Evening star., 1914-10-25
Drawings by E. Hopper

about the Rock Island post, the specialist in
that stock was being watched furtively by
other brokers. Wanton rumor had it that
several commission houses, which had been
buying Rock Island in crazy fashion, were
overloaded with the stock and on the brink
of failure.
Suddenly sound reverberated through
the exchange above the hubbub of voices.
Repairs were being made on the west wall
of the building, and the blow of a work1nan's
hammer on a block of stone rang through
the open window 1t sounded exactly like
the rapping of the chairman's gavel to an
nounce failure
The floor traders glared at the specialist
They thought he looked frightened, and
they fell over one another to sell Rock
Island short The stock dropped eight
points.
The next moment the true nature of the
interruption was explained, and the market
price of Rock Island swung up with the
graceful ease of flying gull.
why did you look so scarede' demanded
one of the brokers.
Il didn't do thing" protested the spe-
cialist.
@Pshaw!" commented the other disgusted-
| ". ~You don't even know the value of
smile"
| Probably in no other center of the world
| is that lateral upward extension of the lips
worth more than in Wall Street, and no other
place exists where higher value is set on op-
timism.
Walk into the National City Bank. Pleas
ant faces greet you on every hand, from the
uniformed watchman at the entrance, to the
paying and receiving tellers behind their
railing where the vice presidents congregate,
did one ever see frowning face? A CHEEKY
welcome even seems to radiate from the
marble walls, the glittering steel of the
vaults, and the reflections from the metal
grillwork.
An imperative rule was established by
lanes Stillman in the days when he occu-
pied the presidents office, and it has been
observed religiously ever since that time.
A democratic air must prevail, and cour-
teous reception must greet every visitor at
the biggest money institution in the United
States. Financial storms may whirl with
out, but the quiet, cheerful atmosphere of
the City Bank stays undisturbed.
! And why not? Because the smile typifies
confidence ir wealth and credit, success and
happiness. 1t is an essential factor in busi-
ness life.
SEVERAL years ago banker said to me,
~ in speaking of one of the Morgan part
ners, "That mans smile is worth two hun
dred and fifty thousand dollars year to the
firm of J. p Morgan & CO.
Perhaps he read in my face that l con-
strued his words merely as figure of speech;
for he added hastily, Il mean what l say.
That smile is easily worth SO much in hard
cash. 1t has sold larger blocks of securities
in bad market, brought in more syndicate
subscriptions, put through more industrial
combinations, and quelled more dissensions
at board meetings than any other one-man
influence that l know
In those days it was the custom of the
members of the Morgan banking house to
meet at the close of an afternoon in their
conference room in the old Drexel Building,
at the corner of Wall and Broad. Of course
this was during the times when the late ].
Pierpont Morgan was abroad, in Egypt or
elsewhere; for when he was present only
one man ruled. But in his absence these
gatherings resembled the ministerial councils
Of financial kingdom, where the forthcom-
ing budget was discussed, the resources,
revenues, and contemplated investments
considered If one of the bankers advocated
a railroad bond fotation or a syndicate un-
derwriting, he was guided by the advice and
suggestions of his associates.
But the partner whose smile was worth