12 July - Bank of America

I apologize once again, Friends.  Our traveling keeps me from writing every day.  But I will continue to keep you abreast of the events as they unfold.

Last I wrote, we were heading to a bank to exchange our United States currency for Spanish Territory banknotes.  (which, surprisingly, had George Washington on them!)

Thankfully we found, amidst the Spanish settlers, a Bank of America!  Although the bank back in the America states, of which we were familiar, was the "Bank of North America."  The bank had gone obsolete when, under Alexander Hamilton, it was altered to become the First Bank of the United States only a decade past.  However, we felt lucky that at least the previous incarnation of the American banking system was intact here.  Our band attempted to enter the establishment, only to be halted by an officer.  He indicated only one individual in succession would be allowed between the outer doors and the bank.  A small glass enclosure between us and the bank.  Clearly a Spanish style as we had nothing of this sort in America.

Clark entered first.  He was told to wait for the "green light" and then he would be permitted to cross the threshold of the second door into the bank.  Before he could enter, the officer stripped us of our weaponry.  Another Spanish tradition, but this one leaving us vulnerable.  After our band were all allowed to enter (thankfully the officer saw fit for Sacagawea to enter with Little Pomp) we approached a lady behind a desk.  Clark, never with tact, took Jean Baptise's coin pouch and dropped it on the woman's desk.  She looked up first in anger, then bewilderment.  Being more of a diplomat, I politely requested an exchange of our United States currency to the local Spanish Territory banknotes.  Now an expression of confusion crossed her face.  She told us it was usually customary for "production companies" to go to "prop houses" for such an exchange.  Sacagawea (feeling the bubbling of Clark's anger rising) told the woman that we did not have any Spanish banknotes in which to travel any further until we could pay our debt to the impound man.  Sacagawea picked up the coin pouch and took out a half disme, offering it to the woman.  Indeed, the woman's attitude changed upon observance of our coin.  She asked for us to wait as she hurried to a well dressed gentleman.

Watching the woman and gentleman speak, Clark became more and more suspicious.  He and Jean Baptise both showed concern about leaving our weapons with the officer.  Finally, the woman and man came to us, terribly excited.  The man introduced himself as Warren Platt, the manager of the bank.  He asked where we had acquired the coin.  I told him straightforward that we had brought it with us when we began our journey from Missouri.  Warren indicated he would have to check the authenticity of the coin, then would happily trade it.  He wished to send the coin to an assayer.  Clark (and truly the rest of us) were uneasy giving up the coin for nothing in return, whether to verify it or no.  We had only seven cents remaining, and two (including this one) half dismes in our possession.  Warren told us we could rest in the establishment as an assayer came to us.  Our band sat in a couched area.  Little Pomp even had a puzzle to play with.

Our wait was long.  I shall describe what the assayer's reaction in another entry.

Until Later, My Friends