davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

A BANK OF The MIDDLE WEST

as little as he pIeases provided the de-
nominations are right: and when his
money is all drawn the tearing up Of the
manila jacket closes the account and
wipes his name from the government
rolls. In fact there is no other record
These banks are not intended for mil
lionaires. In fact, the most that any one
can have on deposit at any one time is
500; and it is not possible to deposit
more than $16O in any one month. When
the first forty-eight banks were opened
many farmers came in with sums ranging
from 81 900 to 10000. and were surprised
when they were told that only 800 could
be taken per month. One old woman
called at the Post Office Department here
in Washington She had big fat pock
etbook with her which contained the
SAYINGS of years. She said that she
had lost her money in private bank
failure twenty-five years ago and that
since that time she had been pray
ing for a government bank where her
funds would be safe.
At one of the other stations two farm
crS brought in two canvas bags of coins
which together held more than $50 0,
and asked to deposit it: while at Dubois.
Pa, a German miner offered S1,IO0 and
was surprised when the postmaster would
accept only 800 At Ashtabula, Ohio,
one lady deposited 500. and said she
would return monthly until her account
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

would withdraw his deposit he must
bring back the original, and sign his
name in the presence of the postmaster
who compares it with the signature on
the duplicate. 1t is after just the same
method that the travellers checks issued
by banks and express companies are
cashed all over the world today and
the same as that used in letters of credit.
ture, but 1t takes great skill to make
such a forgery offhand in the presence
of the man you are trying to defraud.
If a certificate of deposit should be lost
or destroyed it can be duplicated by APP
plying to the postmaster, the signature,
made in this way. being evidence of the
claim. The postmaster keeps a record
of these duplicates, not in book. but In
a set of manila jackets or envelopes after
the card index system, each manila
jacket bearing the name of, depositor
and having in it that depostor's dupl-
Gates. 1t is as simple as rolling off a log.
Again the need of bookkeeping is
avoided by the fact that deposits are
made only in multiples of one dollar; and
that the money has to be left in one year
to draw interest, the interest beginning
only Oh the first day of the month. The
depositOr knows that If he takes out any
money in less than a year he loses his
interest. IF he leaves it in for one year
he gets two per cent; and he must leave
it in two years to get four per cent In
other words, there are no fractions TO be
considered. The system seems TO be fooi-
proof. The depositor knows just what is
coming to him. He can draw much or
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
Girl and Boy Cheva1iers Of Legion Of Honor
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS. July 6. 1911.
TRANCE has just decorated a work
r. ing woman and her two children
l. with the cross and ribbon of the
Legion of Honor They are chevaliers
of the order
And when the high cnvoys in their
brilliant costumes arrived at the humble
lighthouse station lost on the desolate
coast of Brittany to pin the cross upon
their breast ard kiss them on the cheek
reporters from a dozen papers sent
with sentiment.
At the same time the Figaro had al
ready received $1,000 unsolicited sub
scriptions for the widow OF kerdonis
The little boy and girl who turned the
fiashlight two nights with their bare
hands are henceforth wards OF the
legion. The girl Marie will go through
it's aristocratic boarding school The boy
will be trained for naval officer.
1t is heartbreaking story of devotion
to duty. The Kerdonis lighthouse rises
almost in the ocean on an island beyond
Quiberon. a mere dot on the horizon can
be seen Sarah Bernhardts chateau.
Belle-Ile: for the rest the humble guardi-
ans view only the immensely of the ocean
and the deserted downs that stretch
twenty miles between themselves and
civilization.
BY their five red flashes the Matelot
family living in the lighthouse protected
ships against the treachery of the rocks
Of Houat and ioedic, causes Of innu-
nera BILE disasters since the days OF the
Vikings. All the codfishers Of New
foundland, going and coming. and the
maneuvering squadrons Of Rochefort and
Breet depended OF the five red flashes.
Suddenly Easter morning the husband
Matelot was taken down se:ta terrible
pains as he polished his lantern and reg
uiated the heavy c.ochWork turning the
intermittent flashes. Within two hours
ne was screaming on his bed with gal
Looping appendicitis AS twilight drew on
the wife struggled with hot congresses
and all her simple means, distracted what
to do. The only doctor was twenty miles
away by low tide. Shut off from human
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

