The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1888-09-12
THE FISHERMAN'S SIGNS.
HE sToUTLY DENIES THAT HE
IS AT ALL suPERsTITIous.
But He Believes That wet sunday Al
ways Follows . Wet Friday-Bad Luck
To Break Looking Glass Other dys-

But He Believes That Wet Sunday Al
ways Follows Wet Friday-Bad Luck
To Break q Looking Glass Other a1ys-
tories.
Next Sunday will be wet
"How can you telln
"Wet Friday, wet Sunday, replied an old
fisherman who was smoking well colored
meerschaum pipe and discussing cup OF
strong, black coffee in an eating saloon. He
was a typical fisherman. He had largo,
clear blue eyes a bushy head of hair, and q
hand as hard as marlinspike He stoutly
denied that sailors were superstitious, and
maintained that their reasonings were
founded on fact and not fiction. No book
for him. In spite Of his denial, however, fab
ermen are probably the most superstitdous
class of people on earth.
"Just tell me something about fishsrman's
life and his superstition" asked the reporter
of tho veteran.
"Fishermen don't have any superxtitions,
sir, and if they have they are far below thoss
that you land lubbers are q prey to-
'sYou just now mentioned one; wet Friday,
wet Sunday.'n
THAT'S no superstitions that's fact and
one you can't alter I've grown old In the
business, and as long as can remember I'VE
never seen wet Friday that was not fol-
lowed by wet Sunday"
AN UNLUcKY DAY
"Don't you think 1t superstitions not to 60
fishing on Fridayf Why should you sslect
that as being an unlucky dayf'
'No. don't. Just SO long as fish have
lived in the water and mon have taken them
out. Friday has been an unlucky day for
our trade. You just try 1t and you'll End
that I'm right
why is It that you never allow whistling
ON board a fishing boatf'
Because, me boy, It's calling on old Nick
TO make his appearance, and he always brings
wind with him.
FISHERMEN don't like to begin any under
taking on Monday. What's the reason Of
that superstitionr
II told you minute ago that u was not
superstition. The meaning OF II Ia bad Nom
day, bad week.
Nov, II one Of your shipmates should
smash a looking glass on board ship yoa give
up all hope OF getting good haul.n
eyes, sir; never saw II fail yet, and !
have seen good many broken In my Tina,
and just as sure as II occurred gale came on
and blew great guns, and we were compelled
to run for shelter. II that failed, then We
caught no fish. I've known men that had to
go out OF the business because they ware
always smashing things and no ono would
sail with them. I dare say you would laugh
at rue II told you that got a good drubbina
from skipper under whom l once sailed be-
cause showed the dory Off from the side of
the ship with her head pointing to ths sun"
"What did that signifyr
ut means simply defying the elements,
Il a. II. "a
that nothing good comes from It."
"How is ii that you are SO certain Of your
storm predictionf"
SIGNS OF THE HEAVENS.
"Oh, that Is simple. Year in and year Out
we study the signs Of the heavens, which are
very accurate Certain stars, bright or
dull, mean certain things The wind from
a given certain quarter In certain month
is almost sure to bring stormy, fair, dry or
wet weather, as the case may be- The moon
gives US a good deal of information; Il she u
on her back, then look out for a storm; II
her horns are we'll pointed then you may ex-
pect cool or cold weather, according 10 the
season of the year II there Is large, hazy
circle around the moon, then you may look
out for good rnin storm or steady rain
fall Then the big and little beara give Us
some useful knowledge according to the dif-
ferent positions they assume
when going on fishing trip-I mean, OF
course, deep sea fishing how is IL that you
can tell exactly where to set your net or cast
your linesfn
That's as easy as smoking your pipe You
see, a rock or bank is situated exactly by
tho compass in a certain bearing or locality.
Well, we can tell just as well without conn
pass, and 1t is very simple. Suppose the
mkt.
from the land. We sail in the direction Of
IL until we get two headlands In one, as II
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 one
Of the headlands or banks is Visible; that
gives us SO many miles, Just as exactly a. II
you measured II with tape, SO that we know
where We are. A high church steeple, q
lighthouse or land bluff all tend TO show the
accustomed eye OF fisherman where he n. =
"Then it isn't true that you can tell BY the
waterf"
"In some cases We can, but as q general
rule our land bearings are the most rsliableS
"There is no emergency that would compel
fisherman to make any repairs ON Sunday,
either in the sail department, rigging or huh
OF tho yessel.n
Experience has taught us that Sundays
must be kept II you drive a nail In the
piece Of the wood Of your vessel on Sunday
look out for that Is what we call mailing tho
trip. Should you mend your sails. the flrst
wind rips them again, and II you fix or mend
your rigging 1t will come down about your
head or ears the moment you go out ! have
myself had needles break In my hand when I
attempted to sew on Sunday. That was when
was youngster, and thought It would be
big thing TO defy the rules "-Lswistoc
Journal.