The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-09-14

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A few days ago . tan and nervous
man attracted considerable attention
among Montgomery-street stock-bro-
kers. He spent fully an hour in the
street and entered in that time . major
ity of the brokers' Offices. In each
Office he remained only few minutes.
After staring all about the walls and
without inquiring for any one, he would
in each instance start out suddenly and
for the purpose of q new visit. An
inquisitive reporter found him in the
Pacific Stock Exchange building, where
he was apparently transacting bust
ness. on-communicative at first con-
corning his strange conduct, he event
ually confessed to weak superstition
in the efficacy of horseshoes. In his
cravat he wore a large and handsome
gold horseshoe, and his general ap-
pearance and manner indicated COM
Portable circumstances.
s.There may be nothing in it," he
said, land have been ridiculed more
than little for my superstition; but I
cannot shake it off more than gam
bier can resist superstitious belief in
dreams. / don't know of any particu-
lar difference in the ability of the stock.
brokers whom have to-day visited, so
far as the placing of money goes, but
all other things being equal, / prefer to
add luck"
A bystander smiled, overhearing the
conversation. at which the superstitious
stranger seemed little nettled,
but he controlled his temper, while the
reporter glanced around and detected
four horseshoes, three well worn in
service and one fancy design, hang
! ing in various parts of the ROOM A
visit to the brokers' Office revealed the
fact that notwithstanding the .'timely
warning" given in once-popular song
to never take the horseshoe from the
door" horseshoe ornaments are becom-
ing less and less popular in San Fran
cisco places of business. More horse
shoes were seen displayed in three
offices in the Pacific Exchange building
than in all the rest of Montgomery
Street. There is no horseshoe in the
chamber of either the San Francisco or
Pacific Stock Exchange; none, so far as
the reporter could detect, in any lead
ing banking institution; none in any
fire or marine insurance office in Cali
forpia Street. Considering how numer-
Gus horseshoes were as a supposedly
potent charm against or bride to ill-luck
q very few years ago, this general lack
Of them was sufficiently striking to
prosecute his inquiries farther.
Several jewelers. coneurred in saying
that horseshoe jewelry in San Francisco
is becoming antiquated, and is cOnsid-
cred almost by-gone style. Tur-
quoises are still the rage, and they viii
carry almost any design, but the manu-
facturers are wary about putting them
into horseshoes. In one entire stock of
jewelry the reporter could find only two
very small horseshoes. and these were
on comparatively cheap turquoises.
"I'll bet two to one," said jeweler,
..that / shall lose on what horseshoe
jewelry have"
"Why?"
Because it has gone out of style
practically. 1t has not been whistled
out as speedily as the Kate Castleton
bonnets have from San Francisco with
For goodness sake, don't say I told
you Horseshoe jewelry had a run up
to about a year ago, and it had enjoyed
a considerable period of popularity,
but people have really tired of it, as
they do of everything yes, Just the
same as they will of turquoises later. u
The florists who were next seen
would not express any opinion as to the
present or prospective popularity al
floral horseshoes. 1t is understood
that the horseshoe shape can be made
up quite profitable, more so than some
other popular designs. Horseshoes
still seem to hold their popularity at
weddings. A singular freak was that
reported by one florist who saw at a
funeral not far distant not long ago, a
floral horseshoe of white pinks and i'm
mortelles stained perfectly black. The
effect he described as at once novel and
striking.
..Icould not keep my eyes from that
piece even during the sermon, he said.
Il did not know what to think of it.
Thesdeparted had been lover of fast
horses and a good Judge of blood stock,
and presume that the gift came from
some man to whom the rapid rattle Of
4
music as to the ears of his dead friend.
[ noticed also that even the clergyman
looked at the horseshoe more than once.
But what was the harm in wishing the
poor fellow good lucka Everyone did
that when he was alive and why not
when he was dead?
When stocks were booming and the
Stock Exchange localities were daily
crowded, horseshoes were Just in their
glory. The question was, so an inform
ant told the reporter, Just what kind OF
horse ought to have worn the shoe to
give it luck. 1t was from the outset
considered by the superstitious unlucky
to hang up the shoes of racers. Still,
one investor tried to get a shoe from
Maud S, and sent letters to eastern
friends to persuade them to try to get
him one. The shoes from that dainty
beast were too precious. They were
kept as momentoes in the East, or as
the eastern college men would say, as
memorable" They were gilded and
preserved with records painted on them
Cinderella's slipper was never more
coveted. But the majority of those
few superstitious enough to listen to the
horseshoe myth preferred the shoes of
slow steppers, "because slow steppers
are more sure" Shoes that had plodded
through San Francisco streets until they
were worn thin in the service of help
ing to propel horse cars were hung up
in richly furnished offices Some were
decorated with ribbons. The most were
\ left plain. Now the decorated and
plain horseshoes have m ,stly gone the