two thousand million dollars 1t is
enough to give 800 to every family IN
the United States and enough to buy
the steel trust and leave something over
for a few railroads or So 1t Is ABOUT
per cent of the aggregate wealth OF
the nation, and if it could be collected
together into one pile 1t would almost
pay the national debt twice over. Take
it out Of hiding and turn it into gov
eminent bonds and should not nave
to borrow a cent from outside nations.
and at the same time would nave enough
surplus capital to complete the Panama
canal and dig a ditch big enough Tor
the largest ocean steamers from the
Great Lakes to the gulf.
Similar boards have existed in all coun-
tries although nowhere to such an ex-
tent as i'll ours. We are the rlchest OF
the nations, and we have more loose
money than any of the others. Take Tor
instance the HinduS, where the standard
is so low that YOU can hire a man Tor
10 cents day, and where many OF the
people figure on how much they will eat
for supper in order to know whether they
will have enough left for breakfast That
country is known to have hoard in gold
or silver or jewels hid away under It's
floors and since the British government
has established postal savings banks
there $500, 10000 have been taken out and
deposited and the accounts in the post
offices are almost one million IN numoer.
But how about taking care of busi-
ness like this?
Think of the work OF handling 10000
different banks. each of which has hum
dreds of deposit accounts
Think of the deposits and Withdrawals.
of calculating the interest and OF keep
ing the accounts, where the loss or a
cent in the balance may set a clerk crazy,
as is common in the banks of today.
These are some of the troubles that are
agitating the other nations which nave
similar banks and are costing them mil
lions 1t is SO in Great Britain, where
big building at London is devoted TO
keeping the books. The banks have been
in operation there for twenty-five years,
lion in number while the total deposits
now equal $751; 100000. The cost of the
machine is such that | understand the
business is run at a loss Similar books
are kept in France. Germany and In
rearly every civilized country on the face
of the globe.
This was one of the difficulties which
faced Uncle Sam when he took hold or
the problem. Our postal savings bank
business is bound to be twice as large as
that of any other nation. and should we
dore L. Weed, the chief clerk of the Post
Office Department and the secretary OF
the board of banking trustees, tells me,
we should have to establish In time,
great accounting system here at
Washington. with great force of clerks
to keep track of the moneys in these
thousands of offices scattered over more
than three million square miles.
Nevertheless, we have begun the busi-
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
A Bitter Critic.

z X-GOv. PENNYPACKBR, at din
IL ner in Philadelphia, said OF the di-
Vorce evil:
There would not be so many divorces
If there were not so many families OF the
Dash type
MI Dash said sternly one day to his
little son:
Your mother ard 7 agree that you
require a sound whipping.
The little boys lip curled, and he re-
torted bitterly:
" oh, yes; that's the only thing that
you and mother ever do agree about
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
The Kings Wit.

HT HE king said naturalized Eng
lishman, touching his forelock
reverently, has a delicate wit. Listen.
"A friend Of mine, an officer of bur
glary insurance firm, insured for the X ng
In May lot of valuable tapestries, plate
and pictures. In his citation my friend
asked the king II he might advertise
this fact. But his majesty smiled, shook
his head and replied:
"'Well on the whole think you had
better not. Ny future subjects. Just as
they are about to crown me, would no
doubt feel offended II they thought enc
tertained any suspicion Of their hon.
eety.'"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

orders were issued. and a large part
of them We're for savings deposits.
Now that the post office bank has been
established, a great deal OF this money
will go into 1T This has been the
case in the hanks opened In the mining
camps, where many foreigners EN-
ployed Ii is so. also. in the milling CEN
erS and in all laboring towns. At one OF
the PENNSYLVANIA offices a group of for
eigners, both men and women. called to
see the postmaster and on being inform
ed that they could only deposit 500 each,
they went away saying: No good 10 US.
Take too many months TO make deposits.
come back when government gets bank
fixed better way"
A. Frostburg. Md. an Italian who de-
posted so offered to pay 30 cents for
the certificate. and when he was told it
did not cost anything and that his deposit
would also draw interest, he was much
pleased. At an Ohio office Syrian wom-
an tried to deposit $40 and a Oroville.
Cal. number of foreigners offered from
$1,000 TO 5000 each. which of course.
was impossible At Ashtabula. Ohio a
foreigner came from Painesville with
$500. and at Globe. Ariz., the postmaster
says that his depositors rank as to the
amount Of money held as follows: Amer
lean. English. Aus!r an. German, Russian.
Mexican and Swedish. At many of the
places interpreters have asked for litera-
tUre on the system. saving that they
want to explain 1t to the foreign laborers
of their settlement, while at Dubois. Pa.
two priests of foreign churches there are
studying the system. and say they Will
spread the news among their fiocks.
In my talk with the Postmaster Gem
eral and the officials in charge of the
bank here at Washington | have been
shown the system and the accounts of its
operation to date. The increase in num-
Der of depositors and amount of de-
posts is rapidly growing. and that as to
every branch Of the business The de-
poSts of the stations first opened have
a larger ratio of increase every week.
and the growth at the new stations is
proportionately rapid. At the present
issue the deposits at the forty-eight orig
inal post offices at the close of year
from their date of opening will amount to
over SSO0,OO0 and il the system should
be extended to all the money order Offices
the first year thereafter have something
like S2OO01WD on deposit.
In the building of new post offices the
government will put in special offices for
the savings banks. This will he the case
in the new post office at Washington. d
c.. which is soon to be built and event
ually similar arrangements will have TO
be made in all the large cities.
The most surprising feature of the work
so far is the ease with which ii is han
died The new banks are running with
out complications. There have been no
OBJ iectionS from the local savings insti-
buttons and the post offices promise to
bring n vast amount of new money into
circulate ton. Indeed the postal savings
bank is the greatest financial success OF
this administration.
FRANK G. CARPENTER.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

