Evening star., 1914-01-11
Record Is Conspicuous.

I4h1s is a good deal of a record for
bank. 1t is something for the men who
have it in their care today to be proud of,
and tomorrow, when they hold open
house in honor Of the event, they will
probably be duly impressed with the ne
cesslty of handing it down to their sue
cessors sound and solvent.
From the walls of the directors room
look down the portraits in oil of the six
days that tried mems souls
The first of these was John Peter
Van Ness. For his salary he received
the magnificent stipend of $500 a year
Just pin money-for he was an aris-
tocrat of aristocrats. a prince of en-
tertainers, mayor of Washington and
one of the really big men of the city.
Following Mr.. Van Ness, who was
president of the Bank of the Metropo-
lis from January II, 1914. to March Z,
1916. came John w. Maury. Mr.. Maury
served from March IL, 1876, to Febru-
ary 2. 1856. He was twice mayor,
thirteen times alderman and a business
man of high degree. said to have been
an especially capable banker.
1t was Thomas Carberry. another
aristocrat, almost the counterpart of
President Buchanan. who came into
the presidency just before the civil
war and during a large part of that
titanic struggle. most capable busi-
ness man. twice mayor of the city, and
II is noted of him that he frequently
acted as foreman of the grand jury"
an important post in those days.
Mr.. Carberry died in 1863 and was
succeeded by George Lowrie, a sue
cessful merchant. who remained but
two years, and gave. way to John Bond
Blake. who many of those alive today
will recall as the fifth president, and
who remained in Office until February
IL. 1874, gentleman of scrupulous
honesty, cultivated tastes and agree
able manners.
Among Active Washingtonians.
John w. Thompson is probably re-
membered as one of the most active
Washingtonians of his day, a friend
Of Alexander r. Shepherd, who sub
sequently became Governor of the Dis
trict of Columbia. Mr.. Thompson was
appointed by President Grant to the
upper house of the legislature Of the
District. He was one of the princi-
pal movers in the formation of and
was for years president of the Met
ropoiitan Street Railway Company
He was successful in business and
ruled over the Bank of the Metropolis
from 1874 until June l. 1897. when he
resigned.
The regimes Of E. Southland Parker,
who succeeded Mr.. Thompson, and of
George W. White. who succeeded him
and is still in Office. do not require
much comment because they are re-
cent.
It is a special source of satisfaction
to Mr. White, the president, on this
centenary Of the bank, to be able to
look back to the time when he began
his career with the institution as a mes
senger boy June 20. 1885. to succeed
to the highest place in bank in
which his father. George H. B. White,
was for more than forty years faith
full and Jealous employe. having served
the last twenty-four years of his life
as its cashier.
Mr.. White has held other positions in
the interim. but today has strong hold
on the reins of the National Metro
politan.
A BLUE Book" souvenir of the cen
tennial of the National METROPOLITAN
Bank has just been issued It tells the
history. in a few words, of the organi-
zation Of the bank-how $4,000 shares
OF stock of the par value of $40 was
offered to the public and oversubscrib-
ed by 24.6s1 shares.
First Board Of Directors.
The first board of directors consisted
Of William Brent, James H. Blake
Alexander Mccormick. John p Van
Ness. David OFT, John Graham, Walter
Jones. jr.. Moses Young, John Nc
Gowan. Edmund Law. James S. Lane
Gabriel Duvall and Benjamin Oden.
The salary of the first cashier was
$3.50 and a house to live in.
1t was not until 1917 that Congress
granted the charter for the incorpora-
tton OF the bank. and its first home
was on the northeast corner Of F and
from John g. Jackson. April 9, 1914
3oI> $4,000, payable in stock Of the