Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-17
Sailors Superstitions Aroused by
Yacht Race Flukes.
LOOKING AROUND FOR THE ''HOOD0O"
New York Republicans Pleased at
Action Of Bryan Democrats.
OUR COMMERCE WITH SPAIN


NEW YORK, October IS, 1899
The recent spell of weather unfavorable to
yachting may be explained scientifically by
the Washington weather bureau, and this ex-
pianatlon may pass current on the effete
west side, but the water front will have
none of it. Along the east side and the bat
terry wall, where men wear four-ply boots
and walk with that roll and hump prop er
to a sailor man who has struck his top
masts to clear the Brooklyn bridge, other
reasons are heard According to their light
and upon their firm conviction, they declare
that there is 'hoodoo'' on the challenger
or defender. and even the lovely towboat
men join their seagoing brethren in this
belief. There are but few of these who
will pin their prediction to either boat, nor
will they give the reasons upon which they
base their belief; but this does not affect
the vehemence of their general "hoodoo'
proclamation.
They have been seeking energetically for
the well-known thirteen and Friday
hoodoos; but without much effect. with
one possible exception. One Superstitiously
energetic sailor has discovered that there
are just thirteen letters in G. Oliver Iseln s
name as he spells it; but this evidence of
fll-luck is not the only thing upon which
they rest their case. The boats themselves
can show a clean east side bill of health
in other particulars as the thirteenths of
the months and the Fridays of the week
We're all properly avoided in the laying
down, the building and the launching of
the two racers.
Prejudice Against Women at Sea.
These are some of the men who ungaI
lantly attribute the alleged "hoodoo" to no
less person than Mrs. Iselin. They declared
that until she left the Columbia a fair and
favorable wind would be unknown. The
prejudice of sailormen to a woman at sea
is as old as the hills. Wherever square rig
gers can be seen against the sky, men can
be found who will declare to the truth OF
the superstition. Sea writers have almost
made the presence of a woman aboard
equal to shipwreck. According to their
yarns, as soon as the fair young girl APP
pears above the companion-Way the
trouble begins and continues until the
ship rolls her masts out in the doldrums,
takes fire founders. So perhaps the
waterfront men are not to be blamed much
after all. They fail to remember, however,
that the same fair sailorwoman was on
board the Vigiant and the Defender and
cheered the crews on to victory with her
presence.
They all strangely in earnest in this
after. Fully convinced in their own minds
that some spell was holding the winds in
leash, they sit about breaking the old
world charm in a new-world manner. Many
have volunteered their services to both
beats without price. AS courtesy to the
titled visitor no doubt the majority of their
OVertureS have been made to Sir Thomas
Upton During the last few days he has
received a multitude of tokens chiefly of
religious nature, the contributors of which
in every case having signified that they felt
sure that the wearing of the same would
bring good luck, which, of course, meant
a chance to really sail the boats. Besides
these, the receipt of which has touched Sir
Thomas deepy. contributions have come
In of rabbits feet and other more naturals-
tic instruments for breaking spells of bad
luck as we'll as making sure stretches of
good. The sailors on both the cup boats
have been given chances to buy things OF
this sort. The vendors within the last calm
Gays have touched at both yacht tenders
with the idea of making sales, but so far
with but small success.
Republican Leaders Gratifed.
Republican leaders are gratifed over the
result of the recent meeting Of the demo-
cratic state committee in the Hoffman
House, when resolution was adopted with
only two dissenting votes recognizing VIM.
Jennings Bryan the natural and APP
proved leader of the democracy and
pledging to him the loyalty and love of
the democracy of this state. It did not
take many hours for the news of this action
to travel up the state. Expressions of COM
ment and criticism of that action came
back even quicker. And when some of
these dispatches were perused by republic
can leaders In the Fifth Avenue Hotel one
of them wanted to wager any amount that
the democrats had sacrificed any chance
they might have had of electing a demo-
cratic assembly this fall, and that there
would be good republican working ma
jority in the next Legislature. Some of the
upstate democrats, too, who, in the excite
ment attending the meeting of their state
committee, were induced to register them
selves for Bryan, and his political trusts,
have also heard from home"
Friendly Feeling of Spnniards
At the office of the Compania Trans
atlantica Espanola 1t is said that there is
now just much activity in Spanish
American travel and shipping as before the
war. In Cuba there is a very strong party
which is working very hard in favor of
annexation to the United States. And
among property owners there is an almost
unanimous feeling of friendlinesss toward
the United States. connection with this
country would bepeft them commercially
and insure permanence to the value of
their holdings. Then there is. undoubtedly,
strong feeling of friendship on account
of the people themselves. If vote could
be taken in the island today, in the old
Spanish way of only allowing taxpayers to
vote, there would be, l am sure, perfect
agreement with the aims of the United
States The people of the province of Ma
tanzas are a sober, Woodworking and con-
servative class and there is the greatest
friendliness for Americans there. Out of
total of 100000 tons of sugar shipped out
of Cuba during the last year more than
100000 tons passed through the port of
MatanZas from this one province. l did not
know If he has done so, but Gen. Wilson,
the governor of Matanzas, will surely en-
body that fact in his report. Steamship
companies running between American and
Spanish ports nearly all making ar
rangements to increase and better their
service because the business demands it"
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Hotel Arrivals.
Arlington-J. C. Cobb, Milton, Mass; G.
Hutchinson, Boston; c. B. Pike, Chicago;
A. NJ. Lord, Providence, r. l.