had reached the limit; while at the same
Office a man who was refused the chance
to put in $500 at a lump said he did not
went in on such small installments.
These banks will be patrOniZed by the
women and children. The laws provide
that husband has no control of the de-
posits made by his wife, nor guardians
any control over those made by their
wards. Even the children can deposit,
and their parents cannot get the money
except by their consent and by their
signatures in the presence of the post
master. Any boy who has a dime may
begin an account b. buying a postal
savings card. upon which he can paste
nine other 1o-cent postal savings stamps
which he may buy as he gets the money.
When the ninety cents worth of stamps
have been stuck on the card it represents
dollar. and may be exchanged for
dollar deposit draft at the post office.
His name then goes into a manila jacket,
and he is one of the patrons of Uncle
Sans great banking system.
In all places where the banks have
been established many children are
among the depositors. In some instances
postmasters have been asked to address
the public school children on the Sys-
tenn and school teachers from all parts
of the country are writing the depart
ment for information concerning it. At
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

one of the Pennsylvania offices a boy has
opened account in order that he may
have start in life when he is through
school and in other places men are open
ing accounts for children and starting
them on the way TO save One PHI
lanthropic man in OwenSboro. Ky, has
purchased postal savings cards for all the
public school children of that town. his
idea being to encourage thrift through
the use of this government system. This
seems to be an excellent idea, and I sug-
gest it to such Of YOU as have a chart
table dollar to put where ii will bring big
results Take village or town which
has thousand school children. An in
vestment Of 500 in these ten-cent postal
savings cards would start the children OF
that whole town to saving, and would be
better charity than the pauper.zing, in
discriminate gift-siving which is so COM
mon today One Mi ht take the children
of a single school or class and do the
same Indeed. this system of giving is
subject to countless variations.
CONNECTED with the postal savings bank
act is provision by which the certificates
of deposit may be used to buy govern
ment bonds. This went into effect the
1st of July. and many bonds have al
ready been purchased The law provides
that postal savings. in the sums of so.
$40 $50, $50 and SiO0 and multiples of
500 and $500 may be turned in for bonds,
which shall be in the above denomina
tons. and shall bear interest at the rate
of 21o per cent per annum. payable semi
annually. These bonds cannot be bought
except by postal savings bank depositors.
but they are so arranged that any one
can have a part in the government debt
OF the United States. and can own a
government bond. They will be sold
to such depositors at par. They are ex-
empt from taxation. and they will probably
have a market value somewhat higher
than at the rate they are sold to deposit
tors This. it is thoughts will add to the
stability Of our government. Every man
who owns such bond will want to sup
port the government and will feel that he
has a part in it. 1t will probably result
in great part of our bonds, which are
now held by the rich, here and in other
countries, going into the hands of the
people.
X
who have been taking out deposits in
these new postal savings banks These
men know the postal savings banks Of
their own countries. and they have faith
in ours because they are backed by the
government Postma ster General Hitch
cock tells me that vast sums have an
nually been sent abroad by the foreign
element of this country in order that they
may be deposited in the banks of Eu
rope. Some of this goes to the banks
direct and some is sent to friends. who
put 1t in the postal savings banks of their
respective countries.
In the four years ending with 1909,
more than s312,00C, 900 of such money
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

