davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
LUCK IN ODD NUMBERS.
s"perstitions Of Modern Gamblers Which
Are 'tas Old as the Hills"

Expectations Of Modern Gamblers Which
Are 'as Old as the Hills"
If there is active principle that
enters into gambling, it is superstition,
and for almost every man that hunts the
elusive dollar over the desolate waste of
the green baize cloth, or ON the race
track, or in any Of the other multitude
nous ways or places that one may lay
siege to aliuring fortune there is q sep
arate fancy.
Jack Mcdonald, one of the best known
b~oolinakers of America, believes that
he is most successful in those years
which are indicated by odd numbers,
and If you are doubtful of the truth Of
it no will offer you figures to prove it.
"Carley g." as Bookmaker Woolf is
best known. has a stcadfast belief il
st3," and after he has selected "a horse
to bet upon he will place an extra heavy
wager on him if he discovers that he is
numbered go on the programme.
Several superstitious betting men at
the Morris park races a few years ago
noticed the coincidence that the thir-
teenth day Of the meeting fell upon
June Is, and they straightway sought
out a horse numbered ''13" ON the card.
They found one and bet upon him, and
to make the coincidence most strange
he won.
That this belief in luck as applied to
certain numbers is as old as our philoso-
ply is shown by the fact that centuries
before the Christian era the Pythagorens
and Platonists, who represented all
movements and phenomena of nature by
numbers, invented the science Of arith-
nomancy, consisting of the use of magic
al squares and applying occult powers
to numbers. On the combinations of Ger
tain numbers depended systems Of divi-
nation, and particular virtues were as
cribed to numbers accordingly as they
were odd or even.
"There's luck in odd numbers IS a
saying as old as the hills. AS ancient a
writer as Virgil says the gods themselves
esteemed the numbers odd, for il the
eighth eclogue he wrote:
Around his waxen image first I wind
Three wooden fllets of three colors joined;
Thrice round his thrice devoted head.
Which round the sacred altar thrice is led
Unequal numbers please the gods.
The Chinese have similar ideas. With
them heaven is odd and earth even, and
the numbers I, 3, 5, Z, 8 belong to heay-
en-, while the even digits are of the
earth earthly.
So it is little cause for wonder that
u modern gamblers stick to their be-
lief that fortune abounds in odd num-
bers only.-New York Herald.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Their Verdict.

Many are the stories told of the re-
markable verdicts brought in by ineffi-
cient juries, but there could scarcely be
a better illustration of what a certain
legal mar calls colossal inefficiency''
than the story he tells of the verdict
given by a jury i'll q western city. The
case under trial was that of a man who
accidentally, as almost every one be-
lieved-had fatally shot a friend while
the two were Off with a hunting party.
The accused person was a prominent
citizen OF the place and was greatly be-
loved as well as respected by every one
who knew him.
As the trial proceeded the faces of
the jurymen were filled with anxiety.
When they at last retired, it became ey-
ident to them that the prisoner could
not be acquitted of all blame, according
to the evidence, but they decided that
if he must be considered guilty of some
thing they would make that something
as light as possible. Accordingly the
foreman grayely announced N the re-
turn to the courtroom that they found
the prisoner guilty Of drunkenness"
In spite of the gravity of the case a
ripple Of amusement ran over the court
room at this verdict. The judge, with
considerable severity ard with great
clearness, again charged the jury and
again they retired.
A long interval elapsed. At last they
came struggling in again. Once more
the foreman confronted the judge and
thus announced the verdict:
"We find the prisoner guilty of man
slaughter in the third degree, butt
this in a tone Of something like defiance
five don't believe he did it!'-
YOuth's Communion.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
April Fool Day.

