Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-10-05
JACK TAR's sUPERsTlTIoNs.
Influenced In His Undertakings BY Sea
Sians and Onens.

Although the advance Of steam has
changed thousands Of sailors into
firemen and deckhands, yet the sail
ing tonnage Of the world is still great
and there are still sailors Of the old
bluewater type afloat.
The dislike Of the real sailor to sail
on a Friday Is we'll known. Once.
down in Connecticut, they built q
ship to combat this superstition. Her
keel was laid on Friday, she was
launched on Friday. was named the
Friday and sailed on her first voyage
on Friday. Unfortunately for the
success of the experiment the first
voyage of the Friday was her last
After she had passed out by Montauk
she was never heard of any more.
The ocean and hoodoo blotted her
out forever.
It is a mighty unlucky thing TO
paint a vessel blue. Now and then
one sees a coasting schooner which
defies the hoodoo, but rarely. If you
ever see blue painted schooner In
port Just watch out. 1t will rain
within twenty-four hours and there
will in all probability be long spell
Of wet weather. At sea the blue
painted schooner brings storms and
other misfortunes, as in port she
brings rain.
There is the schooner Donna 7.
Briggs of Stonington, which went
successfully on many a fillibustering
expedition to Cuba until her owners
painted her blue. She was captured
on the very next trip by a United
States gunboat. She is still painted
blue and goes up and down the coast
but at every port she puts into the
people say: Look out for rain-the
Donna T. Briggs is in port" And
then 1t rains.
Real sailors, II such there be, on a
trans Atlantic liner are so accustomed
to having clergymen as passengers
they do not mind 1t; but a deep-sea
sailor on a blue water wind -jammer
would be mighty uneasy If sky
pilot" went along as passenger. If
the ship reached port without severe
storm and disaster he would ascribe
the fact to the efficacy Of some ap-
proved talisman which he carries on a
trans Atlantic liner when a dead body
on board is the terror Of your real sail
or, and he never feels safe until the
corpse is put ashore. Even on trans
Atlantic liner when dead body Is
shipped over the fact Is kept as quiet
as possible for the sake Of the feelings
Of the crew.
Most animals on board ship bring
luck. Ships mascots are scattered
over the seas in the shape Of live stock
of various sorts from Greenland to
Cape Horn. But black cat is an ex-
ception. A black cat is hodoo Of the
worst sort. Sometimes a bold and
venturesome ships officer or an aban-
doned sailor who likes to tempt fate
will bring black cat on board-and
then there Is trouble.
OlSCp HI VOL NopseShh ~Se~~
Of the British navy was cruising of
the italian coast looking for prizes.
Not sail did he sight for days. The
men knew what was the matter. There
was a black cat on board. Naturally
they mutinied and demanded that the
beast be removed.
Gall right" said Captain Stuart,
overheard with the black cat"
But the sailors protested that to
throw the black cat overheard would
be worse than having 1t on board Tor
If a ship is unfortunate with black
cat as a passenger 1t goes to sudden
and sure destruction If the pesky beast
is killed.
well, what shall be done with the
cat?" asked the captain, willing to
oblige in any way.
The spokesman for the mutineers
replied that the ship must be run
close to the shore, boat lowered away
and the sable feline Of malevolent in
fiuence left on the beach. This was
done and that same night they took
the richest prize ever captured In the
Mediterranean.