The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-01-16
superstitions About Friday.

Many years ago, when sailing ships
were the only can of ecommunica-
zion between different countries,
superstition was more rife among
sailors than at the present time.
These absurd faneies were not con-
fined to Jack alone, bat they were
shared in to a greater or less extent by
shipmasters and owners. Friday was
considered a day of evil, and the most
malignant results were supposed to
attend a voyage commenced on this
day of the week. In those times he
would indeed have been a reckless
skipper who would have attempted to
sailo this ill-omened day, for the
crew would have broken out in open
rebellion rather than lift the anchor
from the bottom or cast off shore
moorings.
Since the advent of steam many of
these p~rejudices have become as dere-
lict as the ships on which they were
once entertained.
A true story is told of a skeptical
Massachusetts captain who. way back
in the early years of the Republic, de-
termined to exhibit the fallacy of this
particular superstition. He contract
ed on a certain Friday for the build
ing of a ship, and it was arranged that
the keel of this vessel was laid on Fri
day, that she was launched on a Fri
day, named Friday, commenced load
ing on a Friday, and hauled into the
stream on the same day OF the week.
To add to the possibilities of disaster
a negro cook named Friday was en-
gagged; and, thus fully freighted with
%tA EfrfInNy noIlnA
on a Friday, bound to a port in the
West Indies. From That day to this
no tidings of the ill-conditioned craft
have been received But those of US
who like Friday for various reasons,
but chiefly because it leads up
to Saturday, upon which day
schools are closed, will be pleased
to hear that it is not half so
unluckya day as Monday. the day
school opens again. A German statis-
tician, feeling that Friday had been a
much maligned day, determined to
make a scientific investigation of the
matter and has found that it is not
Friday. but Monday, that is the most
unfortunate of the weekdays. Ac-
cording to his Investigations 16. IA per
cent OF all the accidents occur on
Monday, 1851 per cent. on Tuesday.
1881 per cent. on Wednesday, 15.47
per cent on Thursday, 1888 per cent.
on Friday. 16 .38per cent. on Saturday,
and only $50 percent on Sunday.
So, you see, Friday isn't SO bad a
day after wallpapers Young People.
For a Rainy Day.
In these days when reverses in for
tune are happenings Of SO frequent
occurrence the daughters of ever
we'll do do parents should be taught
the necessity of at least knowing one
thing thoroughly and well. The girl
who graduates from the fashionable
school and regards her education
finished knows4wi5at2 a smatterlng
of music. a little French, not enough,
however, to sustain a very lengthy
conversation with q real Frenchman;
she may be able to paint a bunch OF
pansies or a cross eyed Kitten she
NAV know how to MARBLE forth two or
three songs that she has been coached
in for years, or she could perhaps
solve a problem in geometry or
algebra ii it were not difficult.
OF curse all this is quite sn1nclent
if she never is called upon to be more
than a social butterfly, but suppose
the time ome when she must do some