The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-08-03
WAYS OF A BIG TOWN.
-Four Phases Of Life in the Eastern
Metropolis.
A Queer Old Man VINO Deals in Emblems
of Luck-Mea.s on Trust-New York
Playing on Hu-
man Nature.


"Gawpers"-P Playing on HUI
man Nature.
was aboard of big sailing vessel
in this port of New York the other day,
many horseshoes do you think found
nailed up to give Jack Tar good luck?
The number was eight, and three of
these were abaft the mast. have
boarded square-riggers, barks, brigs,
schooners, smacks, scows, tugs,
canal boats, liners, coasters, dredgers
and every other sort of craft
moved by sail or steam, and always
find the horseshoe in sight. Sometimes
there is but one, but the average is
three. don't believe you could get a
craft out of this harbor without she had
at least one horseshoe nailed up
in plain view of the crew. A
new shoe won't do-oh, no! There may
be luck in new silver dollar, but
there is none in new horseshoe. 1t
must be shoe which has seen service
the more the better. If there are
three or four nails and a bit of hoof at
tached to it 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 a century. The news
boy who finds horseshoe on the street
makes bee-line for this old junk shop
to sell it for nickel. When a craft is
fitted out her owner sends to the same
place for the necessary charms. The
superstition is not confined to sailors
alone, but truckmen, expressmen. rail-
road men, lawyers, brokers, doctors and
others believe in the luck of the horse
shoe over the door. There Is hardly
saloon in New York in which you can
not find the emblem, and even the Ital-
ian push-cart peddlers want all the
luck there is in it. "Uncle John" told
me that he had sale of five Thousand
old horscshoes every year, ranging in
price from ten cents to seventy-five
cents, and he certainly had three thou
sand in stock the day l called. He is
a speciality of this superstition, and has
been in business so long that relic
from his shop is supposed to possess
more power than any other. Queer
thing, isn't it, 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 sixty days for reading the
cards or consulting the stars, and then
feel friendly toward the barber who uses
his new razor for the first time on our
chin.
Here's my meal check, but have no
money to-day"
Every well, sir-some other day will
do"
You will hear these words repeated
thirty times day in . 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 if you can find q similar insti-
tuition in the world. In all other places
the man would be looked upon as a
dead-beat and either kicked out or
turned over to the police. Here he is
treated as gentleman and put on his
honor When friend told me about
the place l 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 / 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 ninety-five per
cent. of "dead-brolSes'' return and
square up. If all the vagabonds of
New York could get credit at an eat
ing-house business would go to the wall
in fortnight, but that class are not
admitted There is man at the door
who ''spots" them and warns them off
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 mere
trifie The proprietor of the place told
me he had more trouble with dishonest
waters 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 entire stranger
Whats the matter?"
''Some one killed, guess"
1t was great crowd in front Of a
store on Broadway. | looked for the