The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-07-06
ALL H00D0OS.
now PEOPLE BELIEVE IN OMENS
OF GOOD OR BAD LUCK.

Racing Men-Actors Who Dodge IN
,pckv Dates snd Towns-Sailors and
the Peculiar Things That Appear to
Them to be Modern Jonahs.
From the Ne,o York Advertiser.
Two pretty young working girls came
bouncing along in the big throng Of shop
Ders who were ont in their regular force on
Grand strees last night. A reporter, who
rss oustling along in the opposite dire c.
ton happened to step between them, and
there was an instant and horror-stricken
duet Of 'My LAwd" The reporter dotted
his hst and asked if anything had happened
10 cause them alarm. YES" replied one
NJ the girls in a half-ashamed sort of a
wav. "you've walked between Name aud
me- and that's bad luck, you know. But il
walk back again without going around you
the spell will be broken" and giggling furi~
ously the two misses stepped backward a
few PAGES, and, this time linking arms to-
gether, they marched away, fully satisfied
that the fates we're appes ed for the mad
vertent trespass on tradition the reporter
had made.
contemplation III Lu6 Luluu u LDe ESpOIUeTs
He remembered, as he sped along to the
Office. that his wife told him when they
were gong 50 the races on Thursday he
would not have good luck il he played +,
because he allowed a man to pass between
them during the rush as they we're getting
off the train at Morris Park. ''You had
better not pus any bets up to-day, John,"
she said. ''Your luck is gone for day, at
least, because that rude man dashed in
between us, and we did not go back and
make him pass around. Don't bet; will
you dear 60 OF course "John, dear" said
he wouldn't bet just to please her; but
what man ever went to the race track and
sat In the stand moping while all around
him was excitement? Everybody yelled
during the first race, and ''John, dear"
sadly watched the horse he had decided to
play capture the stakes. That's part of
my Tad luck" he muttered as he fingered
the four nice flyers he had intended to put
on at to 5. ''pm out $2S on that race,
anyhow" Then he grew restless, and turned
TO his tootsey and said family: 81 will
take trip TO the betting ring just to see
what is on" Leave me your money,
Them she said in that tone that is 80 we'll
understood by Benedics. 81 know IL you
godown there among the gamblers you will
bet and lose. / know you will not win TO-
day." 20, my dear l only want to put just
$40 on Mars, and l ought to win that easily.
There is four to one against him, and
heard last night from the inside that the
Morris people are determined TO reel off this
race to-day. Let me put this ten on Mas,
won't youH No, she wouldn't. She seized
the four IS bills and put them carefully
away. OF course. Mars won. "Well, I'll
be bowed" said John, dear" under his
breath, only that was not exactly as strong
as he put it. This is hard luck, sure
enough. Here I've lost every bet I've made
in month, and when l get chance to win
out little of it some fool superstition
stands in the wsyn And then he bit a piece
out of the top Of his cane. 1t did not occur
to him that be had gone home broke other
days. But there is no loss 30 great In the
eyes of the gambler as the loss of the bet he
should have won but did not play.
Women are proverbially superstitious.
They place great faith in the thousand aud
one little things that occur In everyday life
which appear so trivial 70 the average man.
Perhaps it is on account of the fine develop
ment of her nervous system that lovely
woman is SO apt to regard with alarm
occurrences that appear commonplace in
the eyes OF the more matter~of-faot bosses
Of creation At any rate women will treas
ure in their minds and worry over picayune
matters which never excited notice from
men. That IS why they are such good
patrons of the impostors who advertise
their ability to reveal the future. 1t is the
solution of the cause that makes almost
every woman an adept in telling fortunes
from the cards or seeking into the hereafter
through the medium of the grounds Of
cup of tea, pastlme rendered sacred by
the traditions handed down by our grand
mothers. Few women will doubt what
they are told Of the future by any card
reader. They believe infallibly in "oup
tossing,n and, though at this late date in
the age OF progress the spirit Of icouoclasm
has invaded the realms of superstition and
humbug, there is still enough of conhding
sentiment left in the heart of woman to
make her devout believer in ''omens" and
warnings" And there are hosts Of men
who are equally credulous.
No class of people under the sun are as
superstitious as gamblers Take your aver
age race-goer. He is as great slave of the
sovereignty of the hoodoo as a good Nom
golian is Of his opium pipe. The race fiend
always looks out for omens. He is ever on
the alert for signs that will warn him one
way or another how he is to play, or
whether he will play. In olden days, when
people did not know as much about nat
ural occurrences as they do now, IL was
customary for gamblers and even staid
business men to consult fortune tellers as to
the prospects Of their undertaking. Nova
days such steps are not taken, but the
gambler eagerly grasps at condolences or
something supernatural, or may appear to
have an influence on his luck, and he takes
action in accordance with his interpre-
tstlon Of the omen. That is why q
smile lights up the face of a gambler il he
meets hunchback on the way to the race
track, the poolroom or the faro table. If he
can only touch the deformed creature on
the hump he is doubly happy, and he will
play to his limit on the line he had selected.
Marshall 2. Wilder, that clever little come
dian whose misfortune has broadened him
out into one of the liveliest wits of the day.
once said to a group of friends at Broad
way and Twenty eighth st reet-the stamp
Ing ground of sports-"Say, boys, know
why it is all you fellows stop me and slap
me on the back as you address me. I'll let
you all slap away, but in future, as l am
onto your game, it will cost 80 per cent. of
the winnings" and there was a sheepish
laugh all round
No good gambler yer put down a bet
aIser he had met cross-eYed man on the
way. He would ju-t as soon throw his
money away. IL it was a cross-eyed woman
ne met, he would bet his last cent. II it
happened to be cross-eYed negro, he would
net all he could beg, borrow or steal, be-
cause there Is no mascot to excel cross
eyed negro. II there Is anything in this
popular impression. it would not be bad
pan for the New York base ball team or
rather Bill Daily to hunt around and find a
So!orsd gentleman with conflicting optics.
II is the touphest Kind of hard Iuok to