San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-09-06
THE FISHERMAN'S SIGNS.
HE STouTLY DENIES THAT He
Is At ALL sUPERsTITloUs.
But He Believes That q Wet Sunday Al
ways Follows a Wet Friday-Bad Luch
To Break q Looking Glass-Other Mys-
tertes.

Next Sunday will be wet"
"How can you tellTr
wet Friday, wet Sunday, replied an old
fisherman who was smoking a well colored
meerschaum pipe and discussing cup Of
strong, black coffee in an eating saloon He
was a typical fisherman. He had large,
clear blue eyes, a bushy head of hair, and a
hand as hard as a marlinspike. He stoutly
denied that sailors were superstitous, and
maintained that their reasonings were
founded on fact and not fiction. No book
for him. In spite of his denial however, fish
ermen are probably the most superstitious
class of people on earth.
"Just tell Inc something about fisherman's
life and his superstition" asked the reporter
of the veteran.
Fishermen don't have any superStitions,
sir, and if they have they are far below those
that you land lubbers are a prey to-"
You Just now mentioned one; wet Friday,
wet Sunday"
That's no superstition; that's fact and
one you can't alter. I've grown old in the
business, and as long as l can remember I've
never seen wet Friday that was not fol-
lowed by wet Sunday"
AN UNLUCKY DAY.
Don't you think it superstitions not to go
fishing on Friday Why should you select
that as being an unlucky dayf'
mo, don't. Just so long as fish have
lived in the water and men have taken them
out. Friday has been an unlucky day for
our trade. You just try it and you'll find
that I'm right"
why is it that you never allow whistling
on board a fishing boati'
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 superstition"
II told you minute ago that it was not a
superstition. The meaning of it is bad Mon
day, bad week"
Nov, if one of your shipmates should
smash a looking glass on board ship you give
up all hope of getting good haul"
"Yes, SIT; l never saw it fail yet, and !
have seen good many broken in my time,
and just as sure as it 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
90 out of the business because they were
always smashing things, and no one would
sail with them. dare say you would laugh
at me If told you that got good drubbing
from skipper under whom once sailed be-
cause showed the dory off from the side of
the ship with her head pointing to the sum-"
What did that signifyF'
1T means simply defying the elements,
and whenever you do that take my word
that nothing good comes from it"
How is it that you are so certain Of yom
storm predictionl"
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; If she is
| on her back, then look out for a storm; il
| her horns are well pointed then you may ex-
| pect cool or cold weather, according to the
season of the year. If there is large, hazy
| circle around the moon, then you may look
| out for a good rain storm or a steady rain
fall Then the big and little bears give us
| some useful knowledge, according to the diff
ferent positions they assume"
when going on fishing trip mean, Of
course, deep sea fishing-how is it that you
can tell exactly where to set your net or cast
your hnesF
"Thats>as easy as smoking your pipe. You
| see, rock or a bank is situated exactly by
the compass in a certain bearing or locality
| Well, we can tell just as well without COM
pass, and it is very simple. Suppose the
| fishing ground Is ten, twenty or thirty miles
| from the land. We sail in the direction Of
it until we get two headlands in one, as it
were Then we can tellso q 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 50 many miles, just as exactly as if
you measured it with tape, so that we know
| where we are A high church steeple, a
| lighthouse OF land bluff all tend to show the
accustomed eye of a fisherman where he Is"
"Then it isn't true that you can tell BY the
| waterP'
"In some cases We can, but as q general
yule our land bearings are the most reliable"
There is no emergency that would compel
q fisherman TO make any repairs on Sunday,
either in the sail department, rigging or hull
| of the vessel"
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 the
trip. Should you mend your sails, the first
wind rips them again, and if you fix or mend
| your rigging Il will come down about your
| head or ears the moment you go out have
myself had needles break In my hand when
attempted to sew on Sunday That was when
l was youngstar, and thought it would be a
big thing to defy the rules. Lewiston
Journal.