THE GOOD WORK OF THE BANK “3 
’Tis little by little the bee fills her cell; 
And little by little a man sinks a well; 
"Tis little by little a bird builds her nest; 
By littles a forest in verdure is drest. 
Tis little by little great volumes are made; 
By littles a mountain or levels are made; 
"Tis little by little an ocean is filled; 
And little by little a city we build. 
"Tis little by little an ant gets her store; 
Every little we add to a little makes more; 
Step by step we walk miles, and we sew stitch by stitch; 
Word by word we read books, cent by cent we grow rich. 
On the pass book used in New York City was 
printed in English, French, and German this 
legend: “The Government of the United States 
has made this bank perfectly safe.’ 
_ Pamphlet material concerning the bank was 
Issued in large quantities and circulated among 
the Negroes. There were reports in popular form 
giving information about the number and loca- 
tion of the branches, the number of depositors 
and the amounts of deposits, and the rules regu- 
lating the business. And once or twice a year 
booklets were published for distribution which 
contained good advice in regard to thrift, asser- 
tions that the bank had the approval of President 
Lincoln, and that it was “based solely on the 
faith and credit of the United States,” tables of 
gains, poems on thrift, suggestions to teachers 
on how to teach children to save and on how to 
Save money by abstaining from whiskey and 
5 The later editions of the pass book omitted most of this material, 
With similar matter it was then printed in the pamphlets which were 
distributed. 
® Committee on Banking and Currency, Hearings 1910; Ho. Misc. 
Doc. No. 16, 43 Cong., 2 Sess., pp. 83, 85 and No. 34, 49 Cong., 2 Sess.; 
Douglas Report, p, 22, et passim. 
4t