Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-04-16
Spirit Guidance .

One Of the curious facts of New York bus
mess life is that many persons are governed
in their commercial ventures by the advice
OF the "spirits." One ofthe most talented
men OF the Cotton Exchange used TO say
"I'm going to buy cotton. The spirits tell
me it is going up" or Pm going short; I
had communication from the spirits last
night to the effect that the market is going
down. He failed once or twice, but final
ly the spirits seemed to give the right Tip"
aud now ne is rich. La the summer l see
him at Saratoga; he stops at one Of the best
hotels, drives fine equipage out 10 the lake
every pleasant afternoon, and his winter life
in New York is in the midst of luxurious
and cultured surroundings. He has fine
head, broad brow, is the author ofG valua-
BILE book, the materials for which cost him
81, 900 to collect, and he is we'll versed in lit
erature and science. No Que is more deeply
read in the works of Herbert Spencer and
Others of the modern school of philosophers,
no one is more acute a5 q reasouer en- most
subjects that engage the reflective mind.
And yet he has been known to make re.
marks about the spirits and their knowledge
OF the future COURSE of the cotton market
that have made his friends stare with ming,
led amazement and regret. Such men of
standing and undoubted intelligence on most
subjects are invaluable to the epiritualistic
sharpers
There was crank broker on the old Ma
val Stores Exchange who. when tee traneac-
tions in rosin and spirits OF turpentine
Jagged on dull day, would mesmerize the
= atoh ,ktG
boards in mock obedience to bis wonderful
powers, and others would suppicate the
mesmeriZer in tones OF mock agony not 10
harm the subject" Iu gracious acquies
cence To their pleadings he would give a
lordly snap OF his fingers, and tho subject
would come out of his so-cai!ed trance and
weakly express desire to have the mes.
merizer "staudn bottle Of wine ct De!moni-
co.'s as slight return for having submitted
himself to his dreaded powers.
Commodore Vanderbilt was the dupe of
fortune tellers and spirituali5ts, though any
one else would have found it difficult TO
swpdie him. He was q course-m minded man,
with no education except that acquired
in business life, which was very little.
A. L. Stewart was not the dupe of pro
fessional swindlers, but he INDUCED himself
in few harmless superstitiOns. For in
stance, when he had his principal store at
Broadway and Chambers street, a woman
kept an apple stand in front of his place, and
he imagined she brought him good luck
that she was "mascot," though that term
had then never been heard in this country,
and when he started bis place at Broadway
and Tenth street he insisted upon her NOV
ing up there in order that his good luck
might continue. He lived on Fifth avenue
two years after his marble palace close By
was entirely completed, dreading to move
into it because ne had superstitious horror
of new house He lived in it only COM
paratively short time when he died. and to-
day no one knows whether bis remains are
in the crypt of his Garden City Cathedral,
or buried by the grave robbers beneath q
city's refuse e-Sarannah Ne1Cs