Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1889-01-26
SPIRIT GUIDANCE.
Conspicuous Instances of Men Believing
They Profited by 1t.
Adjourned

Conspicuous Instances of Mon Believing
They Profited by 1t.
One of the curious facts of New York
business life is that many persons are
governed in their commercial ventures by
the advice of the "spirits," says the Sa-
vannah Nelcs One of the most talented
men of the Cotton Exchange used to say:
'' Pm going to buy cotton. The spirits tell
me it is going up;" or, "I'm going short
had communication from the spirits last
night TO the effect that the market is going
down" He failed once or twice, but finally
the spirits seemed TO give the right tip"
and now he is rich In the summer l see
him at Saratoga; he stops at one Of the
best hotels, drives fine equipage out to the
lake every pleasant afternoon, and his win
ter life in New York is in the midst of lux
urious and cultured surroundings. He has
O fine head, broad brow, is the author Of q
valuable book, the materials for which cost
him $1,000 to collect, and he is wcll yersed
in literature and science. No one is more
deeply read in the works of Herbert Spen-
Ger and others of the modern school OF
philosophers; no one is more acute as a reas-
oner on most subjects that engage the re
Elective mind. And yet he has been known
to make remarks about the spirits and their
ton market that have made his friends stare
with mingled amusement and regret. Such
men of standing and undoubted intelligence
on most subjects are invaluable to the spir-
itualistic snArpers.
There was crank broker on the old Ma
val Stores Exchange who, when the trans
actions in rosin and spirits Of turpentine
Jagged on dull day, would mesmerze the
brokers. They would stretch out stiff as
boards in mock obedience to his wonderful
powers, and others would suppIicate the
mesmerizer in tones of mock agony not to
harm the subject In gracious acquies-
cence to their pleadings he would give q
lordly snap Of his fingers, and the subject
would come out of his so-called trance and
weakly express desire to have the mes
merizer ''stand" q bottle Of wine ut Del
monicO's as q slight return for having sub
mitted himself TO his dreaded powers.
Commodore Vanderbilt was the dupe Of
fortune tellers and spiritualists, though any
Que else would have found it difficult TO
swindle him. He was coarse-minded man,
with no education except that acquired in
business life, which YVES very little.
A. 7. Stewart was not the dupe Of pro
fesslOnal swindlers, but he INDUCED him
self in few harmless superstltiOns. For
instance, when he had his principal store at
Broadway and Chambers street, = woman
kept an apple stand in front Of his place,
and he imagined she brought him good luck
that she was a mascot" though that
term had never been heard in this country,
and when he started his 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 1t because he had superstitious horror
Of anew house. He lived in it only compar-
atively short time when he died. and to-day
no one knows whether his remains are in
the Crypt Of his Garden City cathedral, or
buried by the grave-robbers beneath q
city's refuse.