Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1893-07-13
WAYS OF A BIG TOWN.
Four Phases OF Life in tho Eastern
Metropolis
4 Qaeer Old Man who De.i. In Emblems
of Meals on Tru-t-New York
-sawp~---rtsytsg on Ha-
man Mature.

was abDaru OF a Dig sailing vessel
in this port of New York the other day,
and in rambling about for an hour how
many horse>hoeS do you think I found
nailed M TO give Jack Tar good luck7
The number was eight. and three of
these were abaft the mast have
boarded square-riggerS. barks. brigs.
schoonerS smaeks, scows. tugs.
canal boats. liners coasters dredgers
and every other sort Of craft
moved by sail or steam. and I always
find the horseshoe in sight Sometimes
there il but one. but the average is
three. / don't believe you could gs: =
craft out of this harhor without she had
az lesS, one horseshoe nailed up
in plain view of the rev. A
new shoe won't do-oh. no. There mai
he luck Ia . new silver dollar. bat
there il none ia a new horseshoe IL
must be hoe which has seen service
the more the better. II there are
three or four nails and a bit Of hoof at
taehed to il the price is way up. Down
In Pearl street the other day ! found
the queer old shop Of the queer old man
who has dealt in horseshoe luck for the
last quarter Of century. The news
boy who finds a horseshoe on the street
makes a he~lin~ for this old junk shop
To sell IL for a nickel when a craft is
Gtted ont her owner sends To the same
place for the necessary charms The
superstition il not confined 10 sailors
alone. bat truckmen. expre.smen. rail
road men. lawyers, brokers. doctors and
l4h~rx tANra-@ - -k> T--L a. -
shoe over the door. There il hardly a
saloon in New York in which you car-
not find the emblem. and even the rtzI-
ian push-cart peddl-rs want all the
luck there j. in IL Uncle John told
me that he had a sale 81 Eve thousand
old ho~rseshoes every year. ranging in
price from ten cents 20 Seventy-6ve
cents and he certainly had three thou
sand in stock the day I called lie i
the only man in New York who makes
n speciality Of this superstition. and has
been in business 50 long that a relic
from his shop is supposed to possess
more power than any other. Queer
thing. isn't il. and yet we are all built
that way. after all. We laugh At the
idea of ghosts and hug the delusion of
the horseshoe We send the fortune
teller up for s;xty davs for reading the
cards or consulting the stars. and then
feel friendly toward the barber who uses
his new razor for the 6rst time on our
chin
Here's my meal check. but | have no
money to-day.
Very well. sir-some other day will
do
You will hear these words repeated
thirty times = day in a certain down
town eating house here. and they mean
that . total stranger has had a hearty
meal, can't pay for the same, and the
proprietor Is willing to accept his prom
iSes to settle the bill some future time.
| doubt IL you can find a similar insti-
tuition in the world In all other places
the mar would be looked upon as a
dead-beat n either kicked out or
turned over to the police. Here he is
treated as a gentleman and put on his
honor. When a friend told me about
the place | went in. ate fifty cents
worth of well-cooked food. took my
check to the cashier and said:
I'm dead broke to-day"
What name, please"
John smith,
Very well; come in any time. glad
to see YOU Good day"
He recorded name, date and amount,
and I departed Three days later /
called to pay. He did not look at all
surprised as he hunted out the slip and
made change Indeed. it was just what
he expected, for ten years experience
has taught him that n~inety-fve per
cent of dead brokes- return and
square up. IL all the vagabonds of
New York could get credit at an eat
ing-house bushes. would go TO the wall
in a fortnight. but that class are not
admitted There is n man at the door
who spots them and warns them of
when they appear. A decent-looking
man will pass muster every time. how
ever, and, though now and then one
fails to square up. the loss is a mere
triie. The proprietor of the place told
me he had more trouble with dishonest
walters in his employ than with the
thousands who feed at his place every
year. He loses a dollar through a
waiter for every dime lost by trusting
an auffr@ Sr-un1ar