Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-01-24
A Peculiar Superstition - Something
About the ssLuekY', Horseshoe,

About the "Lueky" Horseshoe.
The horseshoe, now all the rage
as an ornament, and affected by men
and women alike. has long been con-
sidered token of good luck, especial
ly by sailors. Few sailors would
start on voyage in a ship Oh which
the potency of the horseshoe was not
acknowledged. 1t must be kept at
some conspicuous place as sign OF
good luck On western steamboats,,
not a deckhand could be induced to
engage himself on a steamer that did
not have a partly-worn horseshoe
nailed over the companion way of the
bow. Very often they are placed
near the figure head at the stern Of the
bow. How long this superstition
has prevailed, it would be impossible
to tell. 1t is by no means Of recent
origin. Horseshoes and coDiurers
have been allies. While the virtues
ascribed to the horseshoe are not be-
lieVed in by the intelligent people Of
to-day they nevertheless in many
cases adopt it as a symbol of good
luck. In Western Pennsylvania and
many parts Of the South there are,
however, people who have implicit
faith in its virtues, and there are many
who regard it as all etficlcious remedy
against witches and evil spirits of all
descriptions, and with them the
mailing of a horseshoe above the
door is not mere matter of form,
but of faith. For one to find whole
horseshoe in the road that has been
cast from the animal and still retain
five Of the nails in it, is a remarkable
token of good luck. But should any
one find horseshoe with all the nails
in it he may consider himself endow-
cd with wonderful powers Of magic.
This conceit, no doubt, had its origin
in the fact that it is almost impossi-
bic tor horse to cast Il shoe while
the nails are intact. There lived u
man in Shenandoah county, Va, who
claimed to have found such u SHOE
His name was Conrad Gerst. He was
Il German OF little education, but was
considerable or knaye. He profess
ed to be able TO work wonders, and
was believed by many people to pos
scss certain powerful conjecturing
powers. Gerst was shoemaker, anu
very poor, for he was too lazy to
work, and mad Il large family oEchild-
rell. lie could heal the sick, ecover
stolen articles, cure diseased cattle,
find .underg round streams OF running
water, make the butter come for the
dairy women and urive OFT Witches
A woman churned all day over
cnurning Of cream, but the butter
would not come. She sent tor Gerst.
lie told her to get al old horseshoe
heat it red not and cast it into the
cnIrn. Then, after cleaning the churn
with boiling water, he guaranteed
that butter would come at the next
effort. And more: Ii the woman
would inquire carefully among ner
nclgnDors she would discover that
One OF them Gan enemy would have
severe burn on her body. There were
plenty OF people who believed in this.
Another case: A widow lady living
Two mics from GersG had Il sum Of
money stolen from her. Instead OF
.siYing the matter TO the authorities.
size sent tor GerSt. He inquired into
the affair, and after performing
number OF incantatiOns with IL stick
that he carried, and placing his horse
snoe in the fire and cooling it i'll the
springs lie announced confidently that
Oh the morning OF the second cay
thereafter the money would be loanl
at a certain place. Tins conclusion
OF the conjurer was widely circulated,
and OH the morning indicated quite a
number assembled at the widows
house to see the prediction verified.
Ine money was found at the place ill.,
uicated. The solution was that the
thief. whoever he was, believed in
Cerst's pretended power, and return
c,l the money out OF fear. The super
sutton tnat imparts virtues to the
horseshoe gave Dlrt.i 30 the prevailing
idea that makes il the emblem OF good
luck.