The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-09-21
ODD sJIPERsTITIONs.

u
THEY ARE BELIEVED IN RY
EVERY GAMBLER.
Persons OF Both Sexes who Take Risks
at Chance Games Go About armed
with Wonderful Taiismans TO Bring
Good Lack Their omens. ss5 ass5
No people in the world are as super
stltious as gamblers. Every profess
sional & dealer will tell you of hum
dred and one omens and superstitions.
some OF which are his own peculiar
property, and some of which are COM
mon to all who make a living by sery-s
ing the tickle goddess in the temples OF.
John Doe. And it is not only the peo-
pie who make their living by gam
bling who are firm believers in such
things, but those who play the game
from the outside. There is scarcely a
man or woman who CANDLES habitu-.
ally that does not go armed with some
wonderful talisman to bring luck. Not
only the poor African man and
brother, /" who carries around ..the left
hind foot Of a rabbit killed in a coun-
try graveyard at midnight in the dark
OF the moon," but the wealthy FREE
quenter Of Canf1eld's or Monte Carlo
as well. One man who had a remark
able run OF luck at Monte Carlo last
year ascrihed 1t all to franc which
he wore on his watch chain This coin
had grim history, for it was the only
piece OF money found on the body of a
gambler who committed suicide in the
grounds OF the Casino after losing his
entire fortune at the gaming tables.
Another player, whose success at the
tables attracted considerable attention
last season, always carries in his pocket
when he goes to gamble a little Indian
idol carved in ivory, which he picked
up in his travels in the east When he
makes a bet he invariably keeps one
hand on this idol, and is sure that it
brings him luck. On one occasion at
Long Branch last year he went to- the
tables without his mascot and expert
,enced such run of bad luck that he
was obliged to beat hasty retreat
Another inveterate gambler who Wis
It's Monte Carlo every year pins his
faith to a miniature of his dead wife,
which he wears attached to chain
around his neck; and an old player at
tributes his good luck to silver watch
which saved his life by stopping bull
let in one of the battles of the civil
war. H. So.
"A familiar figure at Monte Carlo is
that of an elderly man who wears a
perfect armory Of charms dangling
from his watch chain. There is pig
in gold, another in silver (the pig in
any form is supposed to bring luck),
an Egyptian scarab, an Indian rupee,
an ancient Etruscan coin and a nail
from the claw of a tiger which once
nearly killed him. In spite of all this
the old man has only moderate luck,
4 which MAY be accounted for by the
charms working against one another
playing at cross purposes and thus in
EteEleflHS VIII the workings or the
spell. He candidly confesses that he
would be thousands of dollars richer
if he would leave gambling alone.
3 But the gamblers superstitions are by
no means confined to charms Nothing
is too trivial to be converted by him
into an omen. A number of which he
dreams, or which catches his eye on
the street or in the newspaper, the
number Of letters in his name, the date
of his birth his Wife's age when he
first met her the date Of his wedding
from these and many more fanciful
sources he gets the numbers upon
which he stakes his chance of winning
when the merry marble spins rolick-
ing around the whirling roulette
wheel. Some men never play on
Friday or on the thirteenth of the
month while others consider these
their lucky days. Nearly every gam
bier in this country considers it un-
luckyft to play roulette or faro on Sun
da.-NeW York Press. r. ~
They Got Excellent Care.