The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-06

Another sharp oil speculator, well known
in New York and Oil City, recently
bought diamond ring con appreciation"
in the phrase of retailers; that is, to be re-
turned if unsatisfactory. He kept it three
days and returned it. The market de-
clined on each of those days. Both of
these oil operators are shrewd Americans.
The Germans are occasionally very super
stitious. One of the best known traders in
the oil ring of the Consolidated Exchange
will never cross a street diagOnally, but al
ways at right angles. Between W all street
| and Exchange place on narrow New street,
| on which both stock exchanges abut, the
| brokers walk in the middle of the street.
about as much as they do on the sidewalk !;
but the oil operator referred to always
keeps carefully to the sidewalks, and if he
has occasion to cross at the intersection of
| another street always takes in each corner
on the way rather than cut across cater
! cornered. He has German coin that he
could not be induced to sell. 1t gives good
luck.
Hundreds of brokers on the two stock
exchanges consider that they have their
| lucky suits of clothes.
On the Consolidated Exchange, especially
| in the shouting, gesticulating, pushing and
rollicking oil group, it is considered very
| bad omen to open an umbrella and raise it
over the head. Putting up an umbrella in
| a board room would seem under all circum-
stances to be unnecessary. 1t is worse 1t
| brings bad luck There is a skeptical wag
| in the crowd, however, who, on dull days,
when the brokers are skylarking, will raise
an umbrella and run into the trading ring
and hold it over as many brokers as he can
They scamper like flock OF frightened
sheep.
Coming down on an elevated railroad
train not long ago, one of the largest room
operators on the Stock Exchange remarked
with extreme satisfaction and perfect con-
viction:
II shall make some money to-day"
How do you knowW asked friend.
ga black cat passed me this morning"
was the exultant answer.
One of the well-todo merchants of the
city will never pass an ash barrel 1t is
bad luck. He will cross the STREET. to avoid
| it, Another always wears his socks wrong
side out for good luck. This recalls a rather
curious incident at the Windsor Hotel
about a year ago. George Washington
Smith is well known in New York. In the
days OF the war he owned part of the
Smith g. Parmlee silver mine in Colorado,
and accumulated fortune of perhaps half
million. He has a super ttious prefer
ence for washing his own socks in the wash
bowl of his room. On one of his washing
days he accidentally left the water running
some hours while he was over in Brooklyn
making visit. The bowl overlooked and
the ceiling, furniture and carpets below
we're damaged, it is stated, about $1,000,
whereupon he was invited to change
his hotel. He has other superstitions, all
of which have frugal turn.
Commodore Arthur Z. Bateman, Of the
New York Yacht Club and the owner of
fine yacht, never likes to begin long cruise
on Friday. He vas formerly in the navy,
and naturally has few of the superstitions
which even the officers imbibe from the
men before the mast. President James d.
Smith, who is Commodore of the New
York Yacht Club, Is not altogether I'M
touched by the superstition concerning Fri
day. OSCAR WILLOUGHBY RIGGS