Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-11-15
SUPERSTITION.
Hackmen Who Believe in Luck-Aw.
full Significance Of a White Cat
at Midnight.
Men and Women Who BnDg Good Fortune
With Them 0minOus Cigar
stumps.
phlladelnhin rlmes

Philadelphia Times,
AFTER sailors and gamblers the all.
night hack-drivers who prowl up and
down Chestnut street and the cross
town thoroughfares from midnight
until sunrise are the most superstitiOus
people I KNOW said an old de
tective last night. Like the men
who follow the water, they cannot be
talked out Of their queer ideas, and
they have certein customs which they
follow out as religiously as the most
methodical man in town lives his daily
life.n The "nIght-bawk," as he Is
called, lie not, bs a rule, Ofsavory repu.
tation. He has generally had some ac-
quaintance With the police and does
not move in the society OF the Jehu
who drives for q first-class livery
stable.
WHAT A WHITE CAT CAUSED.
Very early yesterday morning two
thin horses hObbled down Chestnut
street drawing hack which may have
been used by some swell livery stable
a quarter OF century ago, but which
had degenerated into a carry.all for
men who are kept late at their lodge
rooms Just before the horses got to
Eighth street a white cat ran across
the street and disappeared behind the
iron grating of Sharpless q Bro. q
cellar. The "night-haWkn saw the cat
and jerked his half starved horses
nearly off their feet al he brought
them to q stand-stlll then with an old
whip he lashed them as he turned
them around and ran them up Chest
nut street at "A gallop. The driver
looked over his shoulder like verit-
able Tam O'Shanter watching for the
witches. When he got TO Ninth street
he turned north and kept up the run
until Market street was reached.
A cat crossing in front nf might.
howk's outfit" Is considered bad
enough luck to dwarf the nights busl-
ness, but white cat means demorali-
cation FIR the night. Some "hawksp
immediately begin to drink, in order
that they may forget the apparition OF
the white cat, and when q might.
haW k" is visited with the delirium
tremens he does not see snakes like the
ordinary sufferer, but hundreds of
white cats crowd before his vision.
SOME STRANGE sUPERsTITIoNs.
A driver of an all-night hack never
puts his left loot on the wheel first on
getting upon the box; he thinks 1t bad
luck, and nothing can induce him to
open the door of his cab or carriage
with his left hand. II shoe becomes
loose on one of his horses feet that's
bad omen, and causes the driver TO be-
lieve that some bad luck Is in store for
him. When the moon is shining
brightly and a 6ig cloud suddenly
hides IL from view and causes darkness
to settle on the streets the "hawkn
grows suspicious. He Ia a great cow
ard as a rule-more afraid, though, Of
"A shadow than he ia OF the substance.
IL the passenger happens to be a
drunken man, with torn umbrella,
that Is considered good luck and sign
that rain will be plentiful and make
business good.
Night-hawks do not like TO hear Of
fires. The presence OF fire engine on
Chestnut street causes them to think
OF calamity. Some Of them won't eat
during the night, for fear 1t will
change their luck, but they never re-
fuse drink. The lighted stump of a
cigar picked up after II has been
thrown away by u well-dressed man
and quickly smoked il thought to
bring good luck.
OTHER STRANGE FANCIES.
All the Jehus who are only seen on
the streets at night are great policy
players If they are lucky they may
make n iive-dollar bill, but by the time
the horses scant feed Is bought and
the policy slips are paid for there is
not much left, and the rag-tAg hack
man of the wee small hours comes
back under cover of darkness the next
night just as poor As ever.
The majority OF them will gladly
carry an .ctress or actor free, believing
that the profession are harbiL gers of
good fortune, II a gas lamp Is blown
out ON a stormy night the Jehu will
stop, get OF his box and take the trou.
BILE to ignite the escaping gas, believ-
ing that IL Is not good policy 10 pass In
the darkness. They have great
dread ofcar horses without bells, and
never like to see colored man with a
white hat on Some of them believe
that they have TO turn their horses a
certain number OF times In night be-
fore they will catch customer, and a
great many believe that IL they are not
lucky at policy they will be unlucky
ON the street that night. AS rule,
they prefer passengers who are very
much intoxicated, as the practice OF
eXtortion ia more successfully carried
out when the occupant OF the hack
can't tell s. bill from 50 note. II
10 because the "night-hawk" has nc
conscientious scruples IA to fair deal
Ing with the public that he Is looked
down upon and thus made ineligible
To be elevated to the social pinnacle OF
son-in-law to millionaire banker.
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