Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-08
Breaking in the New Country Bank Clerk

l decided at that point that l had not
learned all of the banking business.
Then the Barn Burned Down
IN the course of time an insurance man
came along and, after brief argument
(he doing all the talking), was induced to
become the local representative of his COM
pany. Some nice new supplies came in by
express few DAYS later and, fired with in
surance zeal, l sailed forth and wrote a pol
icy of fifty dollars on barn. 1t took me
nearly an hour with tapeline measuring up
that barn, and my commission on the policy
was thirty-eight cents.
| was just putting the daily report into the
slot of the mail car when the firebell rang.
1t was the barn had insured-a total loss!
At once, as per instructions contained in the
policy register, wired the company of the
loss, explaining the cause of confagration
as Cow kicked pipe from man S mouth into
hayloft."
1t must have been a severe shock to the
company; for they wired me Immediately:
Kindly have your photo taken and return
with proof of loss. If insured rebuilds. do not
insure un'es: cows stall is lined with asbestos
and COW is anchored % earth.
Entertaining the Hippodromes
A S grew more proficient other duties fell
: to my lot. Among these was the super
vision of public hall where entertainments,
dances, ETC.. were frequently given. AS a
rare treat had induced the celebrated Hip
podrome NIinstrels to include us in their
itinerary On the day set the Hippodromes,
eleven in number. and each slightly darker
than the Others, arrived Our enterprising
hotel proprietor took one good look at the
lineup and threw his register under the
counter. He was full up, he said. put up
fine argument but failed to move him.
During the remainder of the evening
worry settled down on me in groups. To
have eleven coal-black negroes, five of them
women, on my hands on cold winter night
was somewhat of strain. After thinking of
hundred expedients, it became necessary
to take the celebrated Hippodromes to my
own house for the night.
After the initial shock was over my wife
behaved heroically and aided in locating
hunks all over the lower portion of the house.
By one o'clock we got them safely ensconced
in the arms of Morpheus and retired to the
kitchen, where we kept fire and slept as
best we could in chairs.
An early inspection next morning dis
closed the fact that the basso profundo-a
two hundred and forty pound favorite-
migrated with his blankets to the dining
table, WneTe ne was eIlulaClng MS waking
efforts with fair chances of success. never
again engaged a minstrel aggregation
the dark.
Ten Dollars for Billy
TT is not always in humorous line that the
new bank clerk errs. He occasionally
ventures on thin ice and sometimes breaks
through, with a result that chills as well as
thrills. Caution is as necessary as currency
in the business of banking, and the best
grades of it seem to come only from long
experience. Old and tried bank veterans
are rarely made victims of designing crimi-
malls. 1t is the youthful and self important
clerk or cashier who is selected by these wary
gentlemen to bear the keen remorse of hasty
action.
As it is the trivial that shows the posi-
bilities of the greater, | will relate little
experience Of my own with a skilful crook
Well groorned and dapper, he came into the
bank and informed me that he would like to
draw for twenty -ive dollars on his firm. AS
| hesitated he advised me to telephone the
firm. and did SO.
"Hello!" said l. when the firm answered,
Your man Billy Williams is here and wants
to draw on you for twenty-five dollars. Is it
o. K?"
Great Cesar! Is that man out of
money AGAIN." came back snappishly.