Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-24
SIGNS WHICH BROKERS BELIEVE IN
DiCATIYE OF BAD FORTUNE.
Wall Street Hotbed of Superstition.
How Hnnchbacks Affect tho Market.
The wron: Foot Foremost-The Num-
Der I3-Lucky Suits of Clothes

3
ridian of civilization. but, as Emerson
says, we are only at tie cock growing and
] the morning star. Hundreds of people
consult swindlers who call themselves as
trologers. 4 large proportion OF the pop
ulation here believe in signs indicative OF
good luck OF Ill luck. or else they believe
that certain persons ere favored with good
look, while Others are naturally unlueky
The Rothschilds will have nothing TO dc
with man. whom they consider unlucky.
CommodorAyanderbilt, one of the ablest
railroad iinanciers this country ever pro-
duced. believed in luck
BAD LUCK on FRIDAY.
Hundreds of intelligent persons have a
superstitious reluctance 10 engage in any
important enterprise on Friday This in,
cludes as cool and matter Of fact man rs
Jay Gould Under no circumstances viii
he use an elevator. The late Jesse Hoyt
the millionaire grain merchant. would
never engage in any important business
undertaking on Friday. and many of the
SPECTATORS on the big exchanges are SINH
lerly superstitious. They consider every
Friday a Black Friday The prejudice
against Friday probably dates back to the
Middle Ages, or to even renoter period,
as the day on which Christ was executed.
1t is only one of innunerable old super
stitions which still survive.
Many investors and spectators in Wall
street are superstitious about dropping
things. If they find themselves constantly
dropping articles which they happen TO be
carrying they take it as sign that they
must sell their bonds and stocks. Many
have superstitious fear of holding stocks
over holiday.
Some firms will not display the ominous
10 if it happens to be the number of their
places of business.
81 confess, said the manager of large
banking and brokerage house, that
have superstition about the 18th day OF
the month 1t is not generally lucky
day One unlucky instance | remember,
too. about Friday A big lake steamer
! that piled between Buffalo and Chicago 6
number of years ago was launched on
Friday, sailed on Friday and sank on Fri
day"
Some stock brokers think it is very good
luck to See hunchback. II they can
touch the deformity it will bring big
gains. Such touch is also supposed to
cure headaches To see negro the first
thing in the morning is favorable sign
In the play Henrietta a youth who
speculates in stocks when asked by his
broker whether he wishes to buy or sell
answers gravely, Il will consider it. y
Then he turns his back and losses a cent
to determine his course, This is really
founded partly on fact. A person in the
habit of specializing in stocks found he
was losing steadily. st length he hit
upon the idea of tossing half dollar
which be always carried for luck and if it
proved to be head" he bought the first
stock that came out on the tape: if it was
tail he sold. Fer a time at least he
was far more successful by this method
than he had ever been through the exer-
else of common sense.
THE WRONG FOOT FOREMOST.
Some persons on rising in the morning
have superstitious fear OF putting the
left foot out of bed first Others believe
in always putting on the left shoe first.
If they meet negro or a cross eyed
woman they spit for good luck Every
body wants to pick up horseshoe.
On the Cotton Exchange there is one
prominent member who consults the
''spirits" for points on the market. On q
dark day. when the gas is lighted some
of the brokers consider il sign that the
market will advance. Others say it is
good luck TO meet Sister OF Charity.
81 shouldn't caro-" said popular oil
operator, Ito be long of 1900 barrels Of
oil here and short that much in Oil City.
| would make it "A, coo at Gil haNrds. OF
course it is al nonsense, but | should feel
better to change the figures at once.
Then have an unlucky suit Of clothes.
1t may sound laughabie, but ii is so.
have o fine gray suit at home which
have only worn four or FIVE times in the
last three years. and 1t has already cost
me ten times what | gave for it. Dor
rowed diamond ring from a friend and
thought it might give me luck. It was
Just the reverse. AS sure as | wear that
diamond ring the market breaks. An
other thing. / never trade on Friday II
have seen that day cross eyed woman
or red headed man"
One Of the best known traders III tho
oil ring of the Consolidated Exchange Will
never cross street diagonally. but al
ways at right angles. Between Wall
street and Exchange place or narrow New
street, On which both Stock Exchanges
abut, the brokers walk in the middle Of
the street about as much Gs they do On
the sidewalks; but the oil operator re-
ferred to always keeps carefully to the
sidewalks, ard if he has occasion 20 cross
at the intersection of another street a.
takes in each corner On the way rather
than cut across cata-cornered- He has a
German coin that he could not be induced
TO sell Il gives good luck
Hundreds Of brokers On the two Stock
Exchanges consider that they have their
lucky suits Of clothes
On the Consolidated Exchange. espe-
cially II the shouting, gesticulating. push
ing and rellicking oil group, It is consid
cred very bad omen TO open an umbrella
and raise it over ths head Putting up
an umbrella in board room wozid teen
under all circumstances TO be unnecessary.
1t is worse II brings bad luck There
Is skeptical vag IL the crowd. however.
who on dull 6ays, when the brokers are
skyIarking. viii raise an umbrella ard
run into the trading ring and hold it over
as many traders a. he can They scs1per
Ike fock of frightened kheep.-Sew
YORK Cor Giobe-DeEocyss.
gomeInIng ApSus the rrsv0eT
Over 400 years ago '-St-swberTiesr vss
cry Of the London streets. and the gar