The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-04-28
UNLUCKY NUMBER.
THE Hateful THIRTEEN.
The Superstition in Regard to it is
Wide Spread.
London Telegraph.

London Telegraph.
For good or for i'll, the. superstition
about the number thirteen has chung to
che thoughts aud imagination OF men
from a period of remote antiquity. 1t
would be difficult to exhaust all the
different forms which this obstinate
delusion has assumed among various
nations, both of the east and the west.
Every one knows that it is highly in
expedient, if not dangerous, to sit down
thirteen at table, and there are large
number OF intelligent men and women
in the metropolis who under no circum-
stances would consent to he included
in this precise number Of guests. There
are streets in Paris, as we'll as elsewhere
in France, where houses are numbered
ssI2 bis" and "112 bis" while IN many
American hotels no room has IL paint
ed on the door, The Partisan wLo
makes his living by dining in other
peoples houses goes famillarly by the
name of Quatorzieme, because it is his
chief function to add welcome TOUR
teenth to the unlucky number. The
Italians never use it in making up heir
lotteries, and in one of the games the
thirteenth card bears the figure OF
death. Similarly. in Turkey the num-
Der thirteen is very nearly eXpunged
from the vocabulary of the people; nor
Is there any lack OF explanation OF this
almost universal idea. Al least two are
furnished for our choice.
In the old Morse mythology, when
the gods in Valhalla were holding high
revel, Loki came in as an unlnvlted
guest. The consequence was that as
soon as Baldur arrived he made the
number of guests thirteen, and fate de-
creed that he should die. Christians
refer to another ard more solemn in
cident. There were thirteen who par
took of the last supper, and Judas, who
left the table first, went and hanged
himself. / was in consequence of this
that the number was accused, together.
apparently, with all combinations of
figures INTO which it enters. Sooner
or later it was, of course, inevitable
that so widespread and so fascinating a
superstition should be challenged.
Some thirteen years ago-the very in
terval of time Is all odd coincidence-a
club was started in New York for the
express purpose OF waging war against
the associations connected with the
luckless numerai The members were
always to consist of some multiple OF
thirteen. They dined together on the
thirteenth of every month, thirteen at
table, and their club dues we're thirteen
cents month. It will be remembered
that only short time ago similar in
stitutlon was established In England,
and farcial entertainment was pro-
vided, at which knives were crossed,
salt was spilled, deaths heads and cross
bones o1namented the walls and the
walters were chosen because they
squinted and possessed the evil eye
The American club hab.tually publish
ed reports to prove that, individu ally
and collectively, they are as healthy,
prosperous and long-lived as other
members OF the community; nor, so
far as we are aware, did any serious
calamity fall upon their daring lm;ta-
tors in London.
1t is idle to Imagine that an inveter-
ate superstition can be got rid Of by
such merely theatrical bravado as this.
The case stands with it as it does with
a similar idea about the folly of under
taking any serious enterprise on FL
day. There are whole classes of man.
kind to whom these notions form a
sort OF unwritten creed. Every one
knows that sailor does not like to have
his ship commissioned on Friday.
Indeed, one OF the explanations given
OF the disaster which befell the Thrash
er tornedo boat was that it h d unluck-
lily commenced its cruise on the penul.
innate day OF the week. Soldiers,
though not quite SO superstltious as
sailors, are by no means free from SINH
lar prejudices, and gamblers who live
the life of nerves believe in the luck
with obstinate tenaclty. The theatre
cal profession, again, has its fixed be-
liefs.