Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-01-26
sUPERsTITIoUs STATESMEN.

SUPERSTITIOUS STATESMEN.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
1t is not a thing which is generally
known, yet it is true, that there are many
public men in Washington who are su-
perstitiOus in the extreme. There are
eight senators Mitchell, Davis, Reagan,
Pasco, Manderson, Faulkner, Voorhees,
and Dawes-who are averse to riding in
a street ear, herdic, or any other kind of
a vehicle drawn by a white horse It is
said that ill-luck follows in either bust
ness or pleasure Immediately after riding
behind white horse.
\ few days ago one of the Senators
named had got on street car without
noticing the color Of the horses, being
absorbed in some other mighty question
After having paid the necessary fare, he
looked toward the front end, and, to his
horror, discovered two snOw-white hor-
ses pulling the car. With motion as
quick as his sight had taken in the white
steeds, the able Senator jumped to his
feet and called to the conductor to stop
the car at once, though it was not stop
ped until after the Senator had touched
the ground. In his haste to get out he
could not make his exit with accuracy
as desired, and he was thrown from the
step.
The Senator, relating the incident to
some friends a day or two later, said it
was superstition which he could not
overcome, and that in many cases the
riding behind a white horse had been fol-
lowed by bad luck in the extreme. In
speaking of the circumstances of alight-
ing from the car SO quickly, the Senator
also said that Notwithstanding the fact
that he was in the car only minute or
two, he had been hOodooed, as it were,
and that on arriving at the post office de-
partment, whittier he had started to ride,
he met there the i'll luck which he at
tempted to keep off. He had gone there
to urge the appointment of friend to
place in the service, and on the day be-
fore he had every reason to believe his
friend would receive the appointment,
but on the day in question he was dis
appointed, the friend of a member of the
House having been selected. The Sen
ator attributes it all to the white horses
drawing the car.
There are number of members of the
House also affected with the same super
Stition. At the last session of Congress
there were ten or fifteen members who
were speculating in stock to a consider
able extent, and especially in Central and
Union Pacific stocks, pending the pass
age of the resolution providing for the
of the road.
Bliss and Sawyer, of New York, Bur
roughs, of Michigan, and Ward, of Hi
nois, all of whom speculate more or less,
were each possessed of the belief that an
itching in the palm of the left hand was |
an indication of a lucky investment
When the hand would itch they would
scratch it on wood, generally using the
sides of their desks, and then quickly |
hurry out TO the office and telegraph to
New York brokers their orders.
One member, who now tells the story, |
said that in one deal into which he was
led by the itching palm he made in two
days time over $1,700. Senator Evarts,
upon seeing the new moon for the first
time, will always stop and gaze intently
at it for few minutes He dislikes see
ing the new moon over his left shoulder |
or through tree. In this respect he is
not unlike the average woman, who in
makes a wish upon seeing the
Senator ingalls, is a victim of