Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-08-11
SLAVES TO PET
SUPERSTITIONS
Business Men, as a Rule, Believe in
Signs and Omens Of All
Kinds.
WEAR ALL SORTS OF FE1IsHEs
Lucky Cross, Dried Buckeye, Mis-
mated Shoes and Other Odd Ad.
juncts to Fortune.

| Ninety-nine men out of a hundred
get mad, or scott loudly, if they are
accused of Oeing superstitious-yet
just as surely 80 out of every 100
are superstitious-and l suspect the
other fellow, writes Harvey Coates in
the Chicago Tribune
1t is remarkable how little super
stition, little tricks which men be.
lieve bring them luck or good for
tune, permeate the business world.
1t is my business to call upon bust.
ness men-not heads of departments,
but the heads of firms themselves
and | have, during the last four or
five years, since the matter was call.
ed to my attention by an observant
friend, made it practice to watch
these men, and laugh inwardly at
their pet superstitions. l have seldom
found a business man in whom l did
not discover some little trick or some
superstitious belief in some ordinary
or extraordinary fetish. confess
that this has almost destroyed my be.
lief that the dried up buckeye which
l carry in my left hand trousers pock-
ct will cure rheumatism-or ward il
off-and l know it has in my case, foi
| have carried that buckeye for &c
years and never felt a twinge of rhe,;
matism.
Lucky Cross on Contract.
On of my best customers, head of
a big department store, never will
sign contract until after he has
placed small cross of ink down in
; the lower left hand corner. l learn
ed this one day when he signed a
contract for some work-and l start.
ed toward the elevator congratulating
myself on closing a big deal. While
| was waiting at the elevator he came
rushing from his office:
Hey. come back" he called.
T went back.
| We'll have to make out new
, contract" he explained.
Whats the trouble?" l asked, anx
) iously.
r 81 forgot to put my lucky cross on
: that before l signed it, he respond
ed seriously.
I'm sorry to delay you. But II
l might be bad luck to break that hab
, it," Another friend of mine, a whole
: saler in the clothing line, well known
: in the wholesale district. insists tina
a two crossed red threads be sewed in
t to the right arm of every coat M
t sends out of his establishment.
| wondered at that for long time ant
!. finally asked about it, He told me
: that once, when he was threatened
= with ruin, a gypsy fortune teller tolt
2 him that if he sewed two red sill
!, threads in cross shape into the righ
r arm of each garment they would sci
e and he vows that from the minute
: he tried it he began to pick up busi
2 ness.
r "Of course, I don't believe in it,
he said. "But. STILL what's the use
l. of taking any chances? And, besld
e es, it's good mark
n Wears Mismated Shoes.
e One of my friends in the board o
i trade district-one of the bigges
i traders in the wheat pit-never I'm
v dertakes an important deal until h
puts on shoes that are not mates.
S have seen him go into the pit VIII
e one patent leather shoe and one slip
t per-for luck, because on the da.
r that he made his first big stroke tina
Y established his fortune he happene'
l. to be wearing mismated shoes. Their
h is another friend of mine who belieV
t es that he cannot do anything sue
cessfully unless he wears red neck
tie, and | have another one who ne'
l. err wears a hat that fits him. He 1r
sists on buying hats a size too larg
It and then putting in felt fillers-jus
Il for luck.
n There is man in Chicago-wh
e EMPLOYS hundreds of men and is raj
y ed a milliOnaire-who never sees
II white horse without splitting over tn
It little finger of his right hand to war
5 off bad luck. Another man. mercf
ant prince he is called, always cal
ries a bit of soft brown sandstone i
d his pocket. He lives up my way O
e. the north shore. He usually come
down town between and 8 In tn
morning-and l seldom leave befor
1920. was surprised one morI
r ing to meet him at late train an
Il. 81 had to come back and get m
stone," he explained.
Its my luck stone." he explained
81 have carried it ever since l wa
boy and it brings me luck ever
time. have an important deal on tt
day and l came away and forgot l
0f leaving it in the pocket OF anothe
re pair of trousers"
e. Only Fat Stenographers.
IN Most of these things, when l com
is to trace them back. I find are tn
Is results of early experiences in bus
p ness. There is big corporation pre-
" ident who will not have any steno
" rapher in his office who is not ia
'e He doesn't want plump ones, he want
lg girls who would make advertisement
tn for fat producing medicines. No ma
ct ter how old or ugly, or incompete1
is stenographer may be. if she is f;
e. she can get job there, and it is a
IT. the result of the fact that fat stenO
Ell rapher gave him a valuable bushes
ID hint early in his career.
Is | know seven men who use ra
III bits feet. two who smear the caul
ne a coon on the edge of their desk bio
al ters, and three who turn up their lie
Is trouser leg before admitting an il
ey portant business caller.
Sc But one of the queerest fancies
that of big corporation lawyer wit
whom | have business dealings. +
90 will NOT <o urifo hriof cr