Article Text
charm, that of never pallier upon the spretite, and never filling the hearer thereof to satiety. Next to being broke flat" personally, and in one's own be. half, the intelligence that come zeighber had gone under, and badn't got a dollar left seemed to be the jolliest fact for templation, although the prefer. once was decidedly in favor of being financially knocked to eternal emash individually. It was very pleasant, doubtless to laugh, when & friend's head was punched, but to receive the blow on one's own private corpus, gave a double zest to the laugh. This is literally true, strange asit may seem. In all the crowds which througed the streets during banking hours, and among all the knots of men which gathered on the corners after the regular banking hours were over and the doors of the banks were closed, not a single long face was to be seen. That a'man couldn't pay snotes, on account of bank stoppages appeared to be rather & matter of merriment and congratulation among those (other than the creditors) who knew of that happy circumstance, rather than condolement. Jokes were far above par, and the poorest went off readily at the highest rates. When & bank closed up, and the crowd had enjoyed that capital joke, no further notice was taken of the fact-the Directors were not assassinated, the Tellers were not mobbed, nor were the porters and humble sweepers out of dust and ashes knocked over the head by an infuriate multitude. Our Reporters visited every bank in the city, which was reported weak, and about several of them was a crowd collected. The only interruption to the universal jocundity of the occasion was in the case of the American Exchange Bank. This establishment had stationed at its door 8 policeman, of aspect grim, and humor sullen, who consistently insulted every one who addressed to him a civil question, and who rendered himself & nuisance in every official respect. Among the crowd on the corner of Nassau and Wall streets, a sporting couple of fast young men were conspicuous. In the course of conversation, the following ensued: Sporting man No. 1-Got any money? No. 2-Not a dime, except Pennsylvania. No. 1-How are you going to get your supper? No. 2-Got credit at a beef shop. No. 1-Pve got fifteen hundred dollars in the North River Bank, and I'll give you a check for it, if you'll pay for oysters and porter for two. No. 2-Couldn't do it without collateral; but I'll bet you oysters and porter that at 1 o'clock to-morrow there won't be & specie-paying bank in the City of New-York. No. 1-Can't do that, but make it 12 o'clock and I'll do it. And 80 the people took the panic easily. The newsboys made a grand harvest. The evening papers were in great demand, and the shrewd financial knights of the curb-stone demarded three cents each, and got it without any grumbling. People were perfectly willing to pay an extra price to see their own monetary ruination in print. A couple of old ladies in deep mourning presented themselves at the Irving Savings Institution after the Bank had closed. They desired to draw out their money, but were, of course, too late in the day. They departed, threatening to be on hand the first thing this morning. THE SPANIARDS AND CUBANS residing in this city have, many of them, had large amounts of money deposited in the banks. After consultation among themselves they determined to withdraw their funds from the places where deposited at an early day last week, and the plan was carried out. One had partially agreed to loan a portion of $20,000 he had deposited with a prominent house, on a bond and mortgage offered to him on liberal terms, but one of the members of the house advised him not to do so, as it would be an ussafe investment, and the Spaniard concluded to let the money remain with his adviser and banker. Two days after, the failure of the house was announced. "Santa Maria," said the Spaniard, how much I lose by not taking de mortgage."
