Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1905-10-05

1t is an American prediction to
believe the outre and freskIsh stories
that are based solely on hearsay tes-
timony and to reject often the COM
monplace matter Of fact. A list OF
the cheerful lies that are commonly
believed would FIJI a volume. Only
a few of them are given below.
How often have you been inflicted
with the story Of the man who was
overpaid when csshing a check at the
bank and the cashier telling him that
no mistakes would be corrected after
he left the window. According to the
story, the cashier laid down the man
date before he knew the mistake was IN
his favor. ltmakes an excellent yarn
but diligsnt search discloses that it new
er had any foundation in fact. Banks
have no such rule. II a customer is
underpaid or overpaid the mistake
will appear when the balance is struck
at the end of the days business, and
the error will be cheerfully recti6ed.
But the majority Of the public believe
the fictitious story Of "how the fellow
got the best Of the bank" simply be-
cause it is a good story and they like
to believe it.
Probably the most common error on
the part of the public is the belief that
when a dead body is found no one
has right to touch or remove the re-
mains until the coroner comes.
There never was any such law, is not
now and probably never will be. The
citizen who is of an inquiring turn Of
mind has a perfect right to examine
the dead bodies he runs across in the
course of his travels, to move the re-
mains and even search the pockets OF
the deceased, provided, Of course, that
his motives are honest. That is all
that ia necessary.
There is also prevalent belief that
a note signed or contract entered into
on Sunday is void and that either
party can plead the fact of the sacred
day to get out Of a bad bargain. This
ia not true. II man enters into a
contract or signs a note on Sunday he
is legally bound and can have no de.
fense that he would not have if the
transaction had occurred in the mid
die of the week.
81 had my back against my own
house when | struck this man, says
the defendant in police court. BE be-
lieves that his proximity to his castle
gives him more rights than be would
have if he were in the street. This
belief has been the cause Of much can
tanksrous litigation, and it has ever
resulted in the ruling that man has
a right 10 defend himself in a reason
able manner if he is attacked, what
ever may be his geographical position,
and the incidental contiguity Of his
home "cuts no ice" in the case.
The public has great confidence 10
the magic number three, and without
any reasonable basis for the belief. 1t
is commonly believed that if "a drown
ing person sinks for the third time be
is gone for good and all. The facts
contradict this. Many persons die in
the first sinking. and if one has the
strength and vitality to rise TO the sur
face Of the water twice it furnishes an
excellent presumption that be will be
able to do 70 again. In an eddy or
rapidly moving waters people have
sunk from sight half dozen times
and lived to tell their experience to
their grandchildren.
Then there is the third congestive
chill. commonly believed to be fatal.
Most people who die from this cause !
succumb to the first or second attack. /
If man succeeds in weathering two /
Of them the odds are in favor Of his |
coming out victor in the third. Al
most every community possesses a cit
izen who boasts the fact that be has
q silver plate in his skull Surgeons
say that very few attempts were ever
made at such an operation, and all Of
them were failures. There does not |
exist man who has silver plate in