Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-03-04
WEAR TALISMANS.

WEAR IALlSMANS.
A HABIT BY NO MEANS UNKNOWN
IN POLITE SOCIETY.
Well Known Persons In Washington Who
Have Rabbits Feet and Other Charms.
A Curious Stone That Was Taken Out
of a CamePs Foot In Sahara.
A fancy for the possession and con-
tinuous carrying about Of trinkets Of va
rious kinds supposed to endow the pos
SCISSOR with good luck, or at least with
immunity from bad luck, is far more
general than the world at large has any
idea of. There is hardly person living
who has not some pet superstition, and
1t is somewhat of an enigma why the
people are SO afraid or ashamed to &C.
knowledge it. Unconsciously, even to
ourselves, we have imbibed supersti-
ton from earliest childhood until it has
become an established part of our being
The popular idea that sailors and sport
ing men are the only ones who abound
with superstitions is not by any means
the truth. This feeling also has it's abid-
ing place in the strongholds of Washing
TOMS society. Indeed, it exists there in
quite as marked degree as anywhere in
this country. 1t is universal failing.
When the president and Mrs. Cleve-
land were in the first flush Of their
honeymoon, there came to them from
some unknown donor, carefully packed
in little box, sent through the express,
rabbits foot. This, the sender stated,
was to be carried either by the president
or Mrs. Cleveland carefully in COM
partment of the pocketbook. This fash
ion Of carrying a rabbits foot in the
pocketbook is very prevalent. Few Of
the society women of Washington are
without at least one rabbits foot, while
some have quite an array to use in case
one should inadvertently be lost. It may
beadded for the benefit Of the uniniti-
ated that to insure the most perfect luck
the rabbit from which the foot is taken
should have been killed in graveyard
in the dark Of the moon.
Another talisman which Mrs. Cleve-
land received about year since was in.
the form of tiny Eskimo doll, present.
ed by the Eskimo child who came to
Washington and was given an audience
one morning in the blue room Of the
White House, where the cabinet took
part in the amusing entertainment af-
forded by the child and its elders. This
little image, an exact miniature of an
Eskimo in native costume, could readily
be held ON the palm Of the hand, and
was given Mrs. Cleveland to carry in
purse presented for that purpose, and
was supposed to impart all manner of
benefits as we'll as immunity from harm
of every nature.
Mrs. Leland Stanford has fancy for
carrying in her purse tiny metal fig
ure Of st. Joseph and the Child. given
her by one of her Washington friends.
The superstition in this case is that the
person who carries in the purse one Of
these figures will never be without
money. 1t would hardly seem likely,
even if the little st. Joseph were left
out of Mrs. Sanford's purse, that she
would be at any time without funds.
One Of the most grewsome of the su-
perstitions entertained by Washington
women is that one Of the west end resi-
dents carries in her purse tiny bit Of
rope with which Guiteau was hanged.
This is always taken with her to poker
parties, and is believed to cast a Gordon
Of luck about the possessor and insure
success at cards.
Mr.. Beriah Wilkins has pet super
stition in regard to the name Emma
his wife's name. When he goes to q
horse race, if there is horse running
under that title, he will lay wager on
it sooner than upon any Of the well
known favorites The reason is as fol-
lows: When he was young man and
first became engaged, he attended
horse race. On the list was perfectly
unknown horse billed to run under the
name Emma, which especially interest
ed him as being that of his sweetheart.
The horse won, and from that time
forth Mr.. Wilkins has held to his bit Of
superstition in regard to his wife's
name.
In like manner Senator Calvin s.
Brice has pet superstition in regard to
a solid gold scarfpin which he wears
almost continuously. This is in the de-
sign of an open safe with watchdog
chained to one side, and is emblematical
in some way Of the first important rail-
road deals in which he euchred the New
York magnates.
Mrs. Stewart, niece Of the late Cen
eral Hunter, who some years since left
Washington to make her home with one
of her married daughters at Colorado
Springs, carries in her purse the first
coin made of the first bit Of gold taken
from the mines at Cripple Creek.
One of the most curious talismans
possessed by Washingtonian is that
now worn by man we'll known in
fashionable life. This is ring Of the
oldest design and appearance. It was
presented to him by his wife on their
wedding day. In the wife's family it
has been talisman for three genera
tions, having been first worn by her
great grandfather and then in success
sion by her grandfather and father. The
stone with which it is set was taken
from the foot of camel while party
of travellers were crossing the desert Of
Sahara The stone, though quite small,
is exquisitely cut with multiplicity of
devices. Among these is chariot drawn
by six horses, full moon and chanti-
cleer apparently in the act Of Growing.
A few years since this ring was loaned
to person supposed to be imbued with
second sight for Interpretation. This
was given to the effect that it had orig
inally been the property of one OF the
favorite wives of the earlier pharaohs.
1t had been buried with her in one Of
the catacombs, from which it had been
exhumed and removed by later pha-
raoh, who had subsequently lost it in
crossing the desert; then, in some unex-
planned way, after the lapse of centuries,