but the fact that you are or are not in
terested My theory is that the interest
needs to be stimulated. If picture of
frozen ocean interests one. well and good.
But if person happens to prefer pic
lures of burning city or even of that
portal through which all who enter must
abandon all hope. the effect may be
identical. 1t is simply question Of
rousing a person out of the state of mind
he is in when the heat becomes insuffer-
able to him The thing that will accom-
plish il is the thing that appeals to him
sufficiently to divert his mind from the
heat. Turn your back upon it and be-
come interested in something else, then
the heat ceases to bother you.
Nor, just because YOU may happen TO
be stout are you immune from this treat
ment propounded by DR.. Wiley. who is of
the opinion that weight matters not at
all in this connection.
Are fat people really hotter than thin
ones?" he explained. "Of course not
People who are fat and go around erum-
bling about the heat simply make them
selves miserable and their friends well.
AS q matter of fact fat is splendid non
conductor \ fat man should he no
warmer. if as warm. than thin one. Fat
keeps the heat from entering the body
and also from leaving It. AS it is most
fat people are not philosophers when
they fuss about the heat, and won't live
long
And right here the doctor explained the
ortniSt
An optilnist is blind on one side he
said, "a philosopher isn't. An optimist,
say, would see only & beautiful forest on
one side of him; but the philosopher
could not overlook the chasm on the
OF er. And of course, 1t IS safer to be
philosopher To ice happy one has to be
philosophical. II l lost my cook l would
not worry about is. I would not even let
sickness make me miserable. l should
he ashamed to admit that my happiness
hung upon so fragile a thread. But, on
blind to the evil that may exist. 1t is
better to know it and thus be able to
look ahead and prepare for the future"
No only has DR.. Wiley very strong ideas
REGARDING the thought method of keeping
cool in summer. but he also has rules re-
sarding what to eat and what to drink.
Strange as 1t may seem, he is not OPP
posed to people drinking ice water-in
winter. For summer, he claims. drink
perature is cool enough for anybody. If
YOU want to drink water get 1T directly
from the faucet we'll or Whatever otner
contrivance you obtain your natural
water from. But dont-and this don't
is imperative-put ice in 1t. Ice water,
other iced drinks and Ice cream are in
furious in summer because the stomach Is
so much warmer than the iced f!uid that
it causes the stomach to contract and
consequently results in dyspepsia or some
other stomach ailment.
LAS for drinking; lemonade in the hopes
of it's cooling you off" lie objected, "it Is
an idea only. IN the first place. a.
explained. iced drinks are injurious. and
in the second, sugar is extremely heat
ing. If people must have lemonade, let
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

TWO Billion Dollars of
i Hoarded Treasure-The
New Banks and Their De-
positors-Work Among the
School Children-Chances for
Women-The Foreigners and
Their Money = Government
Bonds-An Idea Worth Mil
lions, or How Frank Hitch
cock Has Removed the Ne
cessity for Two Thousand
Bookkeepers.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
Well Drawn Distinction.

DROF BRANDER MATTHEW'S in an
address at Columbia University onca
made a striking distinction between the
two words gourmand and gourmet
1.-THE difference between these two
words,'' he said, sis plain.
"Gourmand and gourmet, they alike en-
Joy a good dinner; but as soon as ii -
over the gourmand asks:
"'What Is there for support"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16
MOREOVER, He Prac-

MOREOVER, He Prac-
lVl tees What He breaches
and Literally Laughs at the
Heat-Think of Things Other
Than How Hot 1t Is and You
Won't Be Hot, He Claims
Why Should We Suffer From
External Heat But a Degree
or SO Higher Than Tempera-
ture of Inside of the Body?
Auto Suggestion Cannot
Change Ones Temperature,
But Can Prevent Weather
Annoying Him = Fat Man
Should Be Cooler Than the
Thin One-What to Eat and
Drink in Summer.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

5 your collar wilt
Cd yoGr clothing a
second cousin to a
TOW u III Il Turks n
b a I h q II = your
temper frayed and
frazzlcd ? .tre you
ready IL bet a
IN o n I h salary
that the therinom-
eter stands not a
degree less than
2I2 w h e n Y o u r
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

can perform Herculean feats on his
farm. and other things not on the
program of weak-hearted individual.
But 1t isn't. It's as sound a bell.
Just the same, when / was boy l
ina Sined that everything affected IT.
Every now and then | used to stop
whatever I was dong to feel my pulse,
variably found the beat a trife ir-
regular. as will be the case with any
body. But I didn't think it natural
believed my heart was bad and that I
could not live long" And the doctor
laughed, partly amused and partly
disguised. at the sympathy he had
wasted on himself in his boyhood.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

though you probably have seen a good
many credited to me. When il comes
to telling just what should he served at
meal time. | must decline Ii is really
impossible TO give a set menu that would
appeal to the larger percentage of per-
sons reading il. / can only point out the
best means of keeping cool and healthy
and the housewife will have to do the
rest"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-07-16

condensed the tale enthusiastically in
his report:
''Matelot, guardian of the lighthouse OF
Kerdonis. deceased April Is. the Lighting
and service OF the night were assured by
the widow and her two children, aged
thirteen and fourteen years.