Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-17
"eUeERED" BY cRoss.eYss.
Mischief Wrought by a Small Boy-A SUI
perstition Of Sporting Men.

| Mischief Wrought by a Small Boy-A SUI
Psrstition of Sporting Men.
All the sports who have been going to
| Washington park from the Van Buren
street depot have been ''queened." The
cause of all this trouble is freckled-faced
boy who has been selling programmes at
the depot. By freak of nature pair of
watery blue eyes have been placed in his
head in that cratic relation 10 each other
which is described by the phrase cross
eyed-" Ii is one of the strongest super
stitions of betting men that 10 be impaled
by the glance of crOSS-eyed person is
equivalent To being entirely deserted by the
goddess of luck.
Tuesday afternoon the crOsS-eyed vender
of programmes stood in the path which runs
scruss the lake front from the foot of Jack
son street to the little depot. Pretty soon
two handsomely dressed men sauntered
down the path toward the depot
Here's der offishul programme chirped
the crOss-eyed youngster, darting out and
confronting the sports.
The two men cast one look at the youth.
turned pale. and dashed by with their heads
turned the other way.
MY God. Jim" calculated one Of the
men, we're hoodooded. sure. Did you
catch those eyes,"
Yes" replied Jim, Il guess We are
done for. won't bet a cent to-dal."
Lets sell our pool tickets, suggested
his companion.
No" said jim" with a wise shake of
they'd win sure if we did Wen hedge out
ven If We can"
More men kept coming down jackson
street, and the crOsS-eyed boy hOOdnOed
Of In lao
cursed the yOungster and resolved not to
Oet that day. A rank outsider, DOnavan.
won the races. and all the men who had
tickets On the tayOrites went down into the
bar-rOOm and prayed for the crOss-eyed boy.
Thursday all the cunning gentlemen who
had been hoOdOOed the previous day stepped
around to Van Buren, street and tried 10
sneak down 10 the depot by that route. The
cross-eyed yOungster saw the crowd coming
down Van Buren, ST. eet, al d at once moved
over and took position where he could in-
tercept IT, This almost caused a panic
Several gentlemen who had been hOOdOOed
the previous day managed TO dodge the un-
canny youth with the diSlOcated eyes, but
the big majority walked right into him, and
then kicked themselves for not going TO the
Lake street depot The boy. however sold
no programmes. The next day Billy DOble
discovered the Jonah" and promptly dis
chared him. The youth, however. had got
in his work. and now there are any number
of diSheartened sports who firmly believe
they will not win another bet at the meet
sng or until they have worked some charm
which will remove the spell cast upon them
by the crOSS-eyed lad.
Cross-eyed people are strangers to race
lacks, unless they 20 there 10 see the races.
A cross-eyed jockey would be an impOssi-
bility, and crOss-eyed timer OF rubber
would be as much curiosity as blue
horse. Cross-eyed people could never OBJ
tain employment on any racc-cOurse In the
country. A cross eyed man applied for
job as gate-keeper just before the opening
of the meeting but he was chased away be-
fore ne had a chance TO show his creden-
tials. Billy PinkertOn always inspects the
men he sends 10 the course and never lets a
cross-eyed man wear the PinkertOn uni-
form on the grounds.