19 Board to reduce total employee salary expense, including Mr. Neill, whose salary was cut in half. By 1886, however, the business decline proved to be short-lived and Mr. Neill’s salary was increased to $200 per year. During that time, it was announced that the bank had experienced no effect from bad loans and that current loans were held by “perfectly solvent parties.” The January 13, 1887 Clarke Courier reported that five shares of bank stock had been sold privately to a gentleman in Baltimore for $115 per share. Available bank rooms during this time were rented to the Shenandoah Club, G. G. Calmes, W. F. Kerfoot, Berryville Athletic Club, the Berryville Town Council, the Camp of Confederate Veterans and John G. Page. On January 27, 1887, at about 2:15 on Saturday morning, the community was startled by a cry of “fire at the Bank, sounded by Anthony Cook, colored, and many citizens responded to the alarm, who, on reaching that building and entering it, found the flames eating into the ceiling of the Bank room and flooring of the room above. The fire was promptly extinguished, but not before it had burnt a hole in the floor over the door of the Bank room large enough for the body of a man to pass through. The fire seems to have originated in the Club room over the Bank from a lighted cigar being thrown into a spittoon filled with sawdust. Our hook and ladder truck was drawn to the building, but no use was found for it. The timely rescue of the building is all due to Anthony, the colored man above-mentioned, and to the fact that some of our citizens had just returned from a Masonic entertainment at Charles Town, West Virginia – Anthony having been the coachman for the party. He was in the act of putting the horses in Mr. Hutchinson’s livery stable when he discovered the flames leaping up against a window in the Club room and at once gave an alarm. The deposits and books of the Bank are placed every night in a large fire-proof vault, where they are protected from accidents that may happen to the building.” Mr. James W. Luke was hired as Assistant Cashier during 1887. The Board learned of the death of Am. Moore, Sr., Treasurer of the County of Clarke, on May 19, 1887 and recorded the following resolution as a tribute: Resolved that the Board has heard with profound sorrow of the death of Am. Moore, Sr. late a member of this Board. A Man of strong convictions, he was frank and candid in the expression of them, and bold in the defense of them. He regarded office as a public trust, and in the performance of its duties he was conspicuously honest, accurate and efficient. He was just and honorable in all business affairs. He was of easy approach – affable, kind and courteous to all. He carried into his private life none of the bitterness born of strife and opposition, but more important than all else in human society, he was faithful to his duty, to his family and kindred, and has left us an example of purity and honor in both public and private life. As a citizen, no man of his time was held in higher esteem. As a friend, he was faithful and true. As a neighbor, he was always kind and generous. We tender to his family our sincerest sympathy in their great