Evening capital., 1892-02-25
SUPERSnTloNS THAT STILL PRE-
VAIL IN MODERN LIFE.

VAIL IN MODERN LIFE.
dyrIe BeIIsw ana Room IL sarah
Bsrnhardt aud spilled salt south.
era Men who Imbibs the Fears OF ths
Negro.
Don't put me in that room, young
man, for heavens sakel I'd rather sleep
IN the cellar or bunk on the roof than go
in No. 1S If you haven't another spare
chamber III have TO seek a different hotel.
Id stay out in the streets all night rather
than tempt fate by going in l3.
This is what Kyrle Bsllew. the Apollo
Belvidere of actors, said TO the clerk of o
Washington hotel when he played there
with Mrs. James Brown Potter season
or two ago Despite the fact that skepti.
cal individuals here and there show their
contempt for the superstition by forming
~l3 clubs, which title is obtained from
the limitation of membership to that fig.
ure, the fact remains that a large percen.
iage of people look on 13 as an exceed.
ingly i'll omened number. Foolish as
such notions are, they are deeply rooted
IN human nature and survive even in this
age of general enlightenment from ideas
held. thousands of years ago. The ancient
Egyptians made calendar of lucky and
nnlucky days, by which, for instance, ON
the 10th of the month Athor one must
not embark on the Nile, while child
born ON the 9Th of the month Paopi will
be killed by bull
We have a room, No. 13. said tho
chief clerk of one of the best Known
hotels at the Capital, "and mauy's the
kick from supeIstitious guests that were
afraid to occupy it. Ii is connected with
one of the most luxurious and finely fur
nished suites in the house. but that did
not prevent Sarah Bernhardt from
making such racket that she had 10 be
given other quarters. guess she is fun
of superstition any way as one of her
trunks was loaded with odds and ends OF
charms and talismans. One day while
at the dinner table somebody spilled the
salt, whereas Madame Bernhardt turned
white as a sheet and couldn't finish her
meal. She regarded that as the worst
possible omen, and expressed a fear that
something dreadful was going to happen.
Take them all in all, theatrical people
ere more deeply imbued with superstition
than any other class of the travelling
public. ! recall the case ofa well known
actor whom we put in room where
there happened TO be slightly cracked
mirror. He refused positively to stay in
it, because it was bad luck, and as the
hotel was crowded nothing could be done
but have a workman go to the room aud
insort new glass.
ln Investigating the reporter learned
That Lat few of the hostelries Of the
Capital have rooms with the unpopular
number A good many of them avoid it
by starting on the first floor with 100 and
numbering in regular order from that,
but beginning on the second story with
goo, and so on through the entire build
ing. AT the Shoreham a combination OF
letters and numerals Is used, as A B 1,
and 9 /, denoting apartments on the first
floor, and A 2, b 2, etc. on the second.
the figure showing the degree Of eleya-
uen.
Southern men are ] think mora re-
gardful Of signs ard spells and lucky and
unlucky omens than those from any
other section, said a gentleman who
was born on cotton plantation aud
knew whereof he spoke.
j attribute il, " he continued, 10 their
youthful association with the blacks.
They heard from the old uncles and
sunties of the family weird stories Of
witches and ghosts, and ever after
maturer years proved the absurdity of
the folk lore of their infancy, it WIS
hard 10 shake it completely OFF.
Ex-senator Reagan, of Texas. hard
headed, practical man of the world. got
it from an old dsrkey that it would bring
him i'll fortune to put on his left shoe
first, and never once in all the years that
have sped has he failed TO give the right
foot precedence.
IL the late Henry Grady. the eloquent
Georgia orator and brilliant journalist,
had on walking or driving along coun-
try road observed rabbit cross his path
he would not continue his journey for
that day. 1t was sure sign that some
misfortune was impending, that could
only be averted by retracing his steps and
taking fresh start on the morrow.
Superstition is widely prevalent among
the colored people. Even here in Wash
ington, where they are better educated
and more intelligent, as a rule. than any
where else in the United States, youdoo-
ism and the black art have many deg
otees. The most common superstition
among them is the fear of night doc
tors. There are hundreds and hum
dreds Of Washington negroes who
wouldn't walk lonely street after dark
for all the silver in the Treasury. They
never saw night doctor, never knew of
any one who has, yet they are convinced
that he haunts the dim lighted thorough
fares and lonely commons of the city, in.
tent on securing a victim for his cruel
dissectiDg knife. Washington Post.
Go TO A. Hart's for all kindsof Smok-
aru, 0nods Pinaa CiOar-emokers MeeT-