Carolina watchman. [volume] (Salisbury, N.C.) 1871-1937, 1937-01-08
Bruce Barton Says---
u PRAYER ANSWERED


asks, ever known of any instance
of the efficiency of prayer?" The
answer is, Yes. And this is the story
Years ago when DR.. William
Goddell Frost left Oberlin College
to take the presidency of the strug-
Cling little college at Berea, Ken,
his friends thought he had made a
mistake.
The buildings were old and dilap
idated. There were plenty of debts,
and no income. In addition to his
scholastic duties he was expected to
beg for funds to meet expenses.
ELL of courage, he journeyed up to
Cincni=a- nd called upon the pas
tor of the lag Protestant
Church.
Twill you invite some of the
generous people of your city to a
meeting and let me tell them about
the needs of the mountains?" Frost
asked.
"Oh no." replied che pastor. II
couldn't think of that"
Twill yeu let me preach in your
pulpit Sunday morning."
mo, We have a positive rule
that the Sunday morning service is
never to be devoted to any CHAIR
table appeal"
Frost persisted. Twill you let me
speak Sunday EVENING"" Again the
preacher refused. "How about the
Wednesday evening prayer meet
ing?" "No."
my brother, since you can dc
nothing to help US, will you join
| me in prayer for your church and
your ministry"
The pastor could not refuse
Down on their knees they went to-
gether and Frost proceeded to send
up to the Pearly Gates not only a
prayer for the church but a most
eloquent and moving presentation
of the needs of the Kentucky
mountaineers and the little collage.
When the prayer was finished
the preachers eyes were full. "You
must come to my church Sunday
morning. my people must hear
you"
A mar stopped me to say that he
had some important information
"They are going to put the market
up in the next few weeks" he said,
"Who are they?" l asked him.
He looked at me scornfully, a,
though l ought to be ashamed to
confess such Ignorance. "Why they
he answered are the big Shots, the
insiders, the international bankers,
the Interests"
"Oh, 1 said, and thanked him
and went On my way.
When l graduated from college
I had a great deal of awe of the In
%terests, and at that period they
were indeed pretty powerful. I'm
portant corporations were compari-
lively few. Their stock was con-
trolled by a compact group of men
who, could often make or break the
market.
But times have changed. Crpora-
lions are enormous; shares are scat
tered among millions. They, the in
t%erests, are not what they used to
be.
One time l served on a civic
committee, most Of whose members
were bankers. The executive secre-
tary was a bright young college
graduate. He said to me: II don't
have to worry; when this job is
over these big bankers will take
care of me-"
Well, the job was over, and
told him: "You are going to have
a great shock as to the power of
these men. They may control mil
lions, but one thing they can't do
is to get you a job.
1t turned out as | predicted. The
young man finally secured a job,
but not by any help of the bankers.
In the last analysis, who are
they?
I'll tell you. You and I are they.
We run things. A business may
have millions of capital, big plants,
aid huge sales forces. But if you
ID ! do not Ike its ~p-o11ct, all
he@e hug a&~s-s are n ~e'y I:a:.-