Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-20
sUPERsTITIOUs.
They Didn't Want to DediSate their Hall by
First Business on Friday.

|
Readers Of the telegraphic columns o
the GLOBE yesterday may have noticed thai
the Associated Press reported that 100000
bushels OF wheat changed hands during the
afternoon OF Thursday, the day of the open.
ing of the new chamber of conmercs room
at Milwaukee. Though strange proceed
ing to take place at an opening reception
| the following from the Milwaukee Wisson-
sin of the day previous proves that the high
as well az the lowly are subjects to super.
stition, however much they may deny it:
| Two members Of the Chamber of Com.
merce association notable among their fel.
lows for their intelligence and education and
accounted leaders of Nilwaukse's business
men, held recent quiet chat In o corner OF
| the chamber Of commerce hall, and thus they
| talked;
'Do you know" said one, sthst x has
concluded not to build q new house, but to
| reuovats and enlarge his old one simply be-
cause he fears the superstition that the tsign
Is bad for an old man to build new
house2"
"Stuif and nonsensel' reioined the other
s'such craven superstition evinced by any
body In this enlightened nineteenth century,
is ridiculous; evinced by q man possessed OF
KS supposed intelligence, it ID humiliating
and disgracing to the good sense of all man
End.'''
"Nevertheless 1t is so," No.. again
averrsd, 'sdnd < has deliberately reached the
conclusion that he will continue to live in
the old house, rather than incur what he
deems risk of dying, by building new
house."
sand, by the way" No. 1 continued, to
the scoffer at superstition, "havs you hap
pened to think that under the 1xed arrange
msnt for the chamber OF commerce dedica-
ton on Thursday, we will do our first trad
ing in the new hall on Friday, and"
"Ths d-lP' impiously interrupted the
scofsr; II never thought Of that; internally
unfortunate, isn't it? Not that l care Zip
or am superstitious; of course not; but I'm
mighty sorry this is going to happen so.
Excuse nae, but Pm in hurry; got to see a
man." And with surprising suddenness the
seoffsr at the silly superstition entertained
by <. hurried himself away. while his friend,
left alone, quietly chuskled, then as quietly
followed after his late companion.
The latter headed straight for President
Bodden and with as much manifested anxi-
ETY. as is usual to him when the market runs
against him, he said to that funotionary:
"Mr. Bodden, there is misfortune and sure
i'll luck in commencing our trading in the
new exchange hall on Friday. You ought to
avert that thing even though you kick over
the whole arranged programme FOR the dedi-
cation. for one don't want to trade and
won't trade in hall dedicated on Friday.
Call it superstition or what you please,
aoon't do stp'
And the intelligent trader On 'Change
whose expressed theory concerning the
foolishness of superstition was ons thing,
but whose actual belief proved quite another,
actually mopped cold perspiration from his
face in the anxiety which he felt.
"My dear fellow" good-naturedly replied
President Bodden, ~ guess that more than
hundred members of this association have
already visited me on the same errana as
this on which you come; and many of them,
too, have shown quite as painful anxiety ss
you exhibit. Be comforted, nay boy; the
old superstition against Friday is be re.
spected."
And further explanation proved that in
Difference to the "Friday superstition" the
officers of the chamber of commerce asso.
citation, had actually arranged that little
trading in wheat Gust enough to take off the
"cuss'' of commencing business on Friday
should be done by the bulls and bears in
the new hall on Thursday afternoon while
the reception to citizens is in progress.
The announced object of thus engaging il
trade on Thursday, is that the throng of Wis.
itcrs to be present may see chow wheat trad.
| ing is done.' The actual object is simply te
| avoid the uncsnny happening of ''commene-
ing On Friday"
Even bulls and bears, Intelligent and edu
| Gated and scoffers at superstition though
| they are, seem themselves to be just trif.
| afflicted with the weakness of superstition
after all.