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Romfh, Colorful Dependable Figure in Community's Life Winning nation-wide fame by his quiet, unassuming, yet always pendable work. Miami's "eocklebur country banker, Ed C. Romfh, president of the First National bank. is one of the city's most outstanding personalities. His whimsical humor. his reliable banking methods and the atmosphere of solidity about him have developed in the minds of people everywhere a sense of reliance. His sureess these recent years of banking this dies has been a beacon of light will ming approval of the country's lead talked of early this year 101 the post of secretary of treasury More than anything else, perhaps. it was Romfh's unruffled reaction to His refusal to consider the problem as anything more than : temporary measure for inevitable improvement ⑉ banking had a powerful steadying influence 1. mayor of Miami during the time when the 1926 hurricane struck. be inspired confidence in the city through this selfsame quality of looking for The story of his life has been Told many times. One of the most abous ing sketches of his eareer he told himself, at a meeting of the Miami Beach Committee of 100 last year. Ed Romth came to Miami in 1898. when the city was filled with Spanish "My brother asked me if knew anything about banks and banking. he said in his Committee of 100 talk "and told him all knew was how to THE a boat. how to hunt and how to fish a little but I got the job. and The embryo banker was only 19 then, but he kept faithfully an his job of keeping books for three and a half years. In December. 1902. the First Na tional bank opened. with Ed Ronth president, and the capital was in In 1921. business had grown much a new building was needed. the present one was selected, Miami's late boom in 1925 brought heetic days. Mr. Romth recalls, Then came the collapse, which experience taught him would follow those above normal days. But through it all. Ed Romth remained the same reliable country banker he always had been. Phere have been other patries 111 the of Mr. banking years 1907 The Fort Dallas National bank. had erected the building in which Bank of Bay Biseayne was " tioned and William Brown was president +1 the Fort Dallas and the Bank of Ban "The TWO national lanks. block apart in a town TWo blocks long. were undergoing the periodic examination by national bank examiners early in "I had reason to believe that the to be prepared for any possible trouble went to Jacksonville the night of July was a holiday, the vaults in Jacksonville were closed and it was hard to get much enrrency. but assembled all I could. rede a day each back To Miami with $13,000 111 pared for business on the fifth when we had a 'run on our bank That history of this bank that Eye been was elimaxed by the First National bank in St. Augustine paying off Mi instead of eash. The bank Was per We couldn't find here the