davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26
SuperSfifiOuS SfOkerS

TNGINE DRIVERS as a rule are
r. probably no more superstitious
than any other class. There are
many curious beliefs among them,
however, some of long standing. A
for example, will never trust an engine
that has been in an accident as he
would another engine. 1t may be the
finest machinery, but he will never
feel quite easy about her after she
has been in any accident, more partic-
ularly If she started her working
career with bad record, having met
mishap on her trial run.
Many engine drivers maintain that
the turning table on which engines are
turned should always be worked round
from east ito west and north to south
that is, to the right-and that if this
direction is not taken the engine
turned will meet with mishap. They
make a point, often at great incon-
venience to themselves, of being pres
ent whenever their engines are turned,
in order to assure themselves that it
is done the right way. or if in their
absence it has been wrongly done, they
will have it set right before consenting
to climb into the cab. Numerous ac-
cidents are attributed to engines being
turned from east to west with the
front buffers toward the north.
One should never step on to the en-
CINE with the right foot first. Equally
serious would be the consequences of
climbing out of the cab on the right
side in order TO oil the engine. Such
a mistake would certainly result in an
accident sooner or later. There are
actual cases of accidents following mis-
takes of this sort, drivers and stokers
having slipped and met with serious
injuries, for the right side Of an en-
CINE is generally the side on which
other trains pass. Much is thought
to depend upon the number Of the en-
CINE. There seems also to be a super
stitious prejudice against locomotives
whose numbers contain the figure or
can be equally divided by that number.
There is no apparent reason for this,
and nothing to explain why the gem
orally acknowledged ominousnes of
13 is disregarded But 8 is disliked
emphatically by many workers on loco
motive cabs.
One will sometimes see tracklayer
who has stumbled in crossing rail
retrace his steps and cross the rail
again with sure feet. To stumble over
a rail ie productive OF misfortune, and
the only way to ward OFF disaster is
to take the step again. Crosseyed men
are unpopular. Some support to this
superstition is discoyerable Ia the
story of gang OF tracklayers who
during the ten months presnce among
them Of crosseyed man lost nine OF
their number by accidents on the line,
and were only saved from further loss,
SO Il Is said, by the crosseyed man
himself being killed as the tenth VIC
tim.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26

formance occupied twenty minutes. He
had no great occasion for hurry al
that minute, so he explained:
II don't always have so much time
Sometimes l am iH the midst Of my
luncheon when messenger will cal
me into the exchange. / execute the
business on which / am called and re-
turn to finish my luncheon"
The Lunch Quarter Hour
In this cafe more than four hundred
members of the exchange take lunch.
con daily. There is not a minute ot
the time that business is forgotten. 1.
is the topic of conversation at all OF
the tables. Perhaps in no other cafe
such a disregard for health as here.
Men simply bolt their food. 1t is III
wonder that foreign visitors are unit
in exclaiming that our business men
take their luncheons on the jump.
The members of the exchange are cer-
tainly gifted with the stomachs of
ostriches. They can digest anything.
1t is only step to the exchange AMI
mank of the members take less than
ten minutes in which to lunch. Dur
ing the noon hour an employe of the
cafe is busy reading the market quo
tations from table, and this informa-
ton Is eagerly listened to.
The broker had scarcely reached the
H. III ", a
number went up many times during
the afternoon. over the telephone
came orders from his Office to buy
100, 200 and 800 shares OF different
stocks. When small orders aggregat-
ing 5000 shares are divided into such
small lots 1t requires considerable si
fort on the part of the broker who ex-
ecutes them. Mr.. Broker was on the
jump until the bell announced the
close of the exchange. He could be
seen fitting quickly from one post TO
another, always mixed in a crowd of
eager associates, all intent on
their own business and each one sure
to step into the path of another at
every other second.
From the time the broker entered the
exchange from his luncheon he never
paused. Now; when three o'clock
came, he had recourse to the associa-
ton of members Of the lean crowd"
as they are termed. He had no stocks
to borrow or lend, but he spent twenty
minutes in an effort to obtain inform
alton pertaining to the short interests
Il walked about ten miles this after
noon" he said as he came out into
the brisk air and opened his lungs
three or four times to their fullest ex-
tent. "You see, one cannot hurry in
that crowd. II has been an extraor-
dinarily hard afternoon for me because
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26
PROUD OF nm

