Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-11-05

treasured it so carefully. he smiled
sheepishly and said: .."Wel, don't
care about it now, but I've carried it
SO long I don't like to part with it.
When / first got it I was a young
fool. I was dead mashed by little
girl, and l couldn't get acquainted
with her, although [ tried every way
known TO polite society. Finally, one
evening / was sitting IN theatGr,
with a half>eye on the stage and an
eye and half on her, when she sud>
denly pulled her handkerchief from
her pocket and out dropped this nickel,
and it rolled directly at my feet. |
picked it up, and I've carried it ever
sincr."
Quite romantic tale" said one of
his hearers.
You are dishonest fellow" re-
marked 3 second, you ought to have
returned it to the lady"
might have got acquainted by that
means. You were fool as well a
knave."
WAS that young lady your present
wife9' asked another.
NO" said the man with the nickel,
land don't you tell the story to your
wife or she'll tell mine"
Further inquiry revealed the fact
that a great variety of articles are
carried about in peoples pockets for
all sorts of reasons. Any number of
people carry buckeyes" or horse
chestnuts as representatives. of rheuma-
tism. One old gentleman wears a
brass ring which used to be part of
pair of suspenders. This was also
a warder against rheumatism.
Ore undertaker's apprentice was
found with a bracelet upon bis fire.
ckled wrist. He was a red-headed,
long>necked lad, with an air of reck>
less abandon. He swore and distrib-
uted tobacco juice with a perfect pro-
dig&lity, and the discoverer of the
bracelet was astonished at such dis
play Of sestheticism Ae asked him
why he wore the bauble, and the boy
replied that 1t was q sure thing to pre-
vent blood poisoning, to which he
was more or less liable in handling
corpses. When asked where be got
the bracelet, he replied that he got it
off the wrist of one Of their subjects.
There were horseshoes everywhere
aud of all kinds, gold diamond, wood
en-, jet. tin, and paper. These were
worn as watch>charms, as bracelets,
and as wall ornaments. They were
hung over door and behind saloon
bars and in store windows. Every body
knows that they are the most lucky
things in the world. and if q person
can find one in the street or upon a
country road where a horse has just
cast it, If the finder knows when ne
or she is we'll off, it will be picked up
carefully, mud and all, and carried
| home.
The horseshoe superstition is a rem
nant of the old habit of guarding
against witches and witchcrAft. The
old custom was as now, TO hang it over
OF upon the house door to keep the
witches orsthe devil out.
There is one old superstition which
has grown to be portion of architec
ture if the term May be used, and
which is never noticed. Anybody can
see it by simply looking at an ordin-
airy door where the material is entire
ly wooden. A glance will show that
the solid wood work which passes be
tween the two upper panels, and then
between the lower ones, forms the
figure of a cross. It is a ''St. Peters
cross" with the arms at the lower part
of the cross. St. Peter, according to
history, was crusifed head downward.
The cross was originally placed upon
doors to keep the devil or witches oat,
and it has grown to be a custom with
all carpenters and builder Of modern
| times,