A RUSSIAN PEASANTS SAYINGS BANK.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5209, 1 December 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

A RUSSIAN PEASANTS SAYINGS BANK.

In one of the provincial towns of Southern Russia a savings bank has recently been established, the second clerk of which, while lounging at the desk on a "flat day” in summer, was startled by the entrance of a heavy-looking peasant—slouching, grimy, unkempt—the very last man one would expect to see in a bank, except for I he purpose of robbing it. The apparition camo timidly up to the counter, and the following dialogue ensued : “ Well, my good fellow, what may you want here, pray ?” " If it please 3’ou, father, I want you to take charge of .some money for mo. Our folks say thatT might he robbed of it, and that it will bo 3a r e witli you.”

“ Money, eti ? Why, how much money have yon cot then? Four rubies? Five? Ten? " No, it most ho more than that, I fancy. My wife and I couldn’t manage to count it ail, though we’ve been at it all the morning.” So saying, the gentleman in sheepskin produced a tattered, filthy leather hag, and poured out before the clerk’s astonished eyes a pyramid of bank bills of all values, from one rouble to fifty. Tlie amazed cleric hastily summoned his two colleagues, and the three, after a long spell of counting, satisfied themselves that tile total amount was not leas than 20.000 roubles (15,000 dollars). The peasant, who had stood watching tlie operation with a look of childish curiosity, pocketed his receipt, and walked off as coolly as if nothing had happened ; bub the next morning lie reappeared and addressed himself to the same clerk.

“ God ho with you, father. Ho you take care of gold, too, as well as bank hills?” “ What, gold ? Why, you’d better start a bank yourself ! How much gold have you got, in heaven’s name ?” “Two boxes full.”

At tin’s p iiit tlie hanker himself, who had been listening to the conversation with the deepest amaze nent, came forward and announced his intenti m of accompanying Ids strange customer home, and taking charge of the gold himself. The unwashed capitalist

joyfully accepted the offer, and the pair drove out to a hamlet about two miles from the town. Here the pea-ant led his companion to a small, mcauh.okiug hnt, and opening a shed on one s de of it, displayed two Mattered wooden boxes, through’the breaches in winch gold pieces were escaping in all directions, while beside th->m lav the dirty bag which had held the hank hills the day before. The banker asked in' amazement, “ How long have you had this money ? ~ “ My father and grandfather saved it up, answer d the peasant, “and build it here; and I dug i- np jnst the other day, becan-e I’m going to sliiit my quarters.” “ lint, with all this money, why don’t yon ami your wife live in better style ?” asked the hanker, looking around at the miserable hovel. “ Why should we, father ? We do very well as we are.”