The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-03-19
PROVED BY FACTS.
'Fishermen Don't Have Any Su-
perstitions, Sir

There is probably no class of people
thoroughly imbued with superstition
as fishermen. 1t makes no difference
whether they exc out a livelihood in
the Polar regions, underneath the equa-
tor or in the balmy, sunny South, the
fact is precisely the same. The fisher
man and his little ones are followed to
the grave surrounded by all sorts of
signs. sounds and warnings, for which
no logical reason can be offered, or,
indeed, any explanation whatever be-
yond the fact that these signs and
warnings have descended in hereditary
form. 1t may be his incessant com
munings with heavenly bodies. They
serve not only as his geography but his
grammar, as well as his arithmetic, for
he can with astonishing accuracy give
you dates, facts and figures derived
alone from his stellar and lunar Obser-
vations. Then the movements of the
heavenly bodies speak words of warn
ing to the fishermen much more accur-
ate and well defined than any cOmpu-
tation made by the astute meteorologi-
cal student, or the Self-cOnStituted
thing as a probability with fisherman.
If he says there IS going to be bad
weather within certain number of
hours or days, it is likely nine times
out of ten that his prophecy will be
fulfilled. He can tell to a nicely by
the conditions of the sea swell, that
there had been storm on a certain
coast or Father Neptune has made up
his mind to make things lively here or
there. In fact, the fisherman is a Iiv-
ing, moving, animated barometer
Smoking Il weII-cOlOred meerschaum
pipe and discussing Il cup Of strong black
coffee without either milk, sugar, or
Franklin Reiley,a silver-haired, veteran
fisherman, was found in a South street
eating saloon. Large, clear blue eyes,
a bushy head of hair, a well-knit frame
and hand as hard as a marlin-spike,
Frank presented the true type of the
toilers of the sea. He stoutly denied
that fishermen were superstitious, and
maintained that their reasOnings were
founded on fact, not fiction. No book
for him! He had the heavens for his
map, and nature was his master.
.'Just tell me something, Frank, :"
said a Mait and Express man, ''about
tisherman's life and his supersti-
tiOns.
FISHERMEN don't have anv super
stitions, sir, and if they have they are
far below those that you land-lubbers
are prey to-
Don't YOU consider it a superstition
not to 90 fishing on Friday? Why
should you select that day as being
unlucky?"
.'No l don't, and I can tell you, sir,
that since the hazy morn when Noah 5
ark ran ashore on Mount Ararat, Fri
day has been an unlucky day for fish
ermen. You just try it and you'll find
I'm right"
Then you say Friday wet, Sunday
wet How do you arrive at that con-
clusion?"
Simply because it is so; you can't
alter that, can YOU? Yes, me boy, I've
grown old in the business, and I've
never seen a wet Friday that wasn't
followed by a wet Sunday"
why is it that you will never allow
whistling on board fishing boat?'
because, me boy, it is calling up
Old Nick to make his appearance, and
he always brings wind with him"
Fishermen don't like to begin any
undertakings on Monday. What is
the reason of that superstition"
4 told you just a minute ago it was
no superstition. The meaning of it is,
bad Monday, bad week"
again, if one of your shipmates
should smash looking-glass ON board
ship, you give up all hope of getting a
good haul"
Yes, sir. ! never saw it to fail vet
and just as sure as it occurred a gale
came on and blew great guns, com
pelling us to run for shelter. 1t that
failed, then we caught no fish. I've
known men that have had to go out of
the business, as they were very devils
at smashing things, and no one would
sail with them
'.When going on fishing trip, I
mean. of course, deep-sea fishing, how
is it that you can tell Just exactly where
to set your nets or east your lines?'
That's as easy as smoking your
pipe. You see, a rock or bank is stu
ated exactly by the compass in GER
tain bearing or locality. Well, we can
tell that Just as we'll without a com
pass, and it is very simple. Suppose
the fishing-grOund is ten, twenty or
thirty miles from the lard. we sail in
the direction of it until we get two
beadlands in one, as it were. Then
we can tell to a dot how far we are
out, and consequently we know where
the fishing bank is, but we sail on until
only one of the headlands or banks is
visible; that gives us so many miles,
but Just as exact as if You measured it
with "a tape-line, so that we know just
where we are. A high church-stecple,
a lighthouse or land-bluf all tend to
show the accustomed eye Of a fisher
man where he IS.
Then it isn't true you can tell by
the water?"
In some eases we can, but as a gen
eral rule our land bearings are the
most reliable. "
There is no emergency that would
compel a fisherman to make any repairs
on Sunday, either in the sail depart
ment, rigging or hull of the vessel
Experience has taught Us that Sun
day must be kept. If you drive a nail
in piece Of wood Of your vessel on
Sunday look out, for that Is what we
call mailing the trip. Should you mend
your sails the first wind rips them
again. and if YOU fix or mend your rig
ging 1t viii come down about your
head and ears the moment You 20 out.
have myself had sail-needles break in
M hand when / have attempted to sew
on Sunday. That was when / was "a
youHgster, and thought it would be a
bic thing to defy the rules
Il fail to see what there is ominous
about turning a hatch upside down
How on earth can such an Insignificant