New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1908-11-22
THUMB MARK SAFE.
Better than Signature on Chech-
Used in Cheyenne Bank.

Cheyenne, Wyo, Nov. 21.-Thc old Chinese
system of Identification by thumb marks has
been adapted to modern banking, and he
method made famous by Mark Twain in ~PuIdn-
head Wilson" is new in practical use in tina
First National Bank of Cheyenne j 'rc9 rs
of identifying the signature Of the many TO-
eigners who make DEPOSITS at that institution
In fact. the thumb mark has become as ra"ns-
sary on checks drawn by that class Of the
banks dcpositors as is the written signature It
the drawer. The system has been in use i'm the
First National for more than = year, ard IL
that time the bank has had not the slightest
trouble with its foreign depositors. Tha a?-
r;.Dgcment works to perfection.
There are probably more nationalities repre-.
scented in and around Cheyenne than in almost
any other city of the country. The great min
ing camps of the state have drawn every ma
tionaity of Europe to themselves, while the
Union Pacific and the Burlington railroads have
brought hundreds of laborers from Asiatic
countries. Coreans, Japanese, Chinese. Mexi-
cans Indians, Lithuanians, CzeChs, Poles, Hun
garians, BOhemians, Welshmen, Irishmen,
Greeks Italians and about every other nation
ality be found around Cheyenne in the
course of days search. Many of these people
deposit their savings in the First National, and
very few of them can write their names, espe-
caIy in letters which can be read by ordi
nary American business
An additional source OF trouble to the banker
is the great resemblance so many foreigners
bear to others of their nationality, a
semblanCe strong that identification in many
! cases is almost impossible. To the average
American every japanese resembles every other
| japanese. while Cinnamon are alike peas
| Unless they happened to be well acquainted
with a depositOr the bank officials soon discov-
| cred they having great deal of trouble in
| identifying either the drawers the payees of
checks which came to them
At the time of opening an account with u
bank it is always customary to have the de-
position file his signature, the more readily to
detect forgeries. But the First National people
were nonplussed when many of their deposilor5
placed signatures file which would throw the
ordinary Typographical expert into fit one
day the assistant cashier. a. ID. Johnston be-
thought himself of the Mark Twain story Of
"PuGdnhead Wilson, and Immediately put
| the scheme in operation.
AS a result each foreign patron of the bank
! when he makes a deposit is required to
! place his thumb linked pad and then make
an impression a card. which. with his ordi-
nary signature and his name as written by the
bank cashier. is deposited in the records of the
| bank. Whenever Il check is presented drawn by
| this patron his thumb signature must appear
| on the check and must correspond with that on
| the card in the record. 1t it does not CORE
| spond the check is thrown out d forgery
Mr. Johnston has become proficient in read
| ing thumb signatures that he can recognize the
| prints of a great many of the banks patrons
without reference to the records
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