ABSTRACT
This chapter examines structural and comparative characteristics of the major asset items—cash, mortgages, investments and loans. The trust companies held 9" of the banking assets in New York City in 1875 and 26" in 1900. Probably a portion of the trust companies' limited venture into mortgages was to accommodate good existing customers or to furnish liquidity to personal trust accounts, which often had real estate property as a principal asset. In 1882, the trust companies and state commercial bankers alike had a brief and bewildering scare with regard to loan and deposit limitations. Among the trust companies participating in the stock market oriented call loan market, activity became noticeably stronger after June following the buoyant market effects of the rate negotiations between the New York Central, Pennsylvania and West Shore railroad companies. Companies lending in the call loan market were quite sensitive to financial crises.
