THE CHICAGO BANKER
December 26, igo8\
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make Mr. Jacob's short stories the best of their kind, in this new novel help in the working out of a, most ingenious and highly amusing plot. The love storv of the son of the head of the firm and the pretty daughter of the oldest clerk, the stratagems and plots of the lovers and of the old sea captains and longshoremen, widows and sailors of the little seaport town carry the story through in a rush and roar of laughter.
Annie Fellows Johnston has tried to quit writing of the little folk she has created and made famous in "The Little Colonel” series of tales but her juvenile friends would not submit, so she has come out with “Mary Ware," the Little Colonel’s Chum. There were eight volumes of the Colonel stories and dispite the fact that the little ones grew big and were married off by Miss Johnston, her admirers wanted to know more. The present book covers but one year but in a measure disposes of all the unsolved portions of the previous eight volumes. It is published by Page & Co. of Boston and profusely illustrated.
“The Blue Peter Sea Yarns" is a new collection of tales by Morelv Roberts, who wrote “Rachel Marr,” “The Idlers" and "The Promotion of the Admiral.” Five remarkable short stories make up the book.
The narratives are “Extra Hands of the Nemesis,” “Strange Situation of Captain Brog-ger.” “Overcrowded Iceberg,” “Conversion of Rev. Thomas Ruddle" and “Captain of the Ulls-water." The scenes are laid in British waters. Mr. Roberts occupies the first rank of English novelists. The book is beautifully bound, will make an attractive gift for a boy. and comes from the press of L. C. Page & Co., Boston.
“The Story of a Street,” relates, of course to but one street, the best now in the whole world— Wall Street. The text is by Frederick Trevor Hill and is fully illustrated from authentic sources. Mr. Hill has a reputation both as a novelist and as a historian, the latter gained largely through “Decisive Battles of the Law," in which his legal knowledge as a practicing lawyer was primarily useful. The \\ all Street “Story" traces the famous street from the time when Wilhelmus Kieft, Dutch governor of New Amsterdam, marked its rough direction with a cattle guard of felled trees, to its present development as a canyon of exchange, and old etchings and prints are freely used to illustrate the scenes.
Wall Street in the days of the Dutch, during the Revolution, in later times as the center of government, as the social center, as the center of finance—the author traces all its strange transformations in brilliant, allusive style, mingling humorous anecdote with sober historic narrative. The great events the street has witnessed, the great men it has housed, its pageants, its mobs, pass before the reader’s eye in varied procession. One learns how Captain Kidd came to be one of the earliest proprietors of the street, and hears, for the first time, no doubt, of Governor Cosby, who used to masquerade in women’s clothes “with the pleasing delusion that he might be mistaken for Queen Anne.” As authentic history, the book has unique value, for nothing before it has been written that covers the same ground. Mr. Hill's diligent search of old records which are inaccessible to the ordinary public has made the work like a quaint old document in itself, and this impression is deepened by many etchings and prints that portray old street scenes. Mr. Hill’s is a book of truly national interest which will increase with years. And it does indeed read like a story.
Published by Harpers at $1.50.
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The Union Savings Bank
The Union Savings Bank of Augusta, Ga., is having plans prepared for a new bank building.
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The contract has been let for the construction of the new Farmers Bank Building at Nome, N. D.
one man requested Mr. Berryhill to recommend some Western investments in which he might interest himself.
Miss Katherine Moore, stenographer in the Cedar Falls National, was caught by a live electric wire while standing in the bank vault and was so severely shocked that she was confined to her bed. Both hands v׳ere badly blistered.
Al. C. Miller of the Home Savings, who has returned from the waterways convention at Washington is enthusiastic over prospects. He does not believe that Speaker Cannon will prove such an obstructionist to the plans for improving the waterways as the speaker’s speech before the convention indicates.
J. W. Barloon of Carroll has purchased a half interest in the private banks of B. Y\ . La-Shier of Armour, S. D., which will be organized as a state bank with $10,000 capital stock. It will be known as the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank of Armour.
Theodore Doefler found time to desert his duties as cashier of the First National at Wesley and look into Des Moines banks one day last week.
Rumor has it that another new bank is to be established at Iowa City and that a new building will soon be started in which it will make its home.
John H. Blair of the Des Moines National has been in Buffalo and other Eastern cities on business.
The American Trust and Savings of Cedar Rapids has increased its capital stock to $100,000.
Des Moines bank clearings gained $430,-695.58 for the week ending December 19th over the clearings for the corresponding week last vear. The total for the week was $3,131,119.58. Tuesday was the biggest day with clearings of $597,586.95.
The Very Latest Books
From Charles Scribner’s Sons comes a new novel by George W. Cable which can be described as a thrilling, exciting novel of life and love in New Orleans just before and during the Civil War. The variety of the characters and adventures, the picturesque figure of the hero, the “ladies’ man,” the beauty and unusual quality of the heroine, make a stirring, glowing romance of absorbing interest.
“It is warmly to be praised for its vivid revival of old sentiments, old hopes, old fears. The light-hearted Southern hero has never been drawn more attractively,” was the comment of a distinguished New York critic. Truly “Kincaid’s Battery,” as the book is titled, is a dramatic tale, tender and stirring by turns, with the Southern beauties and brave boys of the writer's admiring devotion quite real enough to make us smell roses and gunpowder, dream of crinolines, cannon, passionate partisan songs, terrific combats, dim midnight fields and hospitals, all the vivid, terrible, haunting, fascinating pageant of love in that bvgone wartime. Exciting deeds and situations succeed one another in remarkably swift succesion. Here, altogether, is a book that great numbers will hugely enjoy.
“Salthaven” is also from the press of the Scribners. It is by W. W. Jacobs, who has produced a dozen of the best sea stories in recent years. He is beloved and admired by the boys. Among the better known of his works are “Short Cruises,” “Captains All,” “Odd Craft” and “Sunwich Port.” Salthaven is a collection of his short tales with more than fifty illustrations by Will Owen.
The fun of rollicking dry humor, the quaint characters and unexpected complications that
Iowa and the old time factional fight between the Cummins men and the standpatters has been revived. It arose when Congressman Haugen announced the probable appointment of J. H. Anundson, of Mason City. Anundson was a strong anti-Cummins man in the senatorial campaign between Allison and Cummins and now the Cummins men are opposing his appointment vigorously. There are several other candidates in the field.
Separate State Bank Department
The movement for the establishment of a separate state bank department and an insurance department apart from the office of the auditor of state will be stronger during the coming session of the legislature than ever before. !Many legislators are said to have bills in their pockets for such changes. Some contemplate making each department a state office. Some contemplate putting banking and insurance into one department. Others contemplate transferring either banking or insurance to the state treasurer’s office and leaving the other where it is. The multiplicity of ideas suggests a lively discussion when the legislature gets under way.
Effort to Locate Standring Not Lagging
The efforts to locate J. H. Standring, the defaulting cashier of the Corwith State, who disappeared over a year ago is not lagging by any means. In addition to a reward of $500 recently offered for his capture by Governor Cummins, the business men of Corwith have now subscribed $450, making $95°• It is commonly rumored that Standring’s whereabouts are known to certain people and it is thought that eventually he will be placed under arrest. The Iowa State Savings Bank
The Iowa State Savings Bank at Creston celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary December 17th, by moving into handsome new headquarters. T he bank was organized in 1883 by \\ . A. Page and John S. Black. In 1888 John Gibson assumed the presidency and the capital stock was increased from $30,000 to $50,000. In 1905, D. Davenport became president and P. C. Winter became vice-president. F. D. Ball has been cashier and active manager since 1891. Scott Armstrong, his assistant, has been with the institution since 1889.
The Capital City State Bank
The Capital City State Bank, of Des Moines, has just won one of the hardest fought legal battles with which any Iowa bank was ever connected. John Elliott as administrator for an estate of a man long since deceased has been trying to secure several thousand dollars on a certificate of deposit found in the pocket of the deceased after his death and which the Capital City claimed had been paid. The case was tried three times in the district court, wras knocked out once on demurrer and made one trip to the supreme court. The jury at the end of the fourth trial found for the bank and the litigation is over until the supreme court gets another chance at it for Elliott will probably appeal.
Banking Notes
George M. Christian, of Des Moines, is watching with interest the outcome of the discussion relative to the $40,000,000 Panama check. Mr. Christian was with Secretary Shaw when the latter signed the check payable to J. Pierpont Morgan. Mr. Christian and Secretary Shaw׳ were political friends in Iowa.
Mrs. Amanda Ellyson, mother of President G. D. Ellyson of the Marquardt Savings, is improved somewhat, although she is still seriously ill.
J. G. Berryhill of the Iowa National, who has returned from a trip throughout the East, says the financial conditions in the East are much improved. He found a large quantity of money there seeking investment and said that