The border vidette. (Nogales, Ariz.) 1894-1934, 1927-12-17
MR.. BRAceY CURTIS


The prosperity of any city de
| pends on the kind of q backbone
it possesses. Nogales, wonder
land city of the border. is what
it is today because it has strong
backbone of personnel, and the
vertebrae of it are those indom.
! Unable leaders of civic progress.
men of vision and courage who
| through thick and thin, lean and
fat, sunshine and clouds have
battled ever valiantly for Noga-
| les and forced it into the front
/ ranks of progressive cities of the
Southwest.
Examining more critically the
backbone of Nogalas we find
that it's strength can be attribut.
ed in no small measure to that
strong financial institution known
as the First National Bank of
NoRales of which Bracey Curtis
is president.
Mr.. Curtis made the First Ma.
tional and the First National
made MIR. Curtis and both the
First National and Mr.. Curtis
have helped. .as no other single
institution in making Nogales.
Today the First National Bank
of ,Nogales is recognized as
veritable Gibraltar of financial
strength. But it is more than
this. It is model institution
housed in 8 modern home, serv
ing its patrons in manner that
would do credit to the largest
metropolitan bank in the coun.
try.
The appurtenances of this bank
its plant and it's methods of do
ing business are absolutely IN.
ique. and the openness with
which it carries on its affairs has
been the wonder of many OBJ
serves.
Plenty OF light and air is the
outstanding Nature OF the plant
and it's arrangement. Instead of
q series of rooms and rows of.
cages one finds = single large
room containing the tellers'
booths and the offices of it's off
Gals. Every worker can be seen
from any position. A high mar
BILE wainscoting partitioning off
the handlers of currency takes
the place Of gloomy bars and
netting usually found in q bank.
No. we have nothing to hide"
said Presidents Curtis, in show.
ling the writer over his institu.
tion. Even directors meetings
| are held in the open. We have
no closed doors in this institu.
ton. We don't do business that
| way." 80
The attractiveness OF the place
| is accentuated by it's simple Law.
lishness. If the term may be. :ex.
cused, in the use of marble. The
very finest of Italian and Tenn.
essee marble has been used in
floors and walls and the indie.
structible black marble of Bel.
GUM for the deal plates.
| Large vaults with massive
doors hold the deposits of bank
funds and those of it's custom.
ers, and one of them is utilized
for safety deposit boxes. A
large airy basement is used for
the storage of all kinds of bank
ing supplies and here IS located
q modern compact heating sys
tenn. -,ez4.4: ...i.s@.
Aside from it's banking facili
ties, tho bank operates a separ.
ate departments for the hand.
ling of trust business. insurance
and realYestate, this being han.
died under the name Of the
Southern Trust Co.
The financial strength of the
institution is attested by the fis
cal statements issued under date
of June 30, 1927, showing total
resources of So. .543.07. In
detail the resources consisted OF
loans and discounts, 81, ,482, ,267.
%; customers liability account
acceptances, ,$91, 800; other bonds
warrants, ETC., $205, 108.5O; bank.
ing house, furniture and fixtures,
1924, ,566.18; other real estate,
$22, ,62O.17; cash and exchange,
$791. ia 80; u. S. bonds and
securities, $256,05O.
Separate and apart from his
connection with the First Ma
tional Fank. Mr.. Curtis is rated
by the local chamber of com
merce as this community's lead
ing citizen for many years. He
has been a resident of Nogales