The Indianapolis journal., 1895-09-03
THE DEFENDERS LUCK.
Scientific Examination of Her Mascot
Her Chances Of Winning.

Scientific Exami inatfOn of Her Mascot
Her Chances of Winning.
NEW YORK, Sept. 2.-The Tribune says:
The purchase OF yellow dog by the De-
fender people was an excellent provision
Many sailors and some newspapers have
contended that this yacht was hoodooed
because she would not come off the ways
at her launching. No amount of education
and general advance in sailor eradicates
these ideas. Captain Bush. the skipper of
the schooner-yacht Crusader. an exceeding
ly bright and we'll educated man. was ex-
amining the valkyrie at the Erie basin the
other day. In the big races Captain Bush
sails on the vigilant as one Of the expert
crew. Concerning the Defender, he said:
She's wonderfully fast boat. consider
her fully nine minutes faster than the Vigi-
this, but she is the best boat by nine min
utes. Yet question whether she can hold
the cup in New York. Besides. she's a hoo
.'Oh, then, you also are superstitious"'
mo; I'm not superstitious. but / have
sailed too long to fail to recognize the ele-
"Where does your distinction hold diff
..Weil, since the Defender refused to come
off the ways she has been twice aground,
and three times she has broken down in
races and been compelled to retire. Do you
call that good luck?'
''Well, no--not exactly
Neither do /. The Defender has shown
herself to be bad-luck boat, and, like the
others, she will stay that way to the end'.
further definitions or explanations presS bof bof
when the yacht in question seemed to be in
such spiritual difficulties II was comfort
precautions were being neglected on the
secured. A trip to Bristol was, therefore.
sessed 70 ose whch he fss
black snake that brings luck to households
in India, must be Of certain kind.
This dos (Canis flavus: habitat, America)
is not considered to be trustworthy in any
way save as a luck retriever and then only
when sixteen other breeds of dogs can be
traced in him. In this defender Of the De-
fender, only eleven recognized varieties
could be confidently distinguished, and, ow-
ing to this lack of sufficient ancestry, Cap
t,dn Cranfield, of the Valkyrie, doubts his
e. hcacy in averting the hoodoo in the COM
ing contests
It is difiicult to see why Dame Fortune
(who. by the way, was the first lady that
rode wheeD should find this small quad
ruped to be any sort of lure and unless
she has adopted aluminium clothing she
will certainly be ,ti bitten b by neas. Even now
phlebotomy which the dog has introduced.
Consequently the Tribune reporter felt it
to be only d righdt 10 th. explain TO Captain Half
the dog in the proper way to propitiate
the adverse fates. 1t was tnen shown that
the aboriginal Indians of this country, from
whom the tradition sprang. did not pamper
the yellow dog with luxuries, as Is done
on the Defender The Indians knew better.
They sacrificed the yellow dog accompany
ing the ceremony with dance and much
drinking of skitti-wah-oo. Since these ex-
plantations Captain Haff has shown a
marked preference Tor the Following of the
aboriginal methods.
A mongrel by the rivers brim,
A yellow nongrel was to him;
And it was nothing more.
Unless this low estimate of the new
acquisition be concealed by Captain Haff
a disbelief in the dogs connection with
unseen powers may become more general
fender-and also for the dog-but not, prob
ably. for the crew. Yet Ii should be stated
that this infidel view is merely local and
individual and does not fairly represent
public opinion.
Greater care should be taken during the
competitors Indicate sufficiently varie-
gated ancestry to warrant the assumption
that they are in reality luck retrievers.
The word mascot seems to be almost
an American synonym forr, the African
word "fetich." and in all countries and
faiths the fetch. amulet. blessed relic. or
charm is of a mighty worthless character
when viewed materially and without con-
sideration of its spiritual connections. The
Defenders dog Is of this order: and many
into rage after a hoped-for occurrence had
failed to come or and where the destruc-
tion of = the fetch seemed proper. This
deg may be only sham. but in any case
the sufiiciency OF his ancestry will be fully
slider the possibly abrupt ending Of his
present luxurious life IL on the day ne
fails TO retrieve the luck ol the Defender.