Omaha daily bee., 1922-01-15
By J. b. HAYNES.
tYessses Private Secretary y Asaatss
Miiiard)

Yessaes Private Secretary - asaatss
| Miiiard.)
To have risen 10 the position o
nes,or OF ones profession in am
state is rare distinction. a,taine,
only after long years Of constant toll
That mark OF pfe-eminenee was Ions
given by Nebraska bankers 10 JOSEPH
Hopkins Millard. former Uniles
States senator. and for years presi
dent and chairman OF the board o.
the Omaha National bank--a mar
whose name always stood for con
seryative policies in business as vel
as governmental affairs.
Some years ago Senator Millard
in a public address, admonished the
bankers and business men OF Ne.
braska that il was their duty 10
slaeken the pace oi speculative en-
,erprise which he feared might be-
come too rapid.
In 1905 he made an address be-
fore the Nebraska Bankers associa-
ton, in which he said:
"In conclusion. / would sound a
note in favor Of conservatism, as
| believe il 10 be the duty OF bank
crs to counsel their patrons TO adopt
a policy OF moderation and to ad-
wise business men within the sphere
of their influence OF the wisdom of
making haste slowly at a time when
il may be difficult to define the line
between business enterprise and
reckless speculation.
1T has been said that almost any
body could be a banker in days OF
good times. Not so in seasons of
business depression. Those OF us
who weaihcrcd the storm OF 1898
need not be reminded that the posi-
ton OF bank officer is not always
an enviablc one"
These remarks, voiced years ago,
show that Senator Millard then saw
the necessity for putting a check
upon business men who were dis
posed TO plunge into speculative en-
terprises without much thought OF
the future. His attitude on that oc-
casion is characteristic OF the man.
He was an advocate OF safe and
sane methods in all lines OF business.
His experience as a banker, dating
back many years, had taught him
the virtue of exercising caution.
Joseph H. Millard came to Ne
braska in his twentieth year, when his
sole possessions were a scanty ward
robe and but $40 in money.
Opened Montana Bank.
In 1864, when rich gold deposits
had been discovered in Montana, he
obtained the backing of rich Iowa
capitalist and opened bank in Vir-
ginia City, Mont. then the toughest
mining camp in the wild west. Ae
was made manager of the bank.
In those days the journey up the
Missouri river from Omaha to Fort
Benton consumed three months, and
the stage ride from Benton to Fir
ginia City could not be made in less
than 80 days. Provisions were scarce
in the new gold camp in Alder
Gulch, where life was full OF adven-
ture and hardships.
"Our most exciting time was dur
ing the winter Of 1865" said Sena-
.or Millard sometime ago, when
asked to say something abo,t his
Montana venture in a bank where
gold dust was the chief medium of
"The standard price for flour was
'2S per hundredweight. Spectators
yok hold of all the provisions in Al
Ter Gulch and forced the price of
lour up to SIPS per hundredweight.
The miners stood the extortion as
ong as they could. Then one day |
leader called meeting to be held |
n the evening down in the lower |
nd Of the diggings. There he made |
statement of the case, showing
low the greedy spectators were
obbing everybody, and declared
hat something would have TO be
lone to cteckmate> them. The result
vas the formation of band of
licked men who went to the store
Iouse where the spectators had
the provisions, broke it
pen and seized the goods, later pay
ng the owners only a fair price for
hem in the medium of exchange
,old dust.
Foil Robbery Plot.
Later on word reached us that.
few desperadoes were plotting to
OBJ our bank. Not knowing just
phen to expect the attacn, we
ought additional arms and prepared
0 defend our supply of gold dust.
which was worth many thousands
+ dollars at that time. We stood
uard day and night and while
TRANCE men came and went, no at
ack was made, probably because
he men could see that we were
eady to resist an invasion and that
heir plot had been tipped off to u.s."
Early in 1865 the late Mrs. Millard
ecided to join her husband in tha,
ar mining camp, Drawing the per-
; Of the river voyage and stage
ide into the heart of the wilds
trough which hostile Indians
panied and pillaged. She purchased