The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-04-01
beware THE EVIL EYE
Many Old Superstitions in Vogue
Among Theatrical Folk.
MOST RIDICULOUS WITNESSES
Dcep.Ro0ted. Silly Fauciss Which Actors
Have. but Cannot Expiain-Idiosyn.
crasies Of promiueut Members Of
tho Dramatic Profession.

class of human beings can be more
than actors is beyond be-
lief. says the New York Times.
Not only are the stage. the play and
the theatrical costume saturated with
superstition, but every event In life has
for the actor its accompanying SUPER
stition. So far does 1t GO with his su-
perstition that he sometimes POUNDS
superstition on a suDerstiton-as, for
instance. In the habit of wearing dead
mems clothes, the clothing on ones
self In such habiliments having for
ages been regarded as sure to result In
death to the wearer. To an actor the
wearing Of the stage costume Of some
great, dead actor Is sure to give inspira-
ton and fame, according to the pet su-
perstition, and the old superstition is
thus wiped out of existence and loses
its force. In ordinary life the old saw
says that 1t Is an indication that "the
evil eye" is upon the person who sees
a pin or any sharp, instrument with the
point toward him; but this Is reversed
in the theatrical profession, for 1t IL
bad luck to see q pin with the head to-
ward one. 1t is the delight of oil bet
tors on the race-track to touch the
hump of q hunchback and all ganlb-
lers at Monte Carlo consider this act
as sure to bring good luck: but on the
contrary, the actor dates his bad luck
from the appearance OF hunchback In
the audience on first night" or some
other time.
PECULIAR TO THE PROFESSION.
There are superstitions in the pro-
fession. clinging to supernunerary and
star alike, which are unknown outside
the profession. A crOss-eyed man
could not find employment in any ca
pacity within the walls Of a theater
If the rule should be. relaxed, and a
crOss-eyed stage carpenter or prop
erty man should be engaged, he would
be discharged the very moment the
slightest ill-luck befell the company,
for 1t would be his presence that
brought misfortune. The actor or act
ress who has several times been In the
cast of an unsuccessful play, Is given
the name Of a Jonah, and ever after is
regarded as sure to bring ill-luck to
Others. 1t is q fact that many a prom
Using actor has been obliged to leave
his profession because he was tabooed
as Jonah, and made unwelcome
wherever he went, by his fellows Of the
profession. On the other hand there are
actors who are engaged as mascots
and cherished like gifted talismans. The
star who has happened to be housed
in several hotels which have been visit
ed by fire Is called the fire fiend," and
as well as theatres in which they appear
are given q wide birth when possible by
all members of the profession. Miss
Kate Claxton, after the burning Of the
Brooklyn theater. acquired the name,
for she was playing an engagement
there in ,"The Two Orphans" In the
winter Of 1876, when the terrible con-
fiagration occurred.
The individual superstitiOns of certain
prominent actors are often amusing
and always ridiculous. For instance, q
great actor saw a load Of hay on the
afternoon Of the day upon which he was
to appear in a new play. He was sue
cessful, and ever after insisted upon
having provided for him load OF hay
upon which to wish before entering the
theatre on the first night Of a new play.
He happened to be successful with all
his new plays, and attributed his sue
cess not alone to his own talent but
mostly to the fact that he had made a
wish upon a load of hay. If one new
the hay would have lost its virtue and
been discarded as an evil worker.
AVOIDED ODD NUMBERS.
Edwin Booth was regarded as q man
Of good common sense, yet he would
never sleep in a room In q hotel with an
odd number. His great friend, Law
renee, had a lasting prejudice against
people who had many ISIS" in their
names. and always made up his COM
pany, SO far as possible, with men and
women in whose names the objection
able letter did not appear. His friends
attributed this prejudice Of Barrett's,
surely strong enough to be styled super
stition, to the fact that his own name
-O'Shaughnessy-had so many "S's" in
1t.
The fast friend of Forrest and great
tragedian, John Mccullough, had a su-
perstition concerning the manner Of
putting on his shirt and other apparel,
for he would never permit his dresser
to put any garment over his head. This
was only one of the many superstitions
which governed the life of an otherwise
sane man, but this one was very incon-
venient at times, and caused much
trouble in the making of his garments.
John T. Raymond always regarded a
red-headed woman with extreme hor-
ror. To meet a red-headed woman on
the day Of the production Of new play
was, to him, an omen OF bad luck, and
he has been known to remain in the
house all day in order not to be exposed
to the superstition.
There is one funny superstition which
held poor j. *. Emmett to the day of
his death and made him appear very
ridiculous at times, as he was very fain
to keep it to himself. instead Of explain
N ha
coming down stairs and another person
attempted to pass him on the flight he
would always go back and start over
again, no matter what his hurry might
be. In a crowded hotel one may
imagine how many times he may have
turned in descending several fights of
stairs and how laborious his journey.
Nat Goodwin is certainly man Of good
common sense, and no one to look at
him, would suppose that he has q pet
superstition, yet he has. for he consid-
ers 1t good luck to meet q gray horse
in the morning. The well-known
James Lewis has been known to carry
in his pocket a small shoe for a mas
cot. and will never play new part or
indulge In u game of cards without hav-
Ing that mascot In his pocket. although
the record does not say that he always
wins. He found the shoe many years
ago and has ever since regarded 1t as
n talisman., Tom Whiffen always said
that he owed his success to his know
ledge OF music, and that If he had a
musical entrance in sharps he was all
right, but let the band get into flats
when he entered and he was sure OF his
effort falling fiat on the audience. al
though the audience never noticed the
difference in the key.
NAILS FRIGHTENED CLARA.
1t has been said of Clara Morris that
she never set her foot upon the stage IL
there happened to be stray nail there.
and always insisted upon It's removal
before she would make an entrance. OF
Fanny Davenport It Is said that she will
never use a cosmetic OF another make
than that of a man who served her from
his own manufacture when she was a
child. Once she was obliged to make
nm her face for n first ppp IN nce with n