The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-07-07
NOT SUPERSTITIOUS.
Toilers OF the Deep Who are Governed
by Queer Lore.
From the Le,ciston Journal


Next Sunday will be wet"
"How can you tellF
SWEET Friday, wet Sunday" replied an
old fisherman, who was smoking well-col-
ored meerschaum pipe and discussing a cup
Of strong black coffee in an eating saloon
He was a typical fisherman. Hehad large,
clear blue eyes, buShy head of hair, and
hand as hard as marlinSpike. He
stoutlY denied that sailors were supersti-
tious, and maintained that their reasonings
were founded on fact and not fiction. No
book for him. In spite of his denial,
however, fishermen are probably the
most superstitious class of people on earth.
just tell me something about fisher
mans 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 prey to. "
You just now mentioned one; wet Fri
day, wet Sunday"
THAT'S no superstition; that's a fact and
one you can't alter. I've grown old in the
business, and as long as | can remember I've
never seen a wet Friday that was not fol
lowed by wet Sunday"
Don't you think it superstitious not to go
fishing on Fridayf Why should you select
that as being al unlucky day~
mo Idon'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 boatN
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 is the reason of
that superstitionf
II tod you a minute ago that it was not
a superstition The meaning Of it is, bad
Monday, bad week"
Nov if one of your shipmates should
smash looking glass on board ship you
give up all hope of getting good haul"
Eyes, sir; never saw it fail yet, and |
have seen a cool many broken in my time,
and just as sure as il occurred gale came
on and blew great guns, and we were COM
PEELED to run for shelter. If that failed,
then we caught no fish. I've known men
that had TO go out OF the business because
they were always smashing things, and no
one would sail with them. l dare say you
would laugh at me if | told you that got a
good drubbing from skipper under whom |
once sailed because [ showed the dory off
from the side of the ship with her head
pointing to the sun"
''What did that signify!"
at 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 your
storm predictionp
"Oh, that is simple Year in and year out
we study the signsof The heavens, which are
very accurate. CGrtalns stars, bright or
dull, mean certain things. The wind from
a given certain quarter in a 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; if her horns are well pointed then
you may expect cool or cold weather, ac-
cording to the season of the year. If there
is large, ha2y circle around the moon, then
you may look out for good rainstorm or a
steady rainfall. Then the big and little
bears give US some useful knowledge, ac-
cording to the different positions they as
sumo"
"When going on fishing trip-I mean,
of course, deep sea tishing--how is it tlat
you can tell exactly where to set your net or
cast your linesp
That's as easy as smoking your pipe.
You see, a rock or a bank is situated exact
ly by the compass in a certain bearing or 10
cality. Well we can tell just as well with
out a compass, and it is very simple Sup
pose the fishing ground is ten. twenty or
direction of it until we get two headands
in one, as it were. Then we can tell to
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,mles,
just as exactly as if you measured it with a
tape, SO that we know where we are. A
high church-steeple, a lighthouse or q land
bluff all tend to show the accustomed eye OF
a fisherman where la is
Then it isn't true that you can tell by the
waterT
''In some cases we can, but as a general
rule our land bearings are the most reliable"
There is no emergency that would com
pei fisherman to make any repairs on Sun
day, either in the sail department. rigging
or hull of the vessel
Experience has taught us that Sundays
must be kept. If 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 all needles break in my
hand when | attempt 10 sew on Sunday
That was when was a youugster, and
thought 1t would be big thing to defy the
rules"
COTTON THIEVES CAPTURED.