Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-11-19
Evil OMENs,
Why a Professional Gambler Looks With
Disfsvor Upon CroSs-Eyed Maids.

Why Professional Gambler Looks With
Disfsvor Upon CroSs-Eyed Maids.
Il never knew 4 gambler, an actor
or hack-dri1er who was not supersti-
tious, and l have known great many
men of those professions" said one 81
Inspector Byrnes' detectives the other
evening, "A gambler won't play for
week if he meets a croSs-eyed woman
Monday morning. He couldn't win if
he did. Sailors are SuperStitiouS, too.
but | have never been thrown much
among them, SO | don't know the bent
of their fears. But cabmen-the all-
night hack-driverS- the most SUPER
stitious people in the world. Have YOU
never noticed the gang of night hawks
who sit in their cab doors till morning
in Chatham square, and along the
Bowery near the ball rooms2 They all
believe in signs. | know two cabmcn
who work the Germania Assembly
Rooms balls and the hops ut Everett
Hall, in Fourth street, who follow GER
tain rules of obtaining good luck rs re-
hgiouSly as monks observe their pray
crs. And they go through certain
forms, too, for preventing bad luck.
when indicated by omcnS. with IuSt aS
much method and sincerity.
Two Philadelphia faro players came
to New York last New Years. They
went to boardm@-housc on Lexington
avenue, near Twenty-fourth street, Sc
cured rooms, had their luggage moved
to the house and paid their bill week
n ~ - i,
That night they went down to dinner
The head waiter, an Irish girl named
Maggie, was crOSs-oycd. She was q
lively girl, and otherwise not bad-look-
ng. The two gamblers were handsome
men, and Maggie smiled on them. The
more she smiled the more nervous they
got, and at last they left the table.
After whispering together in the hall Il
few minutes, they Went to the landladv,
told her they didn't Ike the fare and
wanted a rebate ON the money adj
vanced for their board. They moved
out that evening. Those men intended
to buck the tiger in 4 place on Sixth
avenue, near Twenty-scvcnth street,
that night, but they didn't play for a
week after that.
Ou Niil l ttlh Il HlNllI nttth- bilNtG
out of his queer ideas. You can reason
with a gambler. and he'll tell YOU he
don't believe these superstitionS. vet he
wouldn't dare play if the signs were
bad. He would make some other cX-
cuse. Early yesterday morning saw
two thin horses hobbling through
Blocker street, drawing hack. TWAS
Sandy Eagan's rig, from the Gcrmania
Rooms. just before the horses GOT to
Mulberry street = white cat ran across
The road and disappeared down cellar
stairs. Sandy saw the cat, jerNcd the
half-starvcd horses nearly SIX their feet,
and came to Il Standstill. Then with an
old whip he lashcd them as he turned
around and drove down Mott street ut
gallop. He went through Houston street
to Crosby backup to Blocker, and then
on his way again. A. ne crossed Broad
way Sandy looked back over his
shoulder like vcritablc Tam O'Shan-
ter looking for witches. ANY
kind of cat running in front of
a cab is Il bad sign, but a white cat
means utter decentralization. Some
night-hawks, after seeing a cat run
across their way, immediately begin to
drink, that they may forget the appari-
ton. They don always wait for the
cat before beginning to drink, however.
When Il hack-Griycr has the dclirium
tremens, he docsn' see snakes like the
ordinary man, but he sees hundreds of
white cats, always on 4 run, crossing
and recrossing always before his vision.
An all-night cabman never puts his left
foot on the wheel first on mounting the
box. He thinks it ; bad luck. Nothing
can induce him to open the door of his
carriage with his left hand. If a shoe
gets loose on his horses foot. that's a
bad omen. If a passengers a drunken
man who has lost his hat. that : :, good
sign; that means a big rain-sto:m. and
consequently Il good business. Ii 4
cabman carries three men at one time
carly in the evening, that means good
luck, providing he does not eat during
the remainder of the night TO eat
would spoil the luck; but he may drink
as much as he chooses.-N y. Str.