The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-10-19
''SEE A PIN, LET IT
LIE"-NOT CHICAGO.
Business Men as Well as Girls and
Boys Found to Be
Superstitious.
NOVEL TESTS IN STREETS.
Citizens Seemed TO Seriously Be-
lieve in Old Couplet and Re
fused to Take Chances
in Evil Luck.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL
Chicago. Oct. IS.-rAat men ami wonier
IN every stage OF Enlightenment aud in the
nigh as well as the lowly walks OF life are
superstitious has been demonstrated 10y the
tTil une viii practical tests made In the
lcrowded streets Of Chicago.
The first test was designed 20 discover
how seriously the up-to-date folk Of to-day
a the old coupIet:
See a pin ard let il lie.
Aau luck you'll have before you die.
a lumber o. pins were laa IN a broken
row In North Clark, street and another in
la Sale street. The former Is a cosm1poi-
itan avenue and the latter the thorousniaFe
uL nnanciers and wealthy business mrn.
The barrier Of pins had Just been laid IN
Ia sale street. when a proSperouS-iook+hs
business man-not = man VINO seemed 20
] ecd the PITS Ia his ohice-came along he
saw the row. L was something OF an .ci-
ne stouped- and spent lao minutes Pi-NM5
up every pin on the Sidewalk He glanced
about. as II wondering II he was observed.
and when he had the pins all carefully
but reasSu-sc.
The row was laid sgain. Two men ap-
preached. saw the pins and STOPPED.
DO YOU believe II Is bad luck?' asked
Well" said the other. hesitatingly. II
don't know. but l guess We can risk IT, But
there Is one thing. though. / never do. /
never step over a hairpin."
Then came several men and women who
did not see the pins. Then several who saw
them and paid no attention 10 them. and
others who saw and who stopped 10 pick
up one or two.
A messenger hoy saw them and picked up
several. The row was gone and had % re
renewed again Children who passed ina
TiablT picked mp one or more pins. II th7y
happened TO see them now. Some Of the 81
peTstitious ones had their arms full ~ bun
dies. but II did not interfere with the pick
inG up Of the pins.
LUCK OF ONE MAN.
Just 10 see what luck followed one Of the
superstitiOus who paid heed 10 the warn
ing OF the couplet. a man who picked up a
handful Of pins was followed He demol-
iShed the row which was laid near the city
Han in la Sale street What follows may
have been a mere coincidence. but 1t Is a
fact
he had put the pins in his o~vercoat peck
Ct. He boarded A Nth Clark street car
at La Sale and Randr ph streets. He found
which one Individual \ entitled in Chie1go.
He sat down. but arse suddenly with a
yell that startled the gssengers-
OF course IL was N pins. And therein
lies the reason why ne supersttiuus c-e
stood up till he reached Goethe street. There
he left the car. and TIE cedar block pave
ment- which had justLeen torn up. did the
rest. He stumbled over one Of the blocks,
alighting fll length.
Test number tWO-reveBle "a that 80 persons
out Of zoo believed II vas bad luck to walk
under a ladder lsanink against a building.
The foot Of the ladder was within a few
feet Of the edge Of the sidewalk and IL ives
easier 10 walk beneath than around. but
y per cent saw n TO take the long way.
even in the busiest pushing thrang Of Re
cestrisnS.
SHED AT THE LADDER
The ladder had scarcely been lifted into
position before a beggar on crutches came
hobbiing along the street H was almost
under the ladder before ne raised his eyes
from the ground and saw Il. He hesitaied
a moment and then said. What's the useg
I've reached the limit any way" And ne
went under, The next was n Culored man.
He SHE'D at the ladder nifty feet away.
Not for me-. he laughed. Not on your
life They amt been coming right. an l
don't calculate 20 make 'em wOrser.'
In his anxiety 70 avoid the bad omen he
left that side Of the%streeJ entirely and
crossed over 10 the other. Then ne shook
his fist at the ladder I'D went on.
He was succeeded hyA business man. who
went briskly under th~e-ladder. without Civ
ing IL a bit or attenti4l- 4 young woman
in a tailor-made dress Ind Louis Ky shoes
locked up 10 $50 wf7t was being done
above, and. finding noJsing. went under. A
number Of Colured prC.le were among the
chances.
II was the effort Of the sllperstltious TO
avoid II which afforded the ludicrous fea-
lures CT the scene. Some would he nearly
under the ladder when they saw Il. They
would promptly back-pedal and get aut Of
danger Then they side-steppei and looked
at The ladder. q maneCyer which was FOL
lowed by a change In course. 50 as TO make
"A circle around the base