Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1889-08-01

PtOSOuoo MOVIE Vi ucdul. IL your luHcE
arm itches at the elbow joint, you will
have an insleep or an outsleep That
is, some one will sleep at your house
who Is not accustomed to sleeping
there, or member of the family will
be away all night. II your leg itches
at the back under the knee, you will
go on a journey, and II the sole OF
your foot itches, you will tread
on strange ground II your right
hand itches, you will shake hands
with friend; your left hand,
you will get money. There is an
old saying about this: Scratch it
on wood and it'll come good" That
many are aware of. I've seen men
who ought to know better hunt around
for wood to scratch their hands on,
and, not finding any available, take
lead pencil out of their pockets and
rub their palms with It, A fair Wash
ington belle will not have an umbrella
without a wooden handle, because. she
says, she always wants some wood
around to scratch her hand on. Even
the spots on ones finger-nails come in
for share OF superstition. They are
called gifts.
1t is unlucky to cut the finger-nails
on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. If
you cut them on Friday you are play
ing into the DEVILS hand; on Saturday,
you are inviting disappointment, and
on Sunday, you will have bad luck all
the week. There are people who suf
fer all sorts of gloomy forebod-
ings If they absent-mindedly trim
away bit of nail on any of these days,
and who will suffer all the inconven-
fence OF overgrown finger-nails sooner
than cut them after Thursday.
Nearly every body has an unlucky
day, although most people look on
Friday as day of misfortune, proba-
bly, because it is known as hangman' S
day. You can seldom find any one
willing to move on Friday or Satur-
day. Friday is considered unlucky,
and Saturdays fitting makes short
sitting"
Superstition is closely allied to
witchcraft, and so extends to persons.
Every one has heard the expressions:
THAT fellow is regular JONAH" or
"He's hoodoo," or 81 never have a
bit of luck when l see so and so. -"
This is especially so with theatrical
people, racing men and gamblers.
"Monkey Charley" successful
steeplechase jockey, rents his spurs
out, when he hasn't got mount, at
| five dollars a race to jockeys who
think they can absorb some of his
luck by wearing them. Another
jockey. Kelly. who rode good deal
at Guttenburg, believes that if he can
touch or pass near or ride near certain
race track habitues he will win, and
resorts TO all sorts of maneuvers to
come in contact with his hoodoo. An
other recent superstition of racing-men
is that if a jockey dismounts at the post
before the start for any reason what
ever he will win, and when one is seen
dismounting for cause, or one is
thrown, there is an immediate rush
for the bookmakers, and his mount is
backed. A 'mascot" is an in.
dispensable member of base.
ball club, and when militia
go visiting they carry one also. II
you can ''cross the hump" of bunch.
back with fingers crossed you will
have good luck. This must be done
without the knowledge of the bunch
backed person, and if it is a darky the
charm is so much more efficaclous. +
you can make the cross with money in
your hand it is sure thing that you
will win any bet you make with thai
money. A dwarf is also mascot fol
gamblers. They are often applaudet
for their generosity by those who
don't know that they believe that Civ
ing to cripple or beggar brings luck
1t is considered sign of coming dis
appointment II the first person you
meet when starting out has red hair
| TO catch the oyo OF u cross-eyed per
son is an omen of misfortune which
can be escaped from by turning al
the way round three times 1t can b.
passed on by touching some one else
with fingers crossed; then the mis-
fortune falls on the person touched.
The influence of the evil eye /,
known and dreaded the world over
and even the most practical can no
avoid shudder on finding an eye an
swering its description fixed on him.
The harbingers of death are many
The banshee of the Irish is a fixit,
in the Celtic mind, and many weir(
tales are told of its visits and grew
some warnings. The bowling of {
dog under the window of sick room
is an appalling sound to hear at tn,
dead of night, and is enough to fright
en- nervous person into the belief tina
it is warning of death. Dogs hav,
been known to 60 long dista nee t,
howl under the window where som
one was lying ill. Cats are also sup
posed by the credulous to have tn
power of foretelling death. If Dir,
flies into room some one will di
in that room before year is passed
and if spade is carried through
house there will be grave dug TO
some one in the house within year
II one eye of corpse remains opel
near and dear relative of the dea
person will follow within year. II
sick person takes medicine willingI
and without complaint, or plays wit
the cover of the bed, it fills the mind O
nervous person with apprehension Q
death.
The shamrock, or four-leaf clover