The Marshall republican., 1913-08-01
SLATER BANKER

obfN DN, MOD Juiy oOao'O
the Merchants and Farmers Bank
was absorbed by the Bank of Slater
most anyone in Saline county would
have said Of the president OF the
Merchants and Farmers Bank;
like Avitt's easily worth 100000
and wouldn't be surprised u he
cculd cash In for " million dollars"
Today it's different.
ike Avitt hasn't a penny" Slater
says. f-HalRf
Rich Only in Reputation.
when the illusion that |. w. Avitt,
65 years old. a widowed and president
Of the Farmers and Merchants Bank
Jf Slater was rich began TO be dis
PEELED. ten banks, distributed among
Kansas City. st. Louis. Independence.
Chicago. Odessa and Louisiana, Mo,
took an inventory. II showed that
the supposedly rich banker OF Slater
owed outside city banks $685. coo and
that most OF the indebtedness was on
IFS personal notes. unsecured.
The tradition that Ike Avitt was
rich had been worth that much In
credit. What collateral he put up to
secure a part OF the personal notes
turned ont TO be OF doubtful value
when the affairs OF his own bank
we're investigated and Il was taken
over by the Bank OF Slater.
Avitt is now in Winnipeg, Canada.
lie owns about eight hundred acres OF
land In the Dominion which is heavily
lincumbered. Ftr
a shrcwd. Money Making Trader.
Ike" Avitt came to Slater sixteen
years ago and started a bank. At the
death OF his wife and q child he had
Succeeded to tho ownership OF five
hundred acres OF land near Odcssa.
HC lived frugally and economically
and attended strictly TO business. BE-
lcauso of defective hearing he TALKED
little TO his townspeople and they
talked little TO him.
The banker did no. drink or use
tobacco aud had no hobbies that were
Expensive. He drove TO his own
horse along the main street OF the
own TO his bank day In and day out.
lie came TO be known as n shrcwd
trader and a hard bargain driver.
Excepting his own counsel. he confided
I'm nobody. II was not his fault when
'ossip carried the story that Ike
Ayitt bought n farm for n SOM and
sold II for II good price. making scy.
,ral thousand dollars on the deal. lie
sold n part OF the land In the II. A
Long farm In Jackson county for [,
'rotit OF $4,000.
Whenever the gossip carried I
tory OF bis deaihss itGwas always
ale OF profit for Ike hvltt.
Faith In His Iiichcs.
SO when the story started In Slater
hat the Farmers and Merchant
Bank was In trouble those who wer,
not on the inside laughed derisiyely
they thought OF the stolid. mysterlou
aud familiar figure riding In the bug
sy TO the bank every day. IL tool
something more than that TO shak,
their faith.
Ike Avitt's bank?" they said
why old man Avitt could pay ever,
1opositor from his W pocket"
He's not here" someone said.
He's gone TO sell another farm
and make some more money" wa
tho answer.
Mysterious Strangers.
But n stranger appeared at IN
town hotel. lie was the bank exa
miner. Another stranger appeared
He was the representative of the te
banks that held Avitt's notes 10
t10S, 600. with the latter on Oh
same train, came the Slater banker
lis mustache was shaved. Il wa
Fthe first time Ike" Ayitt ever al
)eagod that way. lie had worn
%nustache since he was 10 years ole
The people OF the little town Nigh
have dismissed their curiosity owe
he presence OF the two stranger,
out the appearance OF Ike" Avit
without his mustache was too muci
Something wns wrong. The strong
est adherents oa the tradition the
p we're willing to give the story cor
sideration. tg lo ir'
That night lights appeared In III
Farmers and Merchants Bank, TIL
wo strange men were seen moyin
about inside. Ike" Avitt sat at
able. silent. his head In his hands.
The few operators in the sms
telephone exchange remained at the
posts all night. The story trayele
luickly and tho telephones in th
town as well As in the |surroundin
lltCNrtAt xrA.. l..a.W ....