Willie's not good In bis grammar.
He has scant mathematical zeal
But on thinking a bit
We're obliged TO admit
He's accomplished very great deal
His copybook lessons are nhaky,
And he isn't especially neat.
He's no prodigy bright
He Is seldom polite,
And his trousers get torn In the seat
But he doesn't get drowned going swimming,
Nor blown up on the Fourth Of July,
Nor hurt IN the fall
That he had playing ball
His perile have oft made ns sigh.
And be didn't get aick eating turkey,
Ills escapsdes fill our bos0ms with Joy.
His nerve and digestion,
Beyond any question
Make US mightlly proud OF the boy
--Waahinstpn Star
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26

This distance he walks, and he walks
1t as though he were in training for a
PEDESTRIANS handicap. His legs moved
with the regularity of piston rods on
an engine. He got home finally at 6:15
o'clock with pretty we'll tuckered
newspaper man beside him. This was
the hour of the day to which the
broker looks forward with the keen
est expectation. 1t is an hour he can
spend with his children, free from in
reference and free to laugh and play
without a thought of the business he
has left behind him.
This particular broker had to divest
himself of his coat and seat himself
on the soft carpet to play a game for
boys. His part of the entertainment
consisted of building Notifications with
blocks-fortifeatio representing the
forts of Port Arthur and the earth
works which the japanese sappers and
miners erected so successfully before
the great fortress in the waters of the
Gulf of Pe-Chi-Li. A man may be tired
and his mind be filled with unsettled
business, but surely no one could give
Wall street a thought with such en-
vironments.
Here was business Of a more import
ant nature and into it the broker en-
tered with a heartiness that he dis
played when he ran about the fioor OF
the New York stock exchange 10 buy
and sell stocks. He erected the forts
and saw them crumble under the fusil-
lade from the little girls. an event that
succeeded in making the nursery echo
with shouts and laughter
1t was shortly after o'clock when
he sat down to dinner with his family.
This consumed fully an hour and he
followed It with a eigar-a great big
black cigar, the kind that are made for
men who can afford TO pay for them,
Until $3.50 he smoked and read his pa
pers, read them thoroughly. inter-
spersing many minutes with conver-
sation. in which his wife took keen
interest When 1890 O'Clock was
reached he was ready for bed and to
bed he went.
During the day he drank q cocktail,
three highballs and a pint Of cham
payne, He had spent an active day
and would be ready to begin another
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26
days work with the vieor that charac.
erized his Efforts this day.


days work with the visor that charac.
erized his Efforts this day.
Twice week he win 60 to the thea
ter and follow this diversion with a
supper at sherrys. where he will be
Joined by his friends. on Sunday
evenings he win meet his relatives and
friends at dinner No one must think
that because he retired at $50 O'Clock
upon the day in question that It IL
customary for him to exclude himself
from the white light Of Broadway.
Not so. But he is a man who believes
In plenty Of sleep and when he can
get IL he docs get II.
Some Other Types
The life Of a Wall street broker here
in described is entirely unlike the life
Of the big gamblers Of Wall street.
These men are traders, who invade the
floor Of the exchange in their own in
terests. They do not rise at 7.so In
the morning. They get to their Offices
at $3.50 In the morning. pale and hag-
gard after night spent IN card play
ing. They do not keep early hours.
and their hours DEVOTED to sleep are
necessarily short. A cup of coffee
and a soft boiled egg Is about ali they
eat for breakfast. This Is no stirnu-
liant to the faded man. He wants a
bracer, and before he shows up at his
Office he will get II at neighboring
cafe.
At 10 o'clock he is to be found upon
the floor trading on his own account.
There Is excitement in this for him
excitement that runs his nerves to
their highest tension. The man Is used
to stimulants. and during lull in the
market he will slip across the street in
order to get one. During the luncheon
hour he will eat sparingly. but he will
drink plentifully. He meets friends
who drink and before he returns to the
floor of the exchange he will have had
several highballs or drinks of just as
insidious a nature
He is one of the first to leave the
floor Of the exchange, for he knows
that In a certain quarter of the city
he will find companions who are as
interested as he in the game of bridge
whist. He will meet his friends at the
Waldorf-Astoria He is ready to get
on any sort of a proposition, and the
gambling spirit is let loose when sew
eral of these men meet. They will bet
on a future market, bet on events of
the day. but on jury trials. bet on COM
-ipg horse races, bet on anything that
appeals to the gambling spirit.
Dinner will be taken at home, but 8
o'clock will find him again in the
haunts of boon companions There will
be more drinks and more card playing.
until day comes when the system
requires regulating. Then he will set
tie down for a week or ten days to
allow his system to recuperate.
There are men on the floor Of the
stock exchange who have been doing
this sort OF thing for twenty-five to
forty years, and they scarcely betray
their ages. Men who are fifty years
of age and who dissipate regularly are
here with scarcely gray hair in their
heads. They maintain their, condition
because they take from one to three
months vacation every year and use
the time ''bucking up" The trader has
a wild life, but 1t does not seem to hurt
him. When he does go to pieces the
work is quickly done. The trials of the
trader come fast and furious at times,
but he seems to thrive on them.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26
NZZ OZOZX

