The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-28
Thirty-tzUo Years Successful Business Woman GOes
 Mrs. Wilder Clever Viewpoint of People and Things

first installment was due. he didn't come to us, SO went to him. We found he had packed the furniture, taken the plumbing out of the house he was renting. and moved away, bag and baggage. That is one instance of when the installment plan is failure to the man who sells"
 What is the prime requisite for the successful business woman?" I asked.
 T should say personality has a great deal to do with it' Mrs. Wilder said. 'She must draw, attract. She must have a thorough knowledge of her stock, and by that l mean she must know about life and what Is going on; in fact, she cannot know anything that will not help her to better salesmanship; that won't help her to lay hold on life, so to speak.
 What more than any other factor has built your business and kept it up to the standard?' I asked.
 Advertising made our business at the beginning Mrs. Wilder said quickly. Advertising methods back In the boom days were very different from what they are now. MT. Zinszer instituted an adver- Using campaign that perhaps many of our old residents recall. He offered each day a prize of $1 for the best original drawing, showing custopers in search of furniture and household goods at the Pe. ter Zinszer store. Every day some boy or girl-it was offered to the young folks
 
 and the next day the picture would ap- pear in the paper. Advertising rates were cheaper then than now, and since then many new methods of advertising have been inaugurated. Blotters, rulers, pen cils, pads and other articles are now dis tributed bearing the name of our firm and these we have discovered to be very clever forms of advertising.
 And the woman in business-do you A. l.. cod a,o n n as when you started?' l asked.
 eff more women helped their husbands to make a dollar there would be more happy men and women,' Mrs. Wilder safj. "When l was married the second time my husband of course wanted me to quit the business, but I had grown up with 1t, so to speak, and I couldn't put It down. I was too interested in it. Yes, l would say that women have fine chance to make a success in business now, but it all depends on the material the woman IS made of whether she makes success or stops stark still. Your business wants you to succeed more than you want to sue ceed yourself. With all my business cares, though, I have had time to enjoy life. Never was there a time when I wanted to indulge myself in pleasure that l did not do so, no matter what the cost. l recall when Booth and Barret played here years ago the tickets were $9 each, and we bought the best seats that could be had. I have always believed in mix ing pleasure with business. l believe busi- ness-something that keeps her mind and time occupied-keeps a woman young and happy and interested
 And I am inclined to believe it does if Mrs. Wilder is an exponent of this theory, for certainly she is a most wonderful woman in many, many ways.
 To realize this you must Know her and know her achievements, for l can but poorly describe them in the line or two remaining to me.
 Today, when she is not yet old. still remarkably handsome woman, active and energetic, she is retiring, amidst afflu- ence and wealth, beautiful home in one of Birmingham's fashionable sections as one of her assets an ample bank account, and best of all the knowledge that she has been generous to a fault with her means, giving bountifully to charity on many oc- ca sions, dividing cheerfully her substance with the poor and the needy-she stands today unique figure in Brmingham's history, successful happy, beloved aatI,s