The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-10-30
THE LrcK on rae CArL.
"Well, be was not drowned"

mo, he weren't drowned. l guess that
was his darned luck. Tho II I'm 10 break
my neck lst to show the value Of q caul, !
don't want it. But y.u was sskins me
where l got the goods. Doctors, as Q ruiz,
sell them to me, and the mothersl 0cca-
cssioually the original owners brings them
TO me themselves, when they are growed
up. Bat doctors is the chief source; ply
elcians attached TO lyipg-in hospitals and
them as hes a practice among the very
pcor classes, what don't know the value o!
a caul. The doctor slips them in hispock-
cts and ] gets them"
"DO you pay much Tor them?
"Well, that's telling. However, l will
tell you this about it. There is q conforta.
BILE profit in selling them; but, as yen seem
a decent sort oil q chap, you snail have the
next one l comes across for Sc, and I'll
throw in the chestnut We was Just a.look.
ing at. Sse here, now. Cauls brings luck
anyhow, 70 matter what your business OF
profession happens to be. Say you're a
lawyer. In comes the fees. Bot, by the
cut Of your jib, | should say you're q min.
lister. Nothing like Q caul in the church,
SO they tells me. Why there's a Methodist
preacher, not five squares aWay,who bought
o caul of me for a w and the free christ.
ening OF my wife's latest, and that chap has
had all the marriages and funerals In the
neighborhood ever since. Why he's piliug
up the dollars thick, and Is ;growing quite
heightened. Would you like a bit Of 0
caui?"
DAVID c~oPPERFIELD's cAuL.
"a piece Of a caul? Why, what use would
that be-"
aus! Well, 1 should blossom. A piece
OF q caul is almost as valuable as the whole
article. House will never burn down
when q bit Of a caul Is in It. The person
carrying it will never get drowned, suffer
from smallpox, toothsche or rheumatism.
True, 1t isn't quite as certain prevention as
a whole one,,but some people like to be
economical, even in their luxuries. There's
only one thing sgainst being born in Q caul
unless you get nd Of 1t, and that's n Of
the reasons 1 sold mine"
"What's that?'
"You see too much. l never could 90
out on q moonlight night without getting
the awful horrors. Talk about spirits; I've
seen them 30 thick on the streets on q full
moon evening that I've wondered how ]
was get past them, and I never did pass
them. l seemed to walk straight through
the middle Of their bodies. Since I've sole
my own caul. however, I've never seen nc
more ghosts"
Readers OF Dickens will remember tha'
David Copperield, the alleged prototypeo
the author himself, was born with Q caul
which was advertised for sale at the low z,
price Of fifteen gnineas. An attorney con
nected with the bill.broking business wal
the only reply for the advertisement. al
offered 60 IN cash and the balance in sher
ny, which was declined. Ten years after
ward the caul was put up in a rattle in 1
country inn to fifty members at two shfll
ings and six pence Il head, with the stipu
lation that the winner should spend fvl
shillinga. An old lady won It. Reluctant!
produced the FIVE sbillings, all in hall
pence, and twopence halfpenny short, ant
eventually died aged ninety.two. II VIZ
regarded as entirely owing TO the caul tina
The never was drowned. although II va
known that the old lady had never been o.
the water in her Life.