had many small orders to execute
the stocks. Here we are at the office,
and l can get smoke anyway"
When he reached his office it was not
to. idle away his time He was there
for the purpose of seeing the tickets
come in-tickets which represented his
work of the day. These tickets must
correspond with the items in his note
book, for many an order Is hurriedly
given and transcribed and not a few
errors creep into the daily business
of the stock broker which are dis
tangled by the clearing house. 1t was
fully an hour before he snatched his
college boys hat from a leather up
holstered divan and got into his coat
with less energy than he displayed
a few hours before on his way to bus
mess.
At the corner of Exchange place and
Broad street a newsboy ran to him
with an assortment of evening papers
Every broker in the street has his
special newsboy. These boys are
trained by long service to hand each
broker just the papers he cares to
l'buy. This service results in a salts
factory understanding between boy and
man of money, In which the boy ber
efits in excess of the amount to which
he is entitled from ordinary sales of
papers. 1t may cost the broker few
more pennies each week, but he has
the satisfaction of knowing that some-
body is doing the thinking for him.
One would suppose that the broker
would HE himself to one of the swell
hotels and disport himself during the
time intervening before dinner. This
broker did not. He took the elevated
train to Thirty-third street and walked
over to the Lambs club in West Thir-
ty-siXth street. In the club were some
of the prominent actors of the city.
The men who remain on Broadway
during the height Of the theatrical sea-
son are usually found in the Lambs
club every afternoon. Several brokers
are members OF this organization,
When this man shifted his coat once
more It was to inquire IL there was a
game going on. Naturally the thought
arose that the Wall street man would
venture in a small hand at poker.
The game. however, to which he re-
ferred. was crazy pool" a pastime in
which eight or ten men may engage.
1t is the old game OF Chicago pool.
where No. ball must be poeketed be-
fore one can take a chance to roll In
the No. Q ball. 1t is a great game
at the Lambs and the broker spent
an hour In the livellest kind OF relax
alton. Banked around the room stood
a dozen professional people, all intent
on the game and every one interested
In the outcome.
His Home Life
II was o'clock before the broker left
his club. 1t was mile to his home.
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26

alert. 1t took him but lew SECONDS
to reach the telephone. He received
an order to buy 1900 shares of Chicago
Terminal preferred. This he did quick
ly and the purchase was reported to
his office.
No man on the floor of that busy
mart can be inactive long. On all
sides of him men are dealing in stocks
as they deal out information and ru-
mors pertaining to others. There is a
bit of gossip learned at this post, a
friendly word of advice from another
direction and a still more important
matter discussed elsewhere. Roaming
from one end of the big room to the
other-not once, but several times in
as many minutes-means a lot of foot
work, and this the broker was called
upon to do. Once q man broke from
circle and whispered in his ear. He
listened attentively. stopped moment
to ponder the information that had been
given to him and calculated that it
was correct. This was to the effect
that there was a possibility of big
statement from the United States Steel
corporation. This information dealt
with proposed big movement in
bonds.
In the Storm Center
Mr.. Broker had friends to inform of
this matter, men who were interested
in buying the bonds of the corporation
if there was tendency on the part of
buyers to send those bonds up point
or. two. These men had to be COM
municated with. 1t required time to
find several of the men in whom Mr..
Broker was interested. When he found
them it was to execute orders for them.
There were other brokers buying these
bonds, but this broker had orders for
500 $1,000 bonds when he finished teleA
phoning. He bought them from 93 1-2
to s3 ga. 1t was nearly IL o'clock
when he finished this bit of business.
That his Judgment was correct was
evidenced by a gentle upward move
ment in Steel bonds. His friends made
money on the information.
About this time a rumor foated
through the exchange to the effect
that Kuropatkin had made overtures
of peace to Marshal Oyama. This was
news indeed II 1t were true. To trace
the source of this information was no
idle task. There was no great activity
in Japanese bonds, but almost an hour
was consumed in looking into the ru-
NOR. Japanese bonds did have a slight
rise, but due to no confirmation of the
report that Russia was anxious to end
tn war and had begun to do so.
At o'clock the broker looked into
the gallery with signal that luncheon
would prove no idle incident OF the
day. The broker was hungry. and said
so when he reached the street to make
his way quickly to a cafe which is
patronized by brokers because the pro-
prietor understands the appetites Of
brokers and seeks to cater to them. 1t
was fish day and the cafe served Inn
ported bloaters. They were tasty. and
the man who had devoured whole
chicken for breakfast made no ado
about explaining his acquaintance with
the dish. He ate one, looked unsatis-
ned and ordered another portion. Sure
ly the running about the floor OF the
exchange. aided by the activity given
the brain, stimulates ones appetite.
The broker drank a cup OF coffee and
ate piece OF pie, after which he light
ed a cigarette This part OF the per-
Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-26
His Home Life