The custom of sending one on a boot
less errand or otherwise april fooling"
him on the first day of April is very an
Gent. Yet it cannot truthfully be said
that any one is equal to the task of trac-
ing it to it's origin. Some antiquarians
profess to believe it a survival of the
travesty of sending the Saviour hither
and thither, first from Annas to Gaia
phas and then to Plate and Herod. This
opinion is strengthened by the fact that
during the middle ages that very scene
in Christ's life was made the subject of
one of the Easter Miracle Plays" enact
ed on the chief streets Of London and
other English cities of the first class.
Even though the above opinion has re-
ceived the sanction Of Brande,. Moore
and Hone, it is not at all unlikely that
it is really a relic of some old heather
festival, such as the Hull festival of the
Hindoos or the Roman "feast of fools. "
The custom, whatever its origin, of
playing tricks and pranks Of all kinds
on the first day of this month is univer-
sal throughout Europe and is also prac-
ticed in many other countries and un-
der various names. It is a curious fact
that the Hindoo Hull festival, where
April fool tricks of all sorts are played,
is held on the night of the 31st Of March,
and the orgies are not discontinued un-
til sunrise on the morning Of April L.
st. Louis Republic.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Gifts at Baptism.

Gifts to infants on their baptism are
of ancient origin. Formerly the spon-
DE generally offered gilt spoons to the
child. These spoons were called apostle
spoons, because the figures Of the ~
apostles were carved at the top Of the
handles. Rich sponsors gave the COM
plete set of IL, while for those who were
not SO opulent four was considered the
proper number, and poor sponsors would
content themselves with Offering one.
In the latter case the handle of the spoon
generally exhibited the figure of any
saint in honor Of whom the child receiv-
ed its name. It is in allusion to this
custom that, when Cranmer processes
himself to be unworthy Of being spon-
sor to the young princess, Shakespeare
makes the king reply:
Come, come, my lord. you'd spare your
spoons"
The mug or spoon and fork Offering
of the present day appears as a very
debased survival of a really beautiful
christening Offering -Westminster Re
view.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
MAKE YOUR OWN SNOW.
It's Curious In the Full Rays Of
July Sun.

S1AJ o1hs
Two solid bodies, one yellow, sulphur,
the other black, carbon, unite under GER
tain circumstances to form a colorless
liquid called sulphide of carbon, which
must be handled with much precaution
on account Of its great explosive prop
erty. The soluble property of sulphide
of carbon renders it valuable to take
spots off of garments. If its odor is
more disagreeable than that of benzine
or ~turpentine. it has at least the advan-
tage of being 6ispeiled quickly in conse-
quence Of the prompt evaporation of the
liquid. There is nothing equal to it to
take off spots of paint on clothes. 1t
does not do it, however, without Great
ing great fear in persons who use it for
the first time, for they see ON the very
place where, to their great pleasure, the
paint had disappeared a large white
spot, the nature of which is hard for
them to define, and the more they brush
the more unsightly and the larger that
white spot grows. Is then the garment
lost? No, for fortunately after a few
moments the spot melts away to
show again. 1t was snow and nothing
The sulphide of carbon in evapo-
rating takes heat from the cloth and
surrounding air, and the result of that
is a sudden lowering of temperature suf-
6cient to freeze the vapor Of the atmos-
phere.
Without operating on your clothes
you may make the experiment in the
following way: Fill a small vial with
sulphide of carbon, taking great care to
do it far from all flame Or heated stove.
Then close the bottle with a cork stopper
through hichyou have previously bored
a small hole. In this hole place a piece
OF plotting paper made ulinto a small
roll. The paper must reach to the bot
tom of the bottle and about an inch
above the cork. Within Is minutes O
will see the outside of this paper cover
ed with Snow, the quantity Of which
gradually increases. The liquid has risen
through the pores Of the paper as the oil
OF a lamp through the wick. When it
gets to the open air, it e~vaporates, and
the water contained in the surrounding
atmosphere, being brought 20 a temper
allure below 80 degrees, has been frozen.
If You divide the paper outside of the
bottle into several pieces, you obtain
flowers and most charming effects. You
may make the experiment in summer
and in the full rays of the sun. The re-
suit will be obtained then more prompt
ly, evaporation being more abundant
st. Louis POST Dispatch.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
An Expensive Bow

