The Washington herald., 1914-09-05
HISTORY BUILDERS
HOw Banker Saw Himself as Other,
Saw Him.
BY IN. y. }. EDWARDS.

Written ENrHes6 for The HeTsh}
william A. Camp was for thirty years
the manager Of the New York Clearing
house Association. He began that serv-
ice Immediately after the close OF the
civil war and continued II until his death,
in 1896. He was brought more intimately
in touch with the great financial and
banking transactions which were effected
in the clearing house activities than was
any other one man In his generation.
Mr. Camp was a quaint and yet a. de-
llghtfu personality. In appearance he
would have suggested to any one who did
not know him. but who was familiar with
university life, a professor of theology.
His face was a curious combination Of eN-
pressiOns OF serenity. earnestness and de-
termination. His eyes were large and
dark. and In the latter years Of his life
were surmounted by heavy. gray-tinted
eyebrows. His beard was Of the cOnven-
tional cut Of the college professor or the
school teacher. He was. however. a most
entertaining man. his mind being filled
to repletion with recollections Of stormy
days In the exchange and Of the personal
charac terIstics Of the great bankers Of
a generation which had about passed
away when Mr.. Camps own life was
ended.
was chatting with Mr.. Camp one aft
ernoon about three years before his death
and at a time when he seemed 10 be in
unusually good humOr. although his hui
NOR was always spontaneous and his dis
position cheerful. He said:
81 had. a few days ago. an unexpected
opportunity Of seeing myself as others
see me. No man can see himself exactly
as he is whep he looks into the mirror. !
am never conscious OF myself when
glance into the looking glass. and GER
fafp1,- ahnYYll knnHn how
appear and what my characteristic move
ments are II II had not been for an uneN-
pected revelation recently.
Several weeks ago a young man Of
courteous manner and Gentlemanlv ap-
pParance called on me with a brief letter
Of Introduction from a friend. He said
that he wanted to talk 10 me about Ger
tain stages Of life in the clearing house.
That was easy for me TO talk about. I
noticed that the young man looked At me-
intently and 7 hatt"red myself thai this
was because he was greatly interested in
what I was saying. After while ne
asked whether he could call again within
n day or two as there were one or two
other matters associated with the clear
ing house that he wanted to get some In
formation about He did call and was
able TO ask a question which ! could NOV
answer without crossing the room 70 get
n book. As ] turned to 90 back ~ nv
chair. | observe that he was looking at
me with curious intensity 81 expression
He thanked mo for the information and
went away.
Several weeks later. ] received an In
vitation from tho manager Of thHater ~
town To witness the oDnning performance
Of play. \ box had been reserved for
me and any friends that 7 wished to take
With some of my friends 7 went to the
play. About the middle Of the first act
an actor who was taking the rart Of =
New York banker appeared on the scene
NV friendly instantly called my attention
10 him. They told no that the actor had
made up his face that there was n
wonderful resemblance to mine and that
he was initiating perfectly the movement
Of nv arms. tho unconscious manner 7
had Of holding nv head and the way I
walked
After the first act friends NJ mine who
were in the audience came 10 mo and said.
You must have served that actor for
model hut ! replied J did not. for I
have never seen him
yet had. The young man who called