The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-31
ACTORS FOOLISH MOTTO Ms.
Some Account of the Superstitions
that Obtain in the theatres.

Ger of one who had spent long life in @the
,,rofession," and knows almost every one of
I1ote on the American stage.
sDon't know lie said, / don't know as
many people outside as l do in the the
n+sr or at least don't know EN- so well. |
Jon,t imagine, however, that they are any
T1ore so than others. Considerable atten-
ION has been directed to their notions,
tSorph. for two reasons. First, people seem
20 ike to talk about and to hear about act
ors | never could tell just why. And
secondly, these supersttlons, naturally
oDough. many of them relate to the theater,
ond Everybody likes TO hear about the thea
or which fact is easily understood There
We GOOD many actors who are supersti-
t;ous and a good many who are not. At
Lost t1ev are not more SO than almost every
XIV is Very few people are entirely free
fro,n superstition, l fancy, but nearly all of
Ne have pet notions about luck and a sneak
;na belief in what is called the supernat-
ural.
wrote some time ago." he continued, with
chuckle I'm reply to an invitation some
bajy had extended to him to join the Thir-
taery Club. Frank said he wouldn't for any
nacuniary consideration sit down with
Twelve other persons at table, and if he
should so happen to sit down unknowingly,
and should spill salt, he would throw some
Of it over his left shoulder. And he went on
and told how he shuddered at seeing the new
moon over bis left shoulder, because he
knew he'd have no luck for the rest of the
month; and how he wouldn't turn and go
hack into the house after starting out; and
how he was a slave to all the old wives
notions that he had ever heard, for which
reason be didn't think he would be happy
in tie club.
"There are some curious cases, though, of
superstition that have heard of, though l
do not know that they have anything to do
with the fact of the individual believers
beiqg actors. Dixey, for example, is a man
whom nobody would suspect of supersti-
ton, and he will laugh at his notions, even
while he admits that he entertains them.
Like a good many of the boys he is fond of
little game of poker occasionally, and be
has several pet superstitionS that are COM
mon enough around the card table. He
won't bet on O hand, no matter how good it
is. if any other player happens to touch one
Of his cards after they are dealt. He always
prefers to lose the first pot he is interested
in and he won't play with a one-eyed man.
Then, again. he won't walk under ladder,
nor pass between Two carriages in funeral
procession.
THE Hateful THIRTEEN.
among managers the notion that thir-
teen is an unlucky number is a prevalent
one, and there are many of them who will
IetuSe play, without regard to its merits,
if happens to have name composed of
thirteen letters. When The Pearl of Pekin'
was submitted by Charley Byrne to Rice it
was called The Flower of Pekin, and sin
gularly enough, for both of them knew the
superstition we'll enough, it was not noticed
by anybody that there were thirteen letters
in the name until after the play was accept
ed and some Of the arrangements had been
made to produce it, Then Commodore Took
er, with his practical printers eye, noticed 1t
and joked Rice about it. Rice was almost
wild and at first swore he wouldn't have
anything more to do with it, but after some
persuasion consented to 60 on if q new
name should be selected. You couldn't
make him Lelieve to-day, though, that the
play could have been anything but a fiat
failure If the original name had been re-
tanned
There are other whimsical beliefs that
are common among managers. John Stet-
son isn't the only one who has issued strict
orders that the first tickets for new play
must never be sold to woman and that a
deadhead must never be allowed to be the
first person to enter the house at any per-
turmance
John Duff" continued this malicious
elderly person, who seem to warm up to
the recital as he got deeper and deeper into
the subject John Duff has the same super
stltion, only he carries it still further Duff
thinks it the worst kind of luck to let dead
head enter a theater at any time. Henry
Abbey has very similar notion, though he
does make an exception in favor of news
paper men until they have done some favor
that he specially desired. After the favor is
done, however, he clings to the supersti-
hon
FLORENCE AND THE OPAL.
VI remember coming across the Atlantic
ABOUT half dozen years ago." continued
The oracle, with Billy Florence and his
altogether delightful better half as fellow
passengers on the same steamer. There
was young London stock broker on the
same ship, to whom had been introduced
In England. He was off for brief holiday,
and was flying over to the States to do
little courtship on the double quick l was
on deck chatting with him early in the
evenlsg the first day out, when Mrs. Flor
ehce came up. She spoke to me, of course,
ana IN the free and easy way that obtains
on board ship introduced the stock broker
70 1er Immediately. He was pleased, for he
mad seen her on the stage, and was rather
unused when she said, L came up on pur-
pose TO be introduced TO you, Mr.,
because noticed that beautiful scarf pin
you wear. Will you let me look at it?'
III course Mr.. Broker took the pin out at
rnce and handed it to her. 1t was very
Hhe opal, not particularly large, but very
merry and it was elegantly mounted She
inquired If it was really an opal, and he,
WIN some surprise, said that it certainly
was she complimented him again and
handed 1t back, and after little more chat
She walked away.
MT. Broker and went on smoking and
taking, When suddenly Florence came up
out Oh the saloon and looked around till he
Jaw Jaw me. Then he came up and introduced
.ll TO my friend. Billy was evidently
iIelyouS and jumped into his subject head
'Ins VIII you sell that scarfpinP he said
sS;ggluptiy, Well yes, said the broker, con-
''"Goraoly astonished. There's no reason
WY shouldn't sell it if you care to pay
r "naL did for it. l have worn it for
couple Oh months and might as well change
OVERHEARD IT WENT.
l.. florence inquired the price and the
:; S'oAer Told him he paid twelve pounds for
~ bllly pulled out ten sovereigns at once,
iIolued Them over and took the pin. He
+Soked at it critically and then with a sort
VI sneme-faced laugh said, This is certainly
ssi Vsodlutful pin. am not i-isg it for my
S So,a, put simply to please my wife, and be-
uao We guessed what he was about, the pin
' overheard, sinking in the Atlantic.
NJ. as matter Of fact, Mr.. Broker pros
LEU lviss IN his wooing SO we'll that he took a
, %ie BACK to England with him two weeks
ncl l don't know whether it was good