II was o'clock before the broker left
his club. 1t was a mile to his home.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28
aaie us n Lend.r

Dean Hole in his book, More Memo
ries," tells an amusing story of how an
old woman got the better of her clergy
man in an argument The village
churchyard was overcrowded except on
its sunless northern side, in which the
suicide was buried. One day the vicar,
while visiting poor old woman who
was nigh unto death, thought he would
try to get her consent to be buried in
rhe roomy northern plot, He began by
assuring her that the common aversion
20 burial in any particular portion of
cOnsecrated ground was a silly preju-
dice and Il foolish superstition Then
he besOught her, as Il personal favor
TO himself and as an example to others,
to permit her body to be buried in the
northern plot Of the churchyard.
The old woman thought it all over
for few minutes and then answered,
well, sir, as you seem to think as one
part of the churchyard is as good as
another and that it makes no difference
where we be put, perhaps you'll gle us
lead"
The vicar did not grasp the argu-
ment, but he changed the subject.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28

An odd impression was hat which
George Eliot conceived of Schiller aft
er her visit to Weimar with Lewes in
the August of the year Of he unlon,"
1854. She was thrilled, she says, by
the legend over the poets old house,
"Hier wohnte Schiller but something
In the nature of disillusOnment await
ed her within. 1t was very interesting
to see his study, left in its original
state. But when it came to his skull,
which we saw for the first time, we
were amazed ut the smallness of the in
telectual region"
After that she could take no further
pleasure in the contemplation of the
too tlattering bust and portrait. And
then "Rauch told us that Schiller had
miserable Stirne'-a wretchcd fore
head" while to complete the destruc-
ton of her ideal she heard how "Tieck,
the sculptor, was wont to declare that
something in Schiller's whole person
reminded him ola camel.'-Pall Nal
Gazette
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28

According to work on Norway, the
scantiness of the soil in that country is
explained by some of the country peo-
pie as follows At the creation of the
world the angels whose duty it was to
scatter the soil forgot Norway. Seeing
this, the guardian angel of the land
made complaints to the Creator. What
was to be done? Impossible to restart
the whole of the creation for the sake
of Norway. "Come, my little angels"
said he, "look carefully and perhaps
you may still find little earth" The
conscience stricken angels swept the
floor of heaven, and the little dust they
found they gathered in their draperies
and scattered over the Norwegian
rocks.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28
THE PARSON BIRD.
The Tui OF New Zealand Can Talk,
Grow and whistle.

crow ana "nistie.
Among the feathered inhabitants of
New Zealand there Is Il bird called the
parsOn bird, or "tui." 1t IS about the
size and shape of a blackbird, but has
a pair of delicate white tufts at its
throat and is n glossy dark green 9th
erwise which looks black in the sun
shine. 1t can be taught to crow, to
speak, to whistle tunes, and, besides
these tricks, it has a repertory which
is not often equaled by any other
feathered songster. At vespers it has
note like the toll of a bell or the
clear, high note of an organ. 1t can
mimic every bird In the bush to per
fection. 1t will break off in the middle
of an exquisite melody and indulge in
a strange melody of sounds which are
impossible to describe, but if you can
imagine "the combination of cough
laugh, a sneeze, with the smashing
of a pane of glass;" it will be some ap-
proach to the idea.
The "tui' nests twice or thrice year
and has large families. Like the other
birds of New Zealand, it seems to be
unconscious of danger from man. 1t Is
a pity that the birds of this island are
becoming so scarce, for they speak to
us of n time when nature was harm
less, when the snakes, tigers and fal
cons did not exist.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28
President Mnyes, watches.

President Hayes was in the habit of
wearing cheap nickel watch while in
the White House, and much comment
was aroused as to the reason. The
truth was that almost weekly Il depu-
tation of western Indians called upon
him, always bringing presents Of some
kind to the G"cat father. CT course he
was expected to give somc.E"g in re.
turn. and the object was to find some
thing chc.p and at the same time ac-
ceptab!c. Watches were novelty to
the Indians, and to present 4 chief
with Il watch which the great father
himself had been carrying always I'M
pressed him greatly Having discover
ed this and not caring 10 distribute
gold watches or even silver ones, Mr..
Hayes hit upon the eXpedient of buy
ing nickel watches at S36 dozen and
always made it convenient to have one
with him against an emergency.
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28

An English artist, writing in a Lon
don womans magazine, says:
Il do not know if any one has ever
drawn attention to the fact before that
you can generally tell the shape of a
woman's foot by her face There is as
much character in a foot as in a hand.
You will generally find the round
faced short nosed little woman has the
prettiest ankle and foot; the high
checked, long nosed woman the ugliest.
Women with very pretty faces seldom
have pretty feet Nature, somehow or
other, compensates its daughters"
The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-06-28
Driftwood as follows:
EASTWARD

d" " miriam II, weekdays for suubury
Wlkesbarie. iiazletUn, Puttsyille. Scranton,
Harrisburg ana the intermediate >,a
sions, hfriNing at Philadelphia O:2j u. M, \
new YORK, $3.50 p. m. Bait more, G.iU d. n. 4
Washington, 7:l5 p. III Pullman rni!ui ear
from Wllllamsporl 10 PhilIuo ipiiia ana pas
sehgeT coaches IRON Kane TO- Philadelphia
anu Hlillamsport 10 Baltimore and Wash
instOn.
1880 p. m.-Train s, daily fOf sunbury, Han
flsDufg ana principal intermediate stations,
arriving AT PhiladclpiIlh i:J2 D. ~, New
YORK lO:2j y. In., Baltimore 1850 d. m. WASH
lngton 500 y. m. Vestlbuled parlor cars
ana passenger coaches, Buffalo TO Philn,iel.
phia and ashingtOn.
400 p. m.-Traiu d, daily for IIar-
risDurg and intermediate stations, ar
rlvlng NJ Philadelphia I:23 A. Nj; New ork,
az a. mi BaitimOre, 2.2O IA. M; Washington
5;3O A. NJ. Pullman Sleeping cars IRON
Harrisburg TO Philadelphia and New York.
Phlladelphla passengers can remain in
sleeper undisturbed until7:3O A. NJ.
i:Oo PIN Train i,daily for Sunbury, Harris
6urg ana Intermediate stations, arriving at
Phlladelphia, 1:l7 A. NJ; New York, g:33
A. NJ on week days and I0.3s NJ. on sun
day. Baltimore, ISIS a. NJ; Washington, $3.50
A, N, Pullman sleepers from Erie,
and Wiliiamsport to Philadelphia, and
Wllllamspuri TO Washington. Passenger
Coaches from Erie TO Philadelphia, and
Williamsporl to Baltimore.
2;l6 a. m.-rraln IL, daily from points south
Of Harrisburg, arriving Baltimore 1925 "a m.
washington SID am, with through Pullman
cars ana passenger coaches to Washington.
WESTWARD
1892 a. m.-Train Z, daily for Buffalo via
Emporium.
G41 a. m.-Train 9, daily for Erie. Ridg-
way, and week days for Dubois, Olermont
and principal intermediate stations
$3.50 "a. m.--Train 3, daily for Erie and inter-
mediate pcints.
3:45 p. m,--Traln Is, daily for Buffalo via
Emporium, alSo for Erie and intermediate
stations.
545 p. m.-:Train 81, daily for Emporium and
intermediate stations