The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-05-24
CARD SUPERSTlTIONS.
COO1-Headed, keen-Eyed Gamblers
Afraid Of the veriest TriRes.

Pittsburg Dispatch.
That immortal devotee Of whist. Sarah
Battle, whose wish Was for "a clear fire, a
clean hearth and the rigor of the game"
and who emphatically observing that cards
were cards, loved Thoroughbred partner,
a determined enemy, we are told. and
neither took nor gave concession, had yet
her weak point. "All people, says Lamb.
have their blind side-their superstitions;
and / have heard her declare. under the
rose that hearts were her favorite snit."
And in this respect Sarah Battle was type
of most card players. Every one has his
pet superstition or his favorite suit, and,
as some one suit, or certain cards thereof,
may be considered especially lucky, so there
are at least two cards which are generally
looked at askance as decidedly unlucky. One
is the four OF clubs, known as the devils
bedpost." and the other is the four OF hearts,
which, for some reason. goes by the name
Of Hob Collngwood" In the north Of Eng
land.
No manner of man is more prone to be-
lieve in luck, or to put his trust in strange
methods OF insuring it, and warding or the
effects OF unlucky omens and influences,
than the confirmed gambler. and even the
mildest player at that form of domestic
whist unexpectedly known as humble
puppy" where stakes are counters repre-
senting purely imaginary value-even such a
one is. as rule, just strong a believer
in the 'luck' which he tries to propitiate
either secretly or openly, as any professional
Barry Lyndon. The ordinary card player,
when pursued by run of ill-luck. gets up.
makes his chair perform gymnastic gyra-
tions. and sits down again, refreshed and
h0nafl1l
He may laugh as he turns the chair around,
but he does it all the same, and entertains,
there is something in. it, after an.
Card superstitions sometimes. take odd
forms. Some time ago visiNe to the
neighborhood Of a country town In the east
ern part of Suffolk discovered that it was
there considered uniucky TO sit opposite the
hinges. locally called the 'jmmers." of the
the old antiQuary, more than two hundred
years ago, noted that when one had ill-luck
at cards It was common for him to say
that somebody was sitting with his legs
crossed, and had so brought him Ill-fortune.
This was revival OF a superstition which
dates dat back to the days OF Roman f pasa1ism
contempt SO freely and proverbially poured
out upon. tailors. who SIT crosslegged at
their work.
Habitual card players often have resort
to strange methods of propit!ating the god
dess fortune or luck, whom they worship.
stores remarks a heavy paye ensf besy
in some kind of fetch. Some put faith in a
ring. others in the pendants Of a watch
chain: some will only stake with their hats
on or when chewing a toothpick. Others
again insist on wearing spectacles, although
they possess excellent eyesight, while some,
before venturing to enter their club win
walk for hours in the streets hoping TO meet
a hunchback person and gently touch the
hump Fetch worship Is by no means con-
fined TO Africa. Burglars have more than
once been found carrying coal in their
pockets, which was supposed in some mys-
ferrous way to help them In their nefarious
trade, and many people who have nothing
In common with lawbreakers save supersti-
ton make a practice OF cs,rrying this or that
intrinsically worthless thing to bring them
luck.
Among the English card players of the
that Is. the curious feshy palate OF the
fish. was supposed TO be of singular efficacy
In bringing luck at cards. An aristocrafic
devotee OF the green baize table Lady Mary
Coke. wrote TO a friend something more
than one hundred years ago: The carp
bones are intolerable: in the evening lost
eight and twenty quineas at Lady Hert-
ford's: have thrown one"-carp bone-'fn
the fire: but whether tits yours or Mrs.
Jacksons I can't tell" Was not this just
like the African fetch worshipper? The un-
tufored savage when things go wrong with
him. beats his fetch: the English lady, when
her fetch failed to bring her luck. threw
IL into the fire
Again. the African beats and maltreats
bis fetch. but continues to worship II or
another: Lady Mary Coke chung TO her be-
lief IN the virtues OF the carp bona" 5tx