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A REMINISCENCE OF BANKER REID. Letter in Jasper Man's Possession Partly Explains a Puzzling Occurrence Of 13 Years Ago. Bert Webb is in possession of a letter the perusal of which would recall to many people a now almost forgotten bit of Jasper county financial bistory-the closing of the old Jasper County Bank, owned by M. L. Reid, at Carthage in the summer of 1897. Those who recall that incident will also recall that there was considerable mystery attached thereto. The Jasper County Bank end. ed its existence under most peculiar circumstances, which, as the principal character involved is now gone over the Great Divide, it will do no harm to tell here. The bank did not fail. On the contrary, it was in what might be sty led a rock-ribbed condition. Therefore, when it quietly paid off its depositors and quit business, just after the lean years of hard times were past and pros. perity was returning by leaps and bounds, its patrons and the public gen erally were puzzled. Few people could understand it, especially as it was known that it was closed much against the will of its owner, Mr. Reid. The only persons who did understand it were those who were familiar with Mr. Reid's business methods. Mr. Reid, be it understood, was as honest a man as ever stood behind the railing of a bank. Moreover, there was set on his shoulders a head that was full of hard business sense. But of the technicalities of banking he knew little or nothing. However, this did not. embarrass him in any way while the bank was in charge of men who did know the ins and outs of the business. For several years Mr. Webb conducted the bauks" affairs and it was not long after he came to Jasper and Mr. Reid took active charge himself that things, to use a popular expression, "came to a head." Mr. Reid ran the bank largely as he ran his private financial affairs--'in his head." Payments were made from time to time on notes held by the bank. If he credited the payments, all right; if he didn't, all right;-he had it "in his head" anyhow, and nobody could lose. Occasionally some fellow lost out on a note and the bank acquired said fellow's mortgaged land thereby. All rightthe banker had it "in his head." Of course these things didn't hurt the bank or its patrons a mite, and every thing was going lovely until, one fell day, in stepped a bank examiner, and you can bet there was a mess. Mr. Reid had heard of bank examiners, but what he had heard evidently hadn't made much of an impression on him. So when this chap began to pose around among his notes and make inpertinent inquiries the banker angrily wanted to know "who's running this bank, anyhow-you or me?" Suggestions by the examiner as to how to straighten out 3 the books were met with advice to pro ceed straight to a certain well-known