A g~entleman's court dress is a very
expensive affair. 1t costs $40 at least,
without the shoes, stockings Or sword.
Many men who are not members of par
lament or likely to wear their suit
more than once or twice hire it from
one of the numerous costumerS who
abound in the neighborhood Of Covent
Garden. Their charge is from "a los.
to e5, including the services Of the
obliging gentlemen who attend to see it
properly put on. One ultra fashionable
tailor charges 6 guineas for II wear
ing, but his suits are of the best quality,
made to fit and Of proper cut. Alto
gether, with silk hose, shoes, buckles,
sword and hat, a man cannot make his
bow to the prince at a cost of less than
e1O.-New York Herald.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Curing a Boiling Horse.

A horse purchased at ar equine rub
bish" sale was a confirmed bolter. No
sooner was it harnessed than it set off at
full gallop, a career which generally
ended in a smash and the immediate
resale of the culprit. But the new pur-
chaser, far from trying to check this
propensity, resolved, as he said, to ''hu-
NOR him a bit" and generously ''1ent
him to a fire engine" The horse soon
found that ne was encouraged not only
to bolt at starting, but to keep up the
pace, and in six months was quite ready
either to stand i'll harness or to start at
any speed wished by his driver Lon
don Spectator.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Moths.

DR.. Aldrioks of Kentucky is IN en-
thusiastic entomologist. When asked
for some information on the subject he
has made q specially of, he said: ''To
study the habits Of the moth family you
must live and grow up with them. The
finest varieties fly by night, and it is
with some difficulty that they are cap
tured. The usual way is to go out with
a hand net and a pot Of stale beer,
sweetened with a quantity of molasses
or sugar. A dash Of this mixture on
the bark Of the tree, whose leaves the
moths feed upon, is the bait which lures
them to death. As soon as they light the
net is sprung over them, and later on
they are asphyxiated by being dropped
in IN etherized jar, after which they are
carefully mounted and labeled. I have
a house built especially for their prop
agation and filled with leaves of their
favorite tree. With the caterpillars
crawling to the right and left of me I
spend many a night watching their hab-
its from a rude cot in one corner Of the
building. It is quite a profitable bust
ness, besides being unusually instruct
i've. Some of the largest varieties are
the size of a humming bird, and the
rarest kinds, when properly mounted,
easily bring $25. The Smithsonian in
stitution at Washington before the fire
of several years ago, had one of the
finest chronological collections in the
world. philadelphia Press.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Reformed Geometry.

Almost 100 years ago two men set
out from Virginia to visit the Scioto
valley, Of the beauty and fertility Of
which they had heard alluring reports.
On the third night they reached Clarks-
burg, where they put up with a man
who appeared to be honest, but old fash
Toned and illiterate.
Can you tell us how far it is to Ma
rietta and what sort Of a road we shall
fnd?' asked one of the travellers.
YES" answered the host; ''that is
exactly what I can do, for I was appoint
ed n of the viewers to lay out the
road and have just returned from the
performance of that duty"
"That is fortunate. What do you call
the d~istance?"
well, the distance on q straight Line,
which we first ran, was rs miles, but on
u way back we discovered and mark
ed another line which was much near
err"
The two travellers had each spent some
years i'll the study of surveying and were
more Or less amused at the idea of a
line shorter than a straight line be-
tween two given points.
However, the next morning they took
the route which their informant had
pronounced the shorter, and true enough
they found his statement correct, for
the crooked road went round the hills,
while the straight one went over them,
Nyn1 lIo I,A~~1 .- 1880 1z-- H.
the distance v er.-Youth's Companion.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
THE MASTER PASSION.
Alleged to Be the Mania For Getting Free
Passes For the Play.

Passes For the Play.
II was cnce present, " said Charles
Dickens, Eat 3 social discussion which
originated by chance. The subject was,
What was the most absorbing and long
est lived passion in the human breast?
What was the passion SO powerful that
it would almost induce the generous tc
b. mean, the careless to be cautious, the
guileless to be deeply designing and the
dove to emulate the serpent?' A daily
editor Of vast experience and great
acuteness, who was one of the company,
considerably surprised III by saying,
with the greatest confidence, that the
passion in question was the passion OF
getting orders for the play. There had
recently been a terrible shipwreck, and
very few Of the surviving sailors had
escaped in an open boat.
Zone of these on making land came
straight to London and straight to the
newspaper Office with. his story of how
he had seen the ship go down before
his eyes. That young man had witness
ed the most terrible contention between
the powers of fire and water for the de-
%struction Of that ship and of every one
on board. He had rowed away among
the floating dying and the sinking dead.
He had foated by day, and he had fro
zen by night, with no shelter and no
food, and as he told his dismal tale he
rolled his haggard eyes about the room.
"When he had finished and the tale
had been noted down from his lips, he
was cheered and refreshed and soothed
and asked If anything could be done
for him. Even within him that master
passion was 20 strong that he immedi-
ately replied that he should like an or
der for the play. My friend, the editor,
certainly thought that was rather a
strong case, but he said that during his
many years Of experience he had wit
messed an incurable amount of self pros
tration and abasement having no other
object and that almost invariably on the
part of people who could well afford to
pay. Exchange.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
ONCE ON A TIME.

At teatime in the rGddy light
Chrysanthemiinis were In their glory
My baby came to say good night
And beg for Just one little story"
told her howa girl like her
Came long ago, soInow here or other.
And brought her doll and made a stir
And begged a story from her mother,
WHO, Tired aud ~lia'iess, also crossed
fhs little story Lessiag be@i'y
With news CT how ats, her gtce.-4
Her irksomc story lclins duly.
Still backward was the tale referred
To weary her, but when l eLded,
AS If | had not said Il word,
With looks hall pleading, hall offended,
She clasped my neck her Childish trust
Had made the hardest heart compliant
"A little one" she SAID, 'p~lease-just
About Il fairy and u giant"
kissed her close, and off ! went:
"Once on a time" low, slow and steady.
She Leaved q sigh OF sweet content
My daring was asleep already.
-NIen-ies macdonald in Good Words.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Proof TI.at sparrows Can Count.

There is no doubt but that birds can
count, and an incident I witnessed sew
eral years ago illustrating this fact
amused me not a little. A sparrow, with
four of her young, had a nest in a spar
row house under the veranda of my
dwelling. One day the old bird flew up
to the nest with four living worms in
her beak. The four little birds reached
out their heads with the customary
noise and were each fed a worm. The
sparrow then flew away, and after a time
returned again with four worms in her
beak, which were disposed of as before.
The bird kept this up for some time,
during which I was an interested spec
tator. st. Louis Globe emacrat.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Primitive Names.

The CONSERVATION which some bota-
nists have raised in pressing the duty of
abandoning many universally accepted
plant names and adopting for general
use more primitive ones is spreading to
other departments of learning. 1t is
found that the whole English language
is in the same unfortunate condition as
the language Of botany. 1t is proposed
to abandon thinks" walks els
tens, !" freezes" ETC., for '.thinketh,"
.'walketh," '~listeneth," ~''freezeth,"
ETC., as having a much prior claim to
our regard. --Meehan's Monthly.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Hardy Climbing Roses.

In the prairie rose we have a class of
hardy native climbing roses often found
growing Wild in Michigan and the west
ern states, which we may plant with
confidence. Two Of the more commonly
known roses Of this class, which are ia
vorites everywhere on account of their
hardness, free blooming, and the fact of
their flowers appearing just after the
other varieties are nearly over. are Queen
cites raised IL the year 1S43 by a rose
grower named Feast, in Baltimore, from
seeds of It's, wild prairie rose crossed
with some European variety. These two,
the former red and the latter white,
when gToW i hear each other on the sam
porch or with INTERVIEWING branches,
heighten each others beauty by con-
trast. Both are of rapid growth and
may be employed to advantage for GOV
ering any -Gesightly objects as walls, old
trees, old buildings, etc. Among the
most desirable roses of the prairie class
we have Annie Maria, vigorous, pale
pink, very fey thorns; Baltimore Belle,
pale Blush, charging to white; Gem of
the Prairie, free, believed to be from
Queen of the Prairies crossed with Mime.
Laffay, rosy red, occasionally blotched
with white, large, fiat flowers, slightly
fragrant; Queen of the Prairies, vigor-
Gus, rosy red, frequently with a white
stripe, medium or large size, double, To-
liage large, five leaflets, quite ~serrated;
Triumphant, vigorous, rosy pink, me
dunn size, double or full, distinct, seven
leaflets arocommon. Cleveland Leader.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Business.

"Say, old man, I want to talk bust
ness to you a few minutes"
Certainly; go ahead"
Gould you lend me $25 without in
convenience"
Eyes, l think l could"
"Thanks. I'll return it shortly"
What security will you giye?"
"Why-er-I-didn't think any nee
essary."
"Oh, probably l misunderstood you.
I thought you said you wanted tt talk
business. indianapolis Sentinel.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11

Dick feeling of Toms bicepseMy,
what an arm! Do you frequent the gym
nasium?
Tom-Gymnasium nothing! Tread all
the papers, dailies and weeklies. Just
try it for a week or two yourself. The
amount of turning over it gives a fellow
to follow the different articles from one
page to another beats all the gymna-
Sums in Christendom for exercise. =
Boston Transcript
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Japan and Foreigners.

In the last century there was a Japa-
nese law providing that no ship or ma
tive should leave Japan under pain of
forfeiture or death; that any one return
ing from a foreign country should be
killed; that no M should purchase any
thing from a foreigner, and that any
person bringing a letter from abroad
should die, together with all his family.
Tribune.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11

Cherubini copied all his OWE scores,
and that with such care that the manu-
script looks Is though printed. He V e
copied all the orchestral parts, for, as he
said, there is always something to be
learned in copying music"
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
important Information For Girls.

Blue eyed men are the most senti-
mental of the species. At least this is
what an eminent physiognomist says.
They are peculiarly susceptible to the
influence of the opposite sex, melt under
the warmth of one ardent glance, have
emotional, mercurial affections and are
found by the coquettes to be easier game
20 baa than to hold--American Woman.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11

Amadeus of Spain abdicated in 1873,
disguised with the tedious ceremonials
of the Spanish court. He returned to
Italy and was glad to resume his honor
ary and nominal duties as an officer in
the Italian service.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
A Limit to Her Grief.

Miss Congee-My heart is broken
broken in twain. I shall never. never
smile again after the cruel way in
which he has Tilted me.
Her Dearest Friend-What, never:
Miss Congee hesitatingly)-Well,
not till I have finished my breach Of
promise suit against him!-Boston TRAY
eller.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11

The Jewish law ordered that the
grainfields should not be CLEANED, and
that the wheat in the corners of the
fences OF walls should not be gathered,
in order that something might be left
for the poor. No farmer might forbid
poor persons from entering his fields and
cleaning after the reapers
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
Her Proposal.

HaroldAEthel, do you love me?
Ethel deeply agitatedeAh, Harold
forgive mel cannot tell you. Will
you, oh, will you, Harold, xcuse me
while / find the article in The Ladies'
Parlor journal on How to Behave
When Proposed To? "-London Tit
Bits.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11

Cotton and cotton weaving were in
troduced into Europe by Alexander the
Great. who sent the material, the seed
and the workmen from Persia and India.
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11

There are 10 fruit schools" in
France, where pupils are instructed
practically how to cultivate and hus-
band fruits
The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1894-05-11
MYSTERIES!
The Nervous System the Seat
of Life and Mind. Recent
Wonderful Discoveries.

No mystery has ever compared with that OF
human life. 1t has been the leading subject
of professional research and study In all ages.
But notwithstandlng this fact AZ Is not gener-