Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-04-04
nAInnoAD nooboos.
.Things" Sure 10 Happen when Certain
Onioiais Ride on Trains.


"Tbines" Sure 10 Happen when Certain
0molais Ride on Trains.
Chicago Times Herald.
Three railroad officials were discussing
the recent wreck OF the Erie Limited, in
which several liyss were lost by the
breaking Jof a rail strap. 81 was not a
bit surprised at that accident" de-
clared one Of the trio, a general superin-
tendent
"Why notS' asked another operating
official. "Straps rarely break on
we'll groomed track, and the Erie ~
certainly well grcomed. "
tMr. X was passenger on that
train" replied the general superin
tendent, "and when 1t comes to hoodoos
be belongs in the champion class. Any
time he goes over any OF our lines
have nervous chill and insist upon
teleprsphic information every few
minutes on the progress OF the train:
The Mr., X, referred to Is an oitioia
Of considerable prominencs in the
Western railroad world, aud the state
ment of the general superintendent
occasioned no surprise except to
''layman" who heard the conversation.
Asked il he we're in earnest, the genera
SUI erinteudent said: II never made a
more serious statement In my life.
Before il fell to my lot to aes that the
trains Of this big system depart and
arrive as nearly as possible on schedule
time | scoffsd at superstition, Now
am as superstitious as a Mahdi priest
| In the railroad world there are large
number OF officials who are as certainly
known to be hoodoos In travel az The
l L. 10 n1 In mi
a few oase1 they know Of their own
reputation In this respect, and finally
come to elieye in their evil influence
or bad luck through the evidence Of a
| long series OF accidents. know many
officials who never make trip that
| the train upon which they are riding
does not meet with an accident or an
unusual delay. / had rather see a three
days blizzard coming than to get q
request from one ofstbem to be allowed
to hook Gu to one OF our trains Ol
course this sort of thing seems foolish
engineers on this road who will moi
take out their tam IL the cars of any
one OF certain officials are attached
to IT,
There is one division of our roao
l L
hoodoo, and l believe the men ART
right In being afraid OF me. / nevel
go onto the division IL / can help it,
and when have to travel during tn,
night on that stretch of road | revel
go to;bed have been ON rhe division
three times In the past two weeks
The first time the train ran into al
open switch and bumped into freigh
which was standing IN the yard. VI
were all pretty badly shaken UP. TIL,
| second time one OF the best and newes
engines on the line dropped q diawbal
into the river, and the train was STALLED
| for two hours. The third time we go
three hot boxes in going 90 miles, ant
, had every car especially examined
before we etarted. Whenever get oil
that division engines whose behavio
, has besn beautiful ever since they cam
, from the shops suddenly grow cranky.
The best fabricated boxes nysteriousl
generate hsAt. or q switch tender VIII
| has not made q slip In 20 years servic
j cutters mental alteration. There i
J nothing to it. When some officials rid
} things are sure TO happen"
] The faint of hoodooism was offerei
as an explanation why some officials Il
, travelling rarely use their private cars
. One viosi president Of an Eastern lin
| was mentioned as an example, an
the lsyman remarked that, according :
. the newspapers that Official was to
8 modest to parade around the oountr
r In a sdfnptuously furnished palace o
wheels. H, uW
D IAN tommy rot shifted the genera
I superintendent. III our engineers kne'
0 | that that man was going out on tn
8 limited tonight, and he is going,
couldn't find man who would handl
. the throttle IL be could avoid doing 9
s without a blue funk. I'll bet thre
0 to one something happens. " The fol
8 lowing day the general superintendent
Q was called up and shouted over th
Q phone: ''No. 5 reported two hours LAT
= Into Omaha. Mahoney says engine Nc
n 295 refused to make steam properly fc
9 the first time in five years. He want
LA 81