The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-12-04
oaDnuIrrY OF GREAT MINDS
Superstition by no Means Confined
 to the Ignorant.


 stition is A weakness confined to seamen or people of feeble and uncultured minds. Men possessing the strongest inteliects have been swayed by almost childish credulity with regard to the supernatural. The great Napoleon was firm believer in presentiments. Once. when he was anxiously awaiting news from Egypt, he heard that a Nile boat had run ashore and that the crew had been put to death. This boat bore the name of L'Italie. Ma poleon was much concerned when he heard this last piece of news. He looked upon it as an omen that his hopes Of | annexing Italy to France were to be shat | tered, Nothing would induce him. to be- lieve the contrary. My presentiments never deceive me-" he said. 'ah is ruin | ed; I am satisfied that my conquest Is | lost" The presentiment in this case cer- tainly came true.
 A famous writer has said of Napoleon: He was all star and destiny" Certain | it Is that Napoleon had faith in his star, l and 1t appeared to be the ruling omen ] of his entire career. General Rapp, who l for a long period was Napoleon's aide | de-camp, refers to the subject in his in- teresting memoirs. Rapp has just re- | turned from the siege of Danzig, and, 1 seeking Napoleons presence, found him gazing intently through the window, his | l some time before the Emperor noticed | the presence of Rapp, when, suddenly | seizing him by the arm. he exclaimed: 1 Look there; up there,' T see nothing but the pale twinkling stars" replied | the astute aide-de-oamp quietly. What" | exclaimed the Emperor eXcitedly, "1s 1t | possible that you do not see my star? l The fiery red one almost as large as the moon? It is before you now, and, ah! I iy,or at "a | sight he fairly shrieked as he cried out | Tt has never abandoned me for single | instant I see it on all great occasions; it commands me to go forward: it is my | sign of good fortune, and where 1t leads I will follow"
 | The Roman Admiral Appius Claudius l on being informed. by the augurs on the l eve of an engagement that the sacred l chickens-would not eat, said Let them drink then" and ordered them thrown | overheard, after which he attacked the | CartAagenian fleet and received a terrible | thrashing.
 The astute Bismarck was superstitious, the number 13 having a very deep mean ing to him. He would never sit down to table when he made the thirteenth. Count Bismarck Bohlen states that one day in 1870 at Rheims, when the chancel- Tor gave a dinner. one of the invitations I erwise there would have been 13 at the table. General Boyer, Bazaines envoy, arrived at the German headquarters at Versailles on Friday, October l, but Bis marck would not see him till the next day, saying that he would never do any
 thing of importance on a Friday the date of which coincided with the anniversary of Horchkirk. Jana and Auerstadt. He was talking one day of a defeat the Ger
 l1 g.. h. 1e the campaign of 1870. T beg to observe, gentlemen" he said, "that that hap pened on Friday" Bismarck did not be- lieve in lucky or an unlucky day, but believed that his life was seriously in- fluenced by a mystic number.
 The prosaic Dr. Johnson always count ed his steps before entering any place, so as to arrange that his right foot should always precede his left; or. again, touch- ed every post which he passed along a certain route. fearing that if he missed one some miefortune would befall him.
 Lord Wolseley writes: T not only be- lieve in many superstitions. but I hug them with the warmest affection. They link me. If not with spiritual world of which I know nothing, at least with a glorious and artistic and picturesque past of which history has told me much, I believe in ghosts and In amulets. I | since have been in Dublin through my salutations of single magpes. That mystic bird abounds in Ireland: and I would not on any account walk under a ladder, etc. In fact I am prone to adopt any superstition I am told of which oth- 1 CTS believe in
 The Shah of Persia Is superstitious. He | always carries with him when he travels circle of amber which Is said to have l A-I l. n M,t,, lt and which renders the wearer invulner- able; casket of gold which makes him invisible at will, and a jewelled star which is potent to make conspirators con- fess their crimes Is always worn upon his person.
 Abraham Lincoln. a few days before his death, had a vivid dream in which he beheld his own body lying in state. The vision made a great impression on him and he was rallied on account of it by his wife.
 Ulysses s. Grant would not have been a military man had it not been that his rival for a West Point cadetship had been | found to have six toes on each foot in- stead of five. General Grant was firm believer in dreams, and to dream of crockery was sure to be followed by good luck. The night before he received his appointment as Colonel of the Illinois l heR1menL ne QTedmSQ OI DelTS III d Helu filled with beautiful china. He immedi- ately informed his wife that prosperity was about to dawn upon their fortunes.
 Admiral Farragut when at the mast head of his flagship praying for Divine aid, previous to passing the forts at Mo bile Bay. distinctly heard a voice say ing: Keep on. keep on." Nelson always kept a horseshoe nailed to the mzzen- mast of his flagship Victory.
 Regarding celebrated statesmen and their superstitions. 1t is said that Secre- tary Carlisle would begin no new thing on Friday Secretary Blaine would never turn back to enter his house after leaving it in case he had forgotten anything Sec retary Folger all his life believed that there was a charm for him in the number
 three" He laughed at it. but let it dom mate him. Such a hard-headed old | statesman as Thaddeus Stevens believed that there was luck in picking up pins. He never passed one. if he saw 1t. with out picking it up, getting the point before | him. Senator Chandler counts white horses for luck. He counts every one he | sees until he reaches S9, and then he be- | gins over again. Senator sherman would not extend his left hand in greeting or | receive one extended to him. Senator Ed munds regarded it as unlucky if the first person he met on emerging from his house was a woman. and would return for a | fresh start.
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 HOW IT WILL BE CONDUCTED.