The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1883-10-28
RABBITS FEET"

81 AlN
81 can't so out to-day" said an engineer,
stepping from his cab.
"Whyf' asked the conductor, who hap
pened to be standing near.
Look there, and the engineer pointed TO
a cat lying on the coal
"What difference does that maker
$50 much that | would risk my life IL I
were 10 go out Don't you know that 1t Is a
warningl lido II you DON'T and he refused
to nave anything TO do with the engine.
This was an exhibition OF the popular super
stition among railroad men, Although sens
ible men, practical, and many OF
them well educatel, yet so strong
is their superstitious belief that
no reasoning can convince them OF their silly
weakness. The different roads nave differ
ent Sup,rstitious, and different means of coun
teracting threatened evil On the railroadsi in
Arkansaw nearly every engineer, fireman
and brakeman, carry rabbits feet. This pre-
caution, it is affirmed, prevents serious acct
dents Some time ago, on one OF the roads
running into Little Rock, two trains col
lidef. killing two engineers. These two men,
agains. better judgment, neglected their rab-
bits feet A disaster was predicted by n
brakeman on each train, and the fact that it
came was an indisputable argument in favor
Of the rabbits foot
A few days ago, the writer was riding on n
locomotive with a ~well-known engineer. Tho
train was running very rapidly, AMI the en-
ginear. who was very communicative, sud-
denly became silent.
~ don't like this, d" he said.
"whatf"
"The way I feel, and he grow pale. He
looked ahead with easerness, and after re-
naming fixed for a few moments, shut of
steam and whistled clown brakes
a A..
Didn't you sec itF
'NYhair'
''That cat cross the track
When the engine stopped he got OIL. and
approaching tho placs whore he said the cat
had crossed, began TO rub himself with a rab-
bits foot. After continuing this for some
time, lie rubbed the rail with the foot, mum
bled a strange iargon and went back TO his
engine.
lyon may regard it ms foolish. he snid, as
we again flow along, but you sec | know. II
/ hadn't sscn that cat we would have had an
Incident by this time. There was a time when
Iliughol Mt it, but have learned better. Some
time agp a cat crossed the track in front of
me. My fireman begg Il me TO stop and let
him rub the rail. but 1 laughed at him. He
vowed that we would have an accident, and.
sir, before we had gone five miles further the
ersgiQe jumped tho track and did considerable
damage. / barely escaped being killed, and
since then / have carried n rabbits foot.
When six white cats cross the track, nothing
can prevent a calamity that is, IL the engi-
neer keeps on, hut il he gets OIL everything
may he all right
ID tho conductors believe in the rabbit
foot theoryfr
MANY OF thorn do. Sometimes n new man
boots Mt tue idca. but after u while he is CON
vinfs-i md gets him a foot. On soms roads
an owl claw Is necessary, and still OH others
nothing but this tip end OF a coon's tail will
answer
Glow Is this discovery nader
Always by thn oldest engineer. When a
new road is built the oldest engineer on the
line eau determine whit to use. Tho moro
dangerous the road, the scarcer nre the
charms / know one road in Mississippi where
nothing hut a piece OF tiger ear will answer.
In consequence Of this, accidents are very
frequent. A friend of mine ran on the road
and never had an accident He went 10 a
circus one night mud cut OFT toe tip end Of a
tigers r1r. The beast howled terribly and
died within fifteen minutes. Tho rabbit
foot is the standard, aud, as n rule,
will do for marrow gauge roads. On the
eastern rnadS Jaef bone is the thing. When
a road becomes known as a beef bono road,
1t is regarded as the host. Next Is the goat
bone, then the rabbit foot, then tho owl
claw, then the coon tail, then the mole nose
and lastly the tiger carr
"Did you ever run on a mole nose roahF'
YES, for a little while, but the company
was doing a great heal u put the road in
good SHAPE and 1t soon became a rabbit foot.
i have n-ssutly heard that 1t has become a
goat boue."