The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1878-12-12
SINGULAR SUPERSTITlONS
Virginia, New. Chronicle.

virginia, New. Chronicle
Sailors are generally considered the
most superstitious men Of any calling, and
indeed it would be strange if in the mvs-
ferrous ways of the deep, with its wonder
full phenomena, something was not fon"d
to base superstition upon. It is the same
way with miners. There are wonderful
things to be studied in the vast laborato-
ry where Nature has stored her treasures.
The men who toll in the caverns of the
ground and tread the endless windings of
the drifts have their presentiments of
coming calamity, and at times feel the
touch of death in the very air.
A Chronicle reporter was talking with
an old miner few days ago, who i'm
plicitiy believed that no death ever took
place in the mines without warning of
some kind.
'You see," said he, death never comes
ct q sudden upon the men in the mines.
You reporters write up accidents. and tell
how something gave way or fell quick
and killed somebody. Now, this amt
so. There's always some warning. When
l see my lantern begin to burn low down
and blue, l know that there is danger
ahead. If it keeps on for a few days, and
then begins to waver and flicker, I'll
watch it close to seq where 1t points.
Now, you may set me up for fool. but
what I'm tellin' is gospel truth. When
the flame leans over, as if its being work
ed Dy blow-pipe, and points to a man,
death has marked him.
Some years ago when Bill Hendricks
was killed in the Savage, the flames of
my lantern pointed right to him tor over
an hour, and when he moved the flames
would turn just as if Bill was loadstone
and the flames was mariners needle
| knew he was gone, and told him to be
careful about the blast Well, he got
through that all right and got on the
cage. AS We went up the candle kept
acting strangely, and at times the flame
would stretch out long and thin toward
Bill. AT length it gave sudden flicker,
ana Bill reeled to one side and was
caught IN the timbers. / heard his dread
full cry as he disappeared down the shaft,
and while he was bounding from side to
side, dashing out his brains and scatter
ing his flesh down to the bottom, nv
A4SIA UCAt OAts
81 never lit that lantern again. 1t
hangs ap in my cabin now, and it always
will. There's more in candle flame than
people think. I'd ra her see a cooked re-
volver pointed at me than candle
flame; a revolver sometimes misses, but
candle flame is sure to kill when il
starts toward man.
Z" / must start FOR my shift now Don't
give ms name to anybody. There are
some who would laugh at me-"
The man here picked up bis bucket
and walked away. There are plenty Of
miners on the Comstock who have Just
such superstitions. Some nail up horse
shoes over the entrance Of drift 'for
luck" Others believe that good and bad
luck come in streaks Just ne quartz and
porphyry. For three years past there had
been no accident in the North Consoli
dated Virginia until few days ago,
when Champion had his thigh crushed.
The miners said at once that "bad
streak" had been str ok, and more acct
dents might be expected. Yesterday two
more men were injured by falling thirty
feet into the stump. This was caused
by the breaking of two-inch plank that
seemed able to bear a dozen men