The Indianapolis journal., 1902-09-21
PLANT OF NEWSSTAND KEEPER
A LADDER ACROSS THE SIDEWALK
SPOILED HIS TRADE.
BARRIERS Are Among the Worst suf-
ferers-Racing Men Usually
Very superstitious.

the world there can be no doubt. Who can
say how many of life's little dramas. how
many strange happenings, how many daily
episodes. are due entirely to some supersti-
ton. absurd in itself. but powerful in the
exercise OF its influence? A ridiculous affair
that occurred in Indianapolis last week is
food for thought for the philosopher who
may have imagined that superstition was
pretty much u thing of the past.
A well-known business man of this city
had an appointment to talk over prospec-
tive deal with man in Anderson. Ind,
and had arranged TO meet him in the latter
city at certain hour one afternoon. The
Indianapolis on his way to catch
an interurtan car for Anderson, when, in
turning q corner. he checked himself in
time TO keep from crossing through long
funeral procession. He knew that he had
no time to lose If he expected to catch the
interurban car. and he tried 20 reason with
himself upon the utter absurdity Of allow
ing an old superstition to control him. But
he had never crossed through a funeral
procession, and he didn't like to tempt ILL
fortune. OF course, he knew well enough
that the superstition was all nonsense, but,
at the same time Well, he waited un-
til the last carriage had moved slowly past,
and then ran breathlessly to the point
where he had hoped to catch his car. and
arrived just in time to see Ii disappearing
I'm the distance. He FASTENED to the Union
Station, calling himself names all the way,
and learned that he could not arrive in An
derson by steam railway until long after
the time set for his appointment. AS a
result of his failure to keep his engage
ment with the Andersonian the prospective
deal was declared off. and the local busi-
ness man, in telling the story on himself,
asked, in the immortal words of Shak-
speare, Ito be written down an ass"
SUPERSTITION GENERAL.
This episode started a series of inquiries
on the part of a newspaper man who
thought 1t might be interesting to find out
tf superstitions really exercised any infiu-
ence on daily life of the city. The manager
OF popular downtown cigar store declared
that everybody was more or less supersti-
tious. THE average man hates to own up
to 1t" he said, but you will find that the
majority of people have their pet hobbies
of a superstitious sort. There is one old
fellow that has been buying certain brand
OF chewing tobacco here for years. and ]
noticed time and again that he always re-
moved the tag from the plug which he pur-
chased and carefully put it away in an old
pocket-book. One day my curiosity was
so mucn aroused that asked him why he
preserved the useless little pieces Of tin,
but he got out OF answering me. by laughing
good-naturedly and walking out of the
shop I didn't mention the subject to him
again. but one day, while in confidential
ho fo1H 70 rffx hot
ways carried a new tag about with him for
three days. as II seemed to bring him goood
luck. Now, what do you think of that?
And he as smart an old chap as you ever
saw. too"
vania street said that recently while hay
ing new sign placed over the doorway of
his establishment he noticed that business
seemed distressingly dull and was at a loss
To understand the surprising falling of in
trade during the afternoon. He even OBJ
served several regular customers, who or
dinarily never passed along that way with
out stopping at the stand walking by with
out so much turning their eyes in
the direction Of the puzzled news man. I'm
fact they appeared to be studiously avoid
ing a glance toward me for fear that !
might beckon them to come in
said the newsdealer. well, 1T was along
late In the afternoon before the reason for
the strange turn of affairs dawned upon
me- There was a ladder extending from,
the sidewalk up against the building over
my doorway. The man who was placing
the new sign in position had left the lad.
der there while he returned to the shop to
get tool that he had forgotten. To enter
the store 1t was necessary to walk directly
under the ladder. and that's something
that about six people out of ten absolutely
refuse TO do for fear of frightful conse.
quences In the way of hard luck. The
next time / have a sign put UP over ths
doorway I'll have the workmen up in 8
balloon to tackle the job:'
BARRIERS SUFFER.
But It's the barber that suffers more
from superstitious folks than anybody else
Are many men supersttious? repeated
one OF the colored tonsorial artists In {
leading hotel shop We'll, L should sa,
they are! Why, you'd be surprised to know
how many men would as soon think O
having finger cut off as to have their hal
cut on Friday. and / have two or thre,
regular patrons that have made startlin,
discovery that IL means bad luck for then
TO be shaved on certain days of the week
But the worst case know of is a ST. Louis
travelling man that drops into indianapolis
on business about once a month and al
ways comes to this shop to be shaved ant
TO have his face massaged. He is a grea
sport and fond Of playing the races. II h
IS not going 10 bet on the horses on the da
that he comes in here he always has M
rub favorite brand OF hair restorer on hi
head, for he is inclined to be bald But
he intends playing the races the same da,
he feels compelled TO sacrifice the shampo,
with the hair-restorer. much as he desire
70 regain his hair. He explained the who'll
thing to me one day In the most earnes
manner and seemed TO be so offended whel
] laughed that 1 have preserved a yer,
sober face since then whenever he men
tions the subject. He said that ne ha,
found out that IL was impossible for him I,
win on horse race after having his heae
rubbed. The very first time that he ba,
had the hair restorer applied to his scaly
he had learned that it acted as hoodoo