Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican): Or, Uncle Tom's Cabin Up to DateHood, W. I. (William I.)
General
Betsy Gaskins (Dimicrat), Wife of Jobe Gaskins (Republican): Or, Uncle Tom's Cabin Up to Date
Hood, W. I. (William I.)
Gold; Interest; Money; Paper money -- United States; Populism
In every county seat, in almost every town, post-office or store, around
nearly every fireside, the new law was discussed. When the first Monday
of April came scarcely a man could be found who did not thoroughly
understand this “law for the common good of the common people.” As soon
as the doors of the banks were opened, men began to draw out their
money, carry it over to the county treasuries of the State, deposit it
and depart for home. Others called at the county treasuries, signed
mortgages bearing four per cent. interest, and borrowed money to pay off
their mortgages, held by the banks, drawing seven or eight per cent.
interest, returning home feeling a thrill of new life and new hope.
No sooner would one borrower pay off an old seven or eight per cent.
mortgage at the banks than would some depositor withdraw the money,
carry it to his county treasurer, deposit it, and another borrower would
deposit a new four per cent. mortgage and pay off an old seven or eight
per cent. mortgage at possibly the same bank.
This continued for nearly six months, by which time most of the loans on
which the people had been paying seven or eight per cent. had been
converted into four per cent. mortgages, payable to the various
counties. Most of the bankers were honest and continued to take in money
on old mortgages and pay it out to the depositors until their business
was settled up in full.
In Tuscarawas County the aggregate of the mortgages held by the six
banks was $1,048,692. On this amount the people saved by the new law an
average of three and one-half per cent., or $37,703.22. This sum,
instead of being paid to the bankers of the county each year, was saved
by the borrowers, and, being applied on the principal, helped pay off
the burdens of the people.
The first man in New Philadelphia to withdraw his deposit was Clem
Waltz. He had $2,200 in the First National. He drew it out at 9:10 a.
m., took it to the county treasurer, deposited it at 9:28 a. m.; and at
9:52 a. m. Seymour Grimes borrowed $1,600 of it on his River Bottom
farm, and paid off a mortgage against him held by the same First
National. About the same time Jacob Moore borrowed $500 on his house and
lot on Eighth Street for the same purpose. So by 10 o’clock $2,100 of
that $2,200 taken out by Waltz was back in the bank, and two
hardworking, honest, industrious citizens were paying only four per
cent. interest instead of seven or eight. And Clem Waltz had all of
Tuscarawas County back of him as security for his $2,200, and would
receive three per cent. interest on his money clear of taxes.
About 11 o’clock Robert Witt came into the county treasurer’s office
with $2,000 of the same money that had been paid to the bank by Moore
and Grimes, and by noon it was loaned out to other persons who would
rather pay four per cent. interest than seven or eight. In the afternoon
business was still brisker.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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