The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-03-01

deposits amounted to the sum of Sill
863. AT the last official report of the
bank the deposits amount to the
great sum of $3,S71 ,36721, while it's
capital stock is 100000 and its sur
plus the same amount, while it's undi-
v1ded profits amount to over $65, 900,
while it has a large and constantly
growing reserve. The high point
reached this fall in deposits was over
$4,000,000.
The banking business of a city or
state is a very fair barometer of the
business of that city or state, and if
this is so and no one doubts it, then
North Dakota in the thirty-five years
the bank has been doing business has
prospered wonderfully and of course
the city of Fargo is in the class. for
when the state is progressing Fargo
is sure to be in that condition.
Hardly Able to Realize.
The development that has taken
place during the past thirty-five
years in the territory known as North
Dakota is hardly realized by the most
of the people of the city and state
unless figures and concrete facts are
brought closely to the attention of the
average man and woman. Thirty-fiv
years ago the Northern Pacific rail
Bismarck and was then the only road
in the state. The Red River valley
was sparcely settled. The great CEN,
tral and western portions of the
state, now dotted over with prosper
Gus farms and thriving and progress
sive villages and cities was the home
of the wild untamed buffalo and red
man and then where ran the traders
trails can now be found the great
ironways which have done so much to
develop the country. ah Vt
Churches Not Wigwanns.
Instead of the wigwatns and the
cluster of tepees now raise their
heads to heaven the spires of church
es and school houses, colleges and
universal comfort and good homes
for the many. North Dakota sun
ports literally by private and public
funds great institutions for the moral
and intellectual welfare for the bet
terment of the masses. In the stress
and strain of state building the poor
and afflicted have by no means been
forgotten, as witness the hospital for
the insane, institutions for the chill
dren, orphans homes, asylumS and
such. These things could not be
without an intellectual and industri-
Gus people. Moral and intellectual
progress go hand in hand with state
and national success, and one will
not continue long without the other
Accumulation Of Wealth.
With the great material develop
nent OF the state has come the accu-
mutation Of wealth that belongs to
the people of the state because they
have worked for and earned 1t, and
this in a measure makes them ii1de-.
pendent. The banking business has al
ways been astride and really ahead of
the other business of the state. The
people are always inclined to point
with pride to an institution that has
always been successful and that Is
one reason why the First National is
always spoken by the home people to
the stranger as ono of the state in
stituttons. The present officers of the
bank, who were elected at the recent
January meeting arc as follows:
PresidentE. r. Weiser.
Vice President--Fred "A. Irish.
Vice President-John S., Watson.
Cashier-.G H. Nesbit. 'a
Assistant Cashierr--L4. I r. Buxton.
Assistant Cashier Harold Soren-
son.
Assistant Cashier r.. q, Clapp.
The directors are as followst Thon
as Baker, ir., Peter Elliott L. r.,
Hanna, r. A Irish, James Kennedy
r. s. Lewis Peter Luger, w. o. Olsen
j. W. smith, John s. Watson, E. j.
| Weiser.
The Old Timers.
e. G. Eddy, who was the first cash
| ier, as well as director and the firs3
| depositor in the bank thirty y-five years
| ago, is at present deputy county audi.
! tor and still Is one of the close aid
! herents to the institution. He points