50                          THE OLD MERCHAJVTS
 

CHAPTER V.

The old book-keepers (and there are thousands of
this class in the city, regulating the financial records of
the merchants,) have had some remarkable men among
them. An extraordinary one I remember, named
Pierpont, who was book-keeper for many years to G. G.
& S. Howland. Another was Richard Wilson, who
had been book-keeper in London for the great bankers
" Smith, Payne & Smith." He came on here and
kept books for Oldfield, Bernard & Co., and Gracie,
Prime & Co., and finally went to Baltimore, where he
became Secretary to the American Life and Trust Com¬
pany, started there some twenty-five years ago, and of
which a branch was established in this city under charge
of Morris Robinson, one of the best financiers of his
day. He was a. long time cashier of the U. S. Branch
Bank in this city. The building stood next door to the
Custom House, Wall street, and is now occupied by
Sub-Treasurer Cisco.

In the first volume of this work I mentioned Charles
Henry Hall, who was book-keeper to Thomas H. Smith
& Son, the great tea merchants. I mentioned that
his successor as book-keeper was William Roberts.
Afterwards Mr. Roberts carried on business under his
own name at the great store of Thomas H. Smith & Co.,