Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-26
BANKING AND MlSERS
Captain Morrison Tells Of the In.
creased Banking Business In the
State--A MIser Who Wanted TO,
and Was, Buried Stand.
ing on His Feet
ing on His Feet
BY GEORGE NOX MCCAIN

~ Deputy Banking Commissioner, expresses
the opinion that no department of Pennsyl-
vania's business world has developed so
rapidly as that of banking.
his statement is in view Cf the fact that
banking might be termed an ultra -conserva-
tive business.
It docs not follow the lines of rapid ex-
ransion characteristic of certain industries.
The substantial progress of the Common
wealth can be gauged more accurately when
1t Is known that in the number of banking
and trust companies alone there has been an
increase of over 300 per cent in quarter of
century.
Increase in the number and volume of
national banks is another matter: the
Federal Governments.
The figures above given refer only to
banks subject to State supervision
CAPTAIN MORRISON-an he earned his
~ title in the Civil War-has been identi-
fed with the State Department of Banking
for twsnty-s years as Deputy Conrms-
sioner.
In that time firms and corporations
engaged in banking and trust company bust
ness have increased from 1SS TO more than
200.
Building and loan associations also come
under the supervision of the department at
Harrisburg. and there are now over 2OO0 of
them operating in Pennsylvania.
When Captain Morrison first entered the
department in 1895 as Deputy Commissioner
only eight bank examiners were needed.
Now there nre thirty employed and even
this force is insufficient, considering the
character of the work.
With banking institutions like some Of the
great Philadelphia trust companies it is a
job of the first magnitude properly to in-
SpCrt their operations.
Not only must the books be gone over, but
the character OF each piece of collateral must
pass muster,
It takes four or five Of the department
experts weeks to go through such au insti-
tuition and give its affairs the detailed in
Spcction the law demands.
EROM time to time exceedingly interesting
i stories como out of the Perkiomen region.
1t is the valley which opens on the Schuyl-
kill River above Valley Forge at the mouth
of the PerkiomCn River, twenty five miles
from Philadelphia. and winds on back north
ward to the Lchigh County line.
The PerkiomCn Region" by the way, is
the name of new historical magazine that
i shortly ready for the press.
\ number of scholars, antiquarianS and
Clcrgymcn will form its editorial staff.
The whole region is rich in historical ma
tcrial; pr" colonial, geological and anthro-
biological.
1t is not my purpose to anticipate the
labors of these scientists and historians in
torcsted in the magazine, but two very in
tcresting stories have Just cone to my hand.
My friend. John r. Tails contributes
both of them. He is the indefatigablc in
vestigator Of the odd, the ancient and The
curious.
orHoS < SCuWEEk rocentIv dicd Of
tho AGO of piqbtv.seven vears. on his
farnI noar SchyonESviIIc Hn was a ni0noer
and patriot" said Mr.. Tails.
Il do not think there was Il combination
moro Interesting in the valley than Euos
and the farm on which he lived all his life.
The farm was purchased by his father
from Benjamin Pawlng. lieutenant in the
NJ tbis urigGborhoEd
"With his family and slaves he is buried
in a ulot in the woods along the edge of a
small stream on the farm
.'NTr SrIwcnk delighted to tell the history
of eorIier days to his children and grand
Children.
.'Tbc thing that imnressed me most. ." said
Mr.. Tails. was that on Decoration Day
,ou would SEQ this old country gentleman
v.,tb aow.irg l,ir and heard and shoulders
tbr"vn hnrE marching alone from his farm
~ rho crave of Rpnionlin Pawling TO nlace
nnor T. a far and few flowers.
.Fnos Sc6wonk sought TO enlist for the
| Civil War, but he was rejected on account
| Of a marked physical disability. It nearly
| broke his heart
,'Thn Ia.t .I,vc that bovc onv record
| Of m tho porkiompn Valley" said Mr..
laHII; Mas Ms hIHcN i"oe' T. Tno was S4,u oy
', III, "a, NV ,,,,SL,.od ~" f,rn
Wa LicJ whiIn in tbe cmnlov Of Mr.
| S,,bv,,rL, and +, Lmriod in the PawIinp nIot
|
;TTTIIE oldest character that ever lived in
i the Perkiomen Valley was John Hall, >"
continued Mr.. Tails.
"IIr also was one Of the early settlers.
! lie owned Il big farm between Iron Bridge
and Co.lrgoyiNG, on tho east bank Of the
river. Part of it is now known as the
Furman place"
Then the antiquarian disclosed these facts :
Hal evidently married. for II son is buried
near him in the family plot on the farm
In those day. every family. or clan, had
its own private burial ground on one Of
the farms.
Hall NUT have been either Il crank or a
nystic. Ho was n nser certainly.
The daughter of woman who was Hall S
bousrknrprr. and who died wears ago at the
ave Of Jtghty.tivc, used to tel how she
knew Lc was miscr.