The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-07-23
SAILORS JONAHS.
JACKS suPERsTfTloNs HAD STRANGE
FORMS IN EARLY DAYS.

Make the Vessel Sail raster Lawyers
Women and CierEymen Looked as with
Disfavor ON sailing Vessels.
Lieutenant J. d. Jerrold Kelley gives
On interesting chapter Of "Superstitions
Of the Sea- in The Century. After
studying them fairly well he doubts il
modern sailors are more guperstitious
than any other class with equal training
and opportunities. He believes that
everybody is leavened with supersti-
ton, notably the noisiest scoffers and
those snountebanks. the Thirteen clubs,
for these gentry protest too much. It
seems TO be human instinct, modified
by racial inheritances and Developments.
In the youth of the world its manifesto
tions were the earliest recorded utter
ances of men concerning the visible
phenomena Of the universe, and its grip
ON simple words was am outgrowth OF
| the fear of the unknown. OF all people
sailors must deal as first hand, and help
lessly to some degree, with the most
unknowable unoontrolla OF material
problems, the sea, and 1t is only nat
ural that thsir folklore should be In
part land. stories fitted with sea mean
ing and in part of blind explanation OF
sea phenomena, both being maintained
valmousiy by the grewsome conssrva-
tism OF the seaman, even after rational
causes come to the rescue
In earlier days superstition was as
much part Of every ship ~ the water
she was 10 float in. for lie entered with
the wood scarfed into her keel and
climbed to the flags and garlands wav-
ing nc her mastheads. It ram xictously
at her launching, controlled her name,
her crew and cargoes It timed her
days and hours Of sailing and conveyed
| her voyages. It summoned apparitions
/ for her i'll fortune and evoked portents
and signs for her prosperity. It made
winds blow foul or fair, governed her
successful ventures and arrivals, and
when her work was done promised d
port OF rest somewhere on the shores Of
Fiddler's Green, where all good sailors
rest eternally, or Threatened foul moor
ings deep in the uncanny locker Of Dayy
/
In many countries stolen wood was
| mortised into the keel as it made the
ship sail faster as night. though IL the
| first blow struck i'm fashioninR this keel
drew fire the ship was doomed TO wreck
upon her maiden voyage Silver -usu-
ally o coin-placed in the mainmast step
went for lucky ventures. and misguided
indeed was the owner who permitted
any Of the unluchy timbers 20 enter into
the construction. Something Of the cere-
monious character given TO launchings
survives to this day. Where OF old ships
were decked with flowers and crowns Of
leaves flags now hutter. The libation
poured ON tho deck. the publication by
the priest, the amounting with egg and
sulphur, find their exemplars In the
we'll aimed and wasted magnums which
are shattered ON the receding cutwAter ~
the craft, released from the ways slips
well CREASED, into the sea- The Jar Of
wine put to his lips by the captain and
then emptied ON deck, the cakes and
ale set before the crew. the stoup Of
wine offered to passe-sby ON the quay
and tho refusal Of which was an evil
omen-all are realized in these sadder
Iustrums by the builders feast in the
mold loft Lawyers, elergymen and
4 women are ever looked mt with diafayor
on sailing ships as sure to bring LII luck
lawyers undoubtedly from the antip-
.athy Of sailors to the class, q dishke 30
pronounced that .'sea lawyer IL very
bitter term OF reproach and land
sharkn is - synonym Clergymeu-
priests and parsons are unlucky psoha-
big because Of their hlack gowns and
their principal duty ON shipboard that
Of consoling the dying and burying the
dead though possibly becanse the devil,
the great STORM raiser. 81 their especial
enemy and sends tempests 10 destroy
them Women who may reason cut
their unpopulaTity2 y2--save that ship IL
the last place for them, or perhaps be-
cause Of the dread Of witches, for Of all
spell workers In human form none ID 20
dreaded as the female brewers OF hell
broth. Like the priests OF the middle
ages, they can raise prime quality of
storm by tossing sand or stones in the
air and, like CongTeve's b Lapland sorcer.
ess are supposed TO live by selling con-
trnry winds and wrecked vessels Ger
tain families could never get ssea en-
ployment under their own surnames,
not even such members rs were born
with cauls. for they were tabOoed,
barred And many animals -hares.
pigs and black cats, Tor example could
neither be carried nor mentioned oxl
shipboard, save under very stringent
conditions. Scarborough wives kept d
black cat In the house to assure thei1
husbands lives at sen. bat ON voyages
| every black cat carried gale in hen
tail. and IL abe became unusually frolic-
Il some storm was sure to follow.
4 Years ago ON board the flagship
/ Franklin. up the Mediterranean, w
| had 3 yarn that Illustrated asuryiyal n
this antipathy to certain forms of Ani.
l NAL life. Two old quartermasteFs were
heard during the morning watch ex.
| changing in the cockpit dismal expert.
encea Of their dreams the night bef09a
III ~ y A.. 4 e. a = -