The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-11

Who viii not have His best
These are two of the signs which hang
on the wall of the brokerage Offices oc-
cupied by. Mrs. J. Alden Gaylord in the
Mill building at Broad and Wall streets.
Il have few of these best things, =
said Mrs. Gaylord For l stand the tests
of temptations even here in money-loying
Wall street. and what to me are these
best things are the prayers, songs and
Bible readings which l hold for my part
ners and employees every morning before
the real rush of the street and business
hours begins.
Il start the day by ringing the electric
bell on my desk. at which time my book
keepers the runners and the rest of the
employees of my late husbands firm are
called together for the very same form
of worship which I attended in the old
days when Wall street was young and
l knew nothing of business life. Just be-
fore we read aloud from Psalms or
Proverbs 1 talk with the dozen who are
assembled on the name of Christ | tell
them to forget the great stock building
| just opposite the mad rush of business
! life and the great competition of the
many brokers who have not the God
love in their hearts for their guide.
so that they may be guided through
the day, for by this very absorption they
become a part of Christ and a loss will
be sustained if they are separated from
! this life
Does Not Approve of Pit.
I do not approve of the pit because
| was there once, and for that one mo-
ment l forgot the love of God. One cam
not carry the ideals of Christ with him
and gamble, for the Golden Rule was
the rule of God. and the cry of most of
the members of the stock exchange is
to do others ere they do you
Nothing ventured. nothing gained and
nothing ventured without the advice of
God--ths is my motto l believe that
much of the greediness of Wall street
dealers would fade away into oblivion,
the harsh money grafters of whom we
| have heard so much recently would be
no longer seen on the street and the
brokers would no longer conduct bucket
| shops if the institution of prayer would
be adopted at the Wall street offices
| for the Christ atmosphere would reign
|
with prayer on the lips. Not that ven
lures would cease On! no; they would
be more intense and more daring, for
God would take away all fear But they
would be honorable trades.
MY firm is a private concern. I buy
| and sell stocks, bonds. mortgages and
! the like, but the work is with corpora
tions and railroad companies There are
no speculations which are shaky and I'M
certain in my business. This is why
am rich. They tell me that I am very
daring and venturesome in my deals. l
am But only because I am so strong
in the faith that God will 10 the right
! thing Thus | leave it all with him.
pray and ask him to take care OF my
business risks. If he cannot take care
| of the small things by which we live
who can? keep saying, God will pull
it through for you all right
Morgan and Hartman Should Pray.
! This faith of mine has made me
rich woman If only Morgan, Hartman
( or Rogers or some of our other big men
of the street would venture in the name
of Christ and would kneel on the floor
of their offices each morning ere the
gong of the exchange had sounded they
would see that nothing could go wrong,
| for it would be utterly impossible for
spirit being in them.
| II know that l did do some business
with a few of the great financiers of the
exchange. But they seemed to lack the
| guidance of Christ, so | discarded them.
! II have five young men who are my
runners They go out to secure and
I! look into the transactions before | buy
or sell, for of course ] being woman
cannot go. / secure the right class of
f.a i'm ~ I
take each by the hand and pray with
him ere he goes forth. 1 repeat the
prayer Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil
at is strange what affinity existed
! between my husband and myself" she
! continued in a half whisper. Although
| | am not a spiritualist, we still COM
municate. He is the intereessor with
| Christ for me. We lived in such perfect
harmony that we cannot be separated
even now He was a part of Christ. and
we were thus three united in one. After
| my employees leave in the morning I sit
and think of nay husband; then he comes
to me and advises with me whether or
not l should take some big chance.
| do as his voice directs me; then ] renew
my prayer with God and say, May this
deal GO Thy will be done ] am be-
coming richer every day with this method
| Oh uoll6 DuSiiAtS9
| Twelve Bibles on Her Desk.
on her desk arc twelve Bibles. one for
| each employe. She indicated the finger
| marks from much handling by the
brokers and other members OF her firm.
| Beneath her Bible. which is large and
| much worn, is a contract with an insur-
ance company for $3000,oo0.
I II think and feel the right and honest
thought. therefore all who deal with me
must do the same for they imbibe my
| thought do not make contracts with
my clients. for / am honest, therefore
| they are honest, so what is the use of
contract? I am never cheated. ! cannot
be, for God is with me. and those who
deal with or take from me must have God
in their hearts, so all is fair and Cod
| like between us. This is what the blessed
Christian church teaches
Not only in her brokerage business
does Mrs Gaylord invoke the aid of
the Diety. She has implicit faith In
the Creator and asks his help in every
thing. She is suing for her husbands
Death The trial went ON before SUI
preme Court Justice Dngro on February