The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-12
COME ODD sUPERsT1TIoNs.
.rrted Houses in New York-Furni-
ture Cracking.
From The Neto York Press.

.,;arca and civilization, superstition still
,-avsils to a greater or less extent in every
t,habited part of the country. The tins of
burning and prosecuting witches haye gone
10 hut signs and omens ere still observed
- charms have not lost their value In
..-r own CITY we constantly meet those who
s sra impelled to one action or dissuaded from
Mo+bar nv superstitious fear, and it would
- Jificnlt to estimate to what degree such
pL' o have changed the channel of
s'anv lives. Great events often hinge on
mch trihing things.
The notions ridiculed by Addison in his
So, are still prevalent. The shooting of a
.tar snoils a nights rest. The poise of the
ss"raech owl causes more alarm than
Snnd of robbers. The chirping of
Ur;clTet strikes more terror than would the
roar of a lion A rusty nail or a crooked
min are regarded as prognosticators of
calamity.
tba Guests were about to sit down at the
table when young lady exclaimed with
tarror that the number of diners were
thirteen. and vehemently protested against
INV such tampering with fate. Other ladies
also expressed their disapproval, much to
tbe modification of our hostess, who had
unite forgotten the superstition attached to
his number, and, but for the timely ar
rival OF an unexpected guest, some one
would have been obliged to forego the repast
In order to allay their fears.
II is a curious fact that not satisfied with
The natural ills that flesh is heir to- some
neople must throw open their minds to
grolndless fears and unfounded supersti-
lions. The desire to know from what cause
certain effects follow, has led them to mel
encholy thoughts, the more indisputable
because the more unreal. Moreover, the
fact that they are more apt to observe
when things hit them when they miss, leads
additional weight to the superstitious
current among us. These are kept alive
nv the same means used in their trans
initial to our generation-by repeating
them to children too young to question their
truth. ..
Although the age of ghosts ought to be
past and the enlightenment of the nine
teenth century should prove all such idle
faucies to be false, still in the midst of our
,ity, on Murray Hill, there stands So
called haunted house. Unoccupied for
4 years, in a ruined condition, with an air of
4 mystery hanging around it, the children of
4 the neighborhood whisper to each other
the story of this Inflated place, and not a
few grown people confess that in passing it
after dark sudden chill runs down their
backs. ...... -s.... .........
i 1t is reported that the mysterious death
Of beautiful young lady who was about to
be married took place there. that her
family suddenly departed from the city, and
that since then the house had been unten-
anted and looked upon with suspicion
and the mystery connected with it never
solved.
There is another house in the city used to-
4 day by an athletic club, which, before being
tod nd
haunted. For long time it contained no
occupant. and standing alone and ready to
crumble, it was considered the abode of
some tormented spirit. 1t would seem, as
ID rule, that dwellings long unoccupied
through litigation or some other natural
cause, made subject for conjecture by their
dilapidated appearance, are in this way cred
tied with mysterious history and regarded
with suspicion.
How many neighborhoods on this CONT
nent have their haunted houses with local
traditions which are related with at least
the affectation of belief, noises produced by
rats, mice, bats, owls and other animals
which usually harbor in deserted buildings
or sudden sounds made by cracking or de-
eaying timber, falling plaster, etc? Both of
these cause people in the vicinity to avoid
the suspected places.
That certain signs have failed to bring
about the exact results they were supposed
10 foretell does not seem to shake the be-
levers faith in them. A widowed mother
lay dying a short time ago and by the death
bed, one on each side stood her two weeI-
ing daughters. One of them said she heard
at that moment the cracking of a piece of
furniture, the other the muff1ed ticking of
watch in the wall, both signs of death.
To-day the mother is still alive and gives
promise of many more useful years, but it
is doubtful whether the daughters have lost
their superstitious fears. In proof of this,
one was heard to remark lately that she
would not move again into house where
she had previously dwelt because it brought
bad luck
While on this subject of moving the men
ton of few current superstitions with re-
gard to it may not be out of place. Very
few people are willing to move on Friday,
because they believe 1t is attended with I'M
fortunate results. Saturday is also consid-
cred an unlucky time for cnange of abode,
although in milder degree than Friday,
indicating only short stay at the place
TO which the move is made. According
TO some, good luck may be expected in a
house If the precautlon be taken to throw
salt and small quantity of coal in
at the door before the furniture is carried in.
Superstitious fancies attached to al
most every circumstances in life are con
tlnually heard around u.s. and the warn
lngs they convey are regarded with awe by
many.
The happy maiden, hoping for bright
future in tne welded life, will rarely con-
sent TO be married on Saturday; while cur
rent superstition charges that no business of
Importance must be commenced on Friday.
save that OF hanging, trimming the nails,
Or cutting the hair Death in house is
preSaged by q pigeon lighting on the win
dow sill. Dogs are supposed by some to see
death entering a dwelling, and hence
the whining of that ANIMAL, in their opin-
ION, foretells death. Passing through the
rank Of a funeral procession signifies
'hat the death of a near relative will soon
occur.
Seven years of sorrow follow the break
Ing of looking glass co the person who
caused the accident. When pin is seen
lying in the street with the point towards
You, the advice of the supersJitious is to
PICK 1t up and thus ward off the malicious
attack OF an unseen enemy. Some nurses
make it a point to carry new born infant,
when 1t can be taken from the room, up
stairs, to insure its prosperity in life, think
ing that the opposite would influence its
downward career. II has happened that
oaoes born on the top floor are taken up on
tne roof in order to follow this belief.
With an irritation of the nasal organ a
verse has always been connected, which runs
as follows:
Kiss fool
See o stranger,
Break your neck,
Or BE- in danger.
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