The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-02
Tho Thirteen Club,

A COmlOrC0Dl0 0enLleJu6Q IN nlSn.CuC
white waistcoat. clawhammer coat. striped
trousers Of curious patched pattern. .
gentleman with an earnest countenance
and mild clerical side whiskers, stands on
the cover Of the tenth annual report Of the
officers Of the Thirteen Club. He is holding
q champagne glass in one hand. Apparent
ly he has been Offering drink to q skeleton
which stands beside him. The skeletons
elbow is crooked, but not with any con-
vivial intention. Either the gentleman with
the glass has been unfortunate enough to
meet Prohibitionist skeleton. or the skel-
eton is about to bin him q back-hander
in the eye. Even II the thin gentle
mans arm only denotes depreciation. his
position Is obviously uncomfortable. He
hasn't even an hourglsss to clink against
his neighbours wine cup. You can't help
sympathi1ng with the poor derided devil
there is deaths head beside him. deaths
head which chance or the mad waggery Of
the artist has made to resemble the We
hement and melodramatlo countenance OF
the Rev. T. DE WITT TALMAaH. Surely II
ever q skeleton needed alcoholic consols-
ton. it Is this one. Pity for him must
deaden curiosity as to whether the broken
scythe near him represents the defeat Of
Time by the Thirteen Club. or is prophecy
OF the destruction Of the Farmers Alliance.
1t Is much pleasanter. any way. to 60 inside
the book and gaze upon the handsome
countenances OF the Hon. JOHN h. v.
ARNOLD, Chief Ruler for 1892. and Of
DR.. CHARLES W. ToRREY, Receiver. It
is a fact not noticed. we think. by
the late Mr.. BUCKLE or by Mr.. HERBRRT
SPENcERs sociological syndicate that war.
riors against the Thirteen superstition run
to side whiskers Of the most decorative and
ford style OF capillary architecture. Not
to mention Mr.. ARNOLD and DR.. TORREY.
the retiring Chief Ruler. the Hon. MICHAEL
JEAN BAPT1sTE MESSENGER. has perhaps the
most distinguished whiskers that the winds
Of superstition ever beat against In vain.
We learn from Mr.. MEssEMER's report
that only two members of the original
Thirteen "have thus far parted company
with us until we meet again around o
celestial Board OF Thirteen" The Thirteen
Club has eaten q hundred dinners In the ten
years during which 1t has swatted supersti-
ton: and In those ten years. according to
Mr.. MESSENGER. "thc general thought OF
tho whole world. expressed in the pulpit
and on the forum, In lectures and addresses.
In books and pamphlets, In articles In
magazines and the papers. has been d.
rected to the objects for which this club
was instituted. until to acknowledge ones
self to be superstitious now is to confess
ones self below the standard Of culture OF
the age"
Mr.. MESSENGER AYERS that at is our con-
tention that the number Of people who
happen to BIO at table at any given time can
neither add to nor subtract from the sum
this proposition Is clear to the members OF
the Thirteen Club, but seems to us to be In.
capable OF demonstration. How can 1t be
proved. for instance. that the two deceased
members Of the original Thirteen wouldn't
be alive now II they had never sat at Thir-
teen table Because the prejudice against
sitting thirteen at table seems unreasOna-
BILE. must 1t therefore DO regarded as with
out foundation Why should we not re-
gard 1t as founded upon the experience OF
our ancestors. and worthy to DO held GUS
tom venerable and harmless II has been
tho opinion OF many philosophers that GER
tain numbers are better than others.
DANTE. for instance. believed In the mystic
virtue Of the perfect number nine. and ALL
a Is a combination said to be reverenced
greatly In some parts OF the world. II is
very easy to say that this sort Of thing
Is childish and gross superstition. but can
it be proved to be such Is there any reason
in the nature OF things why certain numbers
should not be lucky and certain others un-
lucky3 Why shouldn't numbers have their
virtues or their vices Just as men do What
but patient study and observation can show
what our good friends. the ioonoclasts Of
the Thirteen Club, have been trying to show
for ten years by eating dinners? scientific
questions can't be settled by dinners. Take
the question once raised by The Sun.
"Why Are White Cats Deaf3" q question
which thrilled the scientific world. A vast
mass OF testimony. tho observations Of
many disinterested inquirers, was collected
and compared. This " the task before the
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