The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1884-01-12
RABBITS
Their virtue Among Railroad
Men-Fatal Six White Cats
Tigers Ears as Charms.

II can't 60 OUT tO-Oay,t salQ ah
engineer, stepping from his cab.
"Why?" asked the conductor, who
happened to be standing near
"Look there" and the engineer
pointed t. q cat lying on the coal.
"Wh"t d Inference dees that maKe?'
$50 much that 1 would risk my life
if 1 were to 60 out. Don't you know
that it is a warming? [ do if YOU
don't" and he refused to have any
thing to do with the engine. This
was an exhibition of a popular super
stition among railroad MEN. Al
though sensible men, practical, and
many of them well educated, yet SO
strong is their superstitiOus belief
that no reasoning Can convince them
of their silly weakness. The different
roads have different superstltions,
and different ways of c.,unteracting
threatened evil. On the railroads in
| Arkansaw. nearly every engineer,
fireman. and brakeman carry rabbits
feet. This precaution, it is affirmed,
| prevents serious accidents. Some
time ago, on one of the roads running
into Little Rock, two trains collided
killing two engineers. These two
men, against better judgment. neg
lected their rabbits feet. A disaster
was predicted by q brakeman IN each
train, and the fact that it came Was
an indisputatlr argument IN favor of
the rabbits feet.
A few days ago, the writer was
riding on a locomotive with a we'll
known engineer. The train was
running very rapidly, and the engin-
eer, who was was very communicate
i've, suddenly became silent.
81 don't like this" he said.
"What?"
''The way I feel" and he grew
pale. He looked ahead with eager
ness, and after remaining fixed for a
few moments, shut off the steam and
whistled for brakes.
whats the natter"
"Didn't YOU see it?"
"What?"
"That cat cross the track"
When the engine stopped he got
of. and approaching the place where
he said the cat had crossed, began
to rub himself with a rabbits foot.
after continuing this for some time,
he rubbed the rail with the foot and
a strange jargon, and went
back to his engine.
"Yeu may regard it as foolish" he
said, as we again flew along, "but
you see I know. Ii I habit seen
that cat we would have had an acct
dent by this time. There Was a time
when I laughed at it, but I have
learned better. Some time ago a cat
crossed the track in front If me. My
fireman begged me to stop and let
rub the rail, but I laughed at
him. He vowed that we would have
IN accident, and, sir, before we had
gone five miles further the engine
Jumped the track and did considers
nle damage. I barely escaped beng
and since then | have carrieS
! rabbits foot. When six white cats
cross the track, nothing can prevent
calamity; that is, if the engineer
keeps on. but if he gets off, everything
nay be all right"
''Do the conductors believe in the
theory" !
"Many of them do. Sometimes a
man boots at the idea, but after
while they become convinced and
!et them a foot. On some roads an
wi claw is necessary, and still Others
nothing but the tip end Of a coon's 5
all will answer" /
How is this discovery made?' :
ALWAYS by the oldest engineer. J
When a new road is built, the oluest
ngineer on the line can determine :
What % use. The more dangerous q
ne road the scarcer the cha, MS [ q
now n road in Mississippi where !
othipg but a piece of tiger ear will t
In consequence of this, &C. v
are very frequent. A friend .
NINE ran on the road and never d
ad an accident. He went to a cir G
one night and Gu, of the tip end u
F a tigers ear The beast howled v
and died within fifteen
The rabbit foot is the
.andard, and. as a rule, will do for
guage roads. On the Eastern
'ads beef bone is the thing. When $!
road becomes known as a beef bone 81
'ad, it is regarded as the best. Next
the goat bone, then the rabbit foot, P
zen the owl claw, then the coon tail, a.
len the mole nose, and lastly the a
ger ear"
Ibid you ever run IN a mole nose Al =
ad?" i
for a little while, but the a a
mpany was doing a great deal to i
the road in good shape, and it
on became a rabbit foot. I have
heard that 1t has become a A,
at bOne."-ArkansuU Traveller.