The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-08-15
JOURNALISTIC .supERsr1r1oHs.
SOME OF The PEcULIAR1r1Es OF THE
MEN WHO; MAKE NIWs-
PAPERS.

MEN WHOfMAKE NEW8-
-. PAPERS.
care editors as superstitiohs 40
theatre actors aud sailors and rail.
road men2" asked the old subscri.
her, sitting down in a Queen Anne
chair and putting his feet timiily
under centre table iDlaid with Mex.
lean oryx. s.-sssas,ssssasaaas:2
EYES," said the solemn editor.
"they are. Every since newspapers
wete invented by Cadmus, Journal.
lists in every department have had
supersttious beliefs and ideas pecu.
liar to their profession. Now there's
the managing editor. II the first
man who comes into the private of.
flee Monday morning is 4 man who
wants to 60 to congress and has an
editorial article three columns long
written by himself, showing how the
country is lost unless he is nominal
Ell in a minute. the manager IL
gloomy all day because he ,loesn's
believe that article is going in the
paper. No reason for it, you know,
only he is just snperstitious enough
10 believe that the manuscript will
be lost in the wast.basket ten feet
deep before the author is half way
down stairs. Then there's The. lead.
or writer. 1.-The End his pen sticking
in the paste, he'd suspect Dan, down
in the Office, IN q minute. When he
fin's his desk opened and all his
pencils gone, he suspects the proof
reader, and when the paper comes
oot dated February 81, he suspects
the 'make.up.' And another thing,
If he picks up a pen by the wrong
end, he will turn it around and say
something before he will write with
it. I've talked with him about it,
hut he won't give any reason for it,.
As for the news editor, did you see
that mountain Of exchanges on bis
'able7 Well, before yyu get down
stairs that young man will lean out
Of the window to watch your appear
ance at the counting room door, aud
he will say:"1'll bet dollar that old
cuss stole The Boston Transcript
and The Denver. Tribune. He is su-
persti'ious about everything thar
happens and every man that comes
10. He believes it bad luck to drop;
the scissors .lown the elevator WE'LL
Did it once, and they straddled right
iuto both eyes of a regular advance
pay ing subscriber, who was looking
up to see the elevator come down.
He believes in Mascottes. Gets five
letters week from somebody, and
the boys believes be has one. He
won't work 90 Sunday or the Fourth
of J"ly. Says when a man works on
Sunday it is sign he's lonesome
If lie wants to get anything out Of
the library, when be is sitting at the
desk, he crosses the room before be
takes down the book. Crossing it
again before he sits down. IF we
run out VI paper the pressman be-
'ieves it is sign that the paper
won't be out. Ifa printer asks for
money before pay day 1t is sign hs
hasn't been on the paper quite one
week. 1t is also sign that he'll
never do it again. If a pressman
asks printer for dollar it is sure
sign that the printer hasn't cent
When the foreman finds handful
of pi in With his quoins aud picks up
a side stick and starts down the
room, making loud remarks, it is q
ign he is going to land for the de.
vii. Oh, q newspaper Office is the
most superstitious place you can
come to-"
"And YOURSELF" said the old cub
scriher. 'sNow, do you belieyetn any
of these thiugs1"
"1Y' said the solemn editor. "Oh.
I believe it's about time"
The old subscriber nodded thrice.
put on his hat, rose to his feet, and
the OLD One and the Solemn One
passed slowly, but not too slowly,
down the winding stairs Burling.
ton Hawkeye.