The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-08-17
ODD suPEKSTIYIONs
they ARE. BELIEVED IN BY
EVERY GAMBLER.

EVERY GAMBLER.
Persons Of Both ssxss Who Take Risky
at Chance 0amss Go About Armed
with Wosdsrfnl rslismans 70 Brang
GOOD Luck-Ths,r Omsns.
No people In the world are as super
stitious as gamblers. Every profess
sional dealer will tell you Of q huns
dred and one omens and superstitions,
some Of which are his own peculiar
property, and some Of which r COM
mon to all who make a living by serv-
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 q
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 fire.
quenter Of Canfield's or Monte Carlo
as well. One man who had a remark
able run Of luck at Monte Carlo last
year ascribed 1t all to a franc which
he wore on his watch chain. This coin
had a grim history, for it was the only
piece Of money found on the body Of q
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 sur that 1t
brings him luck. On one occasion at
Long Branch last year he went to the
tables without his mascot and expert
enced such a run of bad luck that he
was obliged to beat a hasty retreat.
Another inveterate gambler who Wis
its Monte Carlo every year pins his
faith to a miniature of his dead wife,
which he wears attached to q chain
around his neck; and an old player at
tributes his good luck to a silver watch
which saved his. life by stopping q bull
let in one Of the battles Of the civil
war.
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 a 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,
which may be accounted for by the
charms working against one another
playing at cross purposes and thus in
~terfering with the workings Of the
spell. He .candidly confesses that he
would be thousands of dollars richer
.if he would leave gambling alone.
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 rollick-
ing around the whirling roulette
wheel. Some men never play on a
Friday or on the thirteenth Of the
month while others consider these
their lucky days. Nearly every gam
bier In this country considers 1t UNI
lucky to play roulette or faro on Sum
da.-New York Press.
EEl&s 49, aHL