New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-09-09

Is This Number Lucky or I'm
lucky?
r. j. Jones. In Ch.nnb-rs's Journal.

thirteen enjoys among numerals a dual position
peculiarly its own. II IS somewhat singular that
number regarded by some so sacredly as to be rev
erenty venerated should have acquired in the eyes
of others an unpopularity stismszed by all that Is
evil. unlucky and undesirable.
Passing swiftly from the remoter ages II super
stttion 20 more modern times OF seemingly sounder
reasoning. one finds IL typical alike Of good and
evil according 10 the particular circumstances or
the case. Superstition dies hard. and. while the
twentieth century with its ripening intelligence.
Is wonderfully able 10 accept with alacrity what
the revolution Of ages has brought about in so
many desirable directions one sees It clnging here
and there like lmpets to the rock, some persons
even still going far 20 refuse 70 dine in a
company of thirteen lest death should thereby
claim too soon unwilling victim. This notion is
popularity supposed to have arisen through that
memorable meal from which Judas rose TO meet his
doom.
Nothing is surprising than the inoonsist-
ency and contTartness at times, OF the human race
Or. c. Russell Forbes has recently drawn passing
attention 20 what is recorded I'm the marble
table In the chapel of the TTiclinium Pauperum IN
Rome. adjoining the Church Of St. Gregory on the
Cselian Hll-namely. that Pope Gregory the Great
was in the habit Of entertaining every morning
twelve poor men. on one occasