ana Planters Bank had $5o0,o0O capital. With their consolidation the stocK- holders determined to increase the cap itaI stock and as result this inter national Montgomery Is given the right to boast of the largest nahA- ing house in Alabama.
 The surplus of the consolidated bank
 
 are probably as great as any other bank in the State.
 Business Men Pleased.
 Rusiness men of Montgomery, since the first announcement of the consoli- dalton of the two big banks, have re- ioiced at this indication of prosperity and financial strength on the part of Monteomery people. It is said that fnIly 90 per cent of the stock of this million dollar bank iS owned by people of Montgomery or of Middle Alabama.
 Tt gives an impetus to the Montgom- ery 1910 movement" said a prominent Montgomery buisness man Saturday af- ternoon, discussing the consolidation Of the banks. "It shows that our people haveconfidence in our resources and our comercial future. It gives us one bi1 hank that will be able to care for business necessities. This consolidation wil be a great help to commercial ana industrial Montgomery"
 All of the officers of the consolidated hank are Montgomery men, men who have had years of experience ln the banking business President A. M Baldwin has been long regarded as one of inc safest and soundest financlers ,n Alabama He has been ass9clateo with the First National Bank since Ies6 and was several years it's cashier
 OHacers Experienced Bankers.
 sentember 19, 1898, MT. Baldwin was elected President of the bank as sue cessor to the late Henry c. Tompklhs who had just died. He was continued at the head of the great banking house and 1t was largely through his ettorts ana his business acumen that the con solidation of the two banks was brought about.
 The vice president of the consoli- dated bank MT. LeGrand, began his career as a banker in 1891, with the Bank of Montgomery, of which insti- tution he was president. Upon its consolidation with the old Merchants and Planters National Bank, MT. Le- Grand became vice president of the Consolidated institution. Later the Merchants and Planters National joined with the Farley National Bank and MT. LeGrand was elected vice presi- tanee as a banker. He has large in- dent of the merged bank
 Mir LAGrand has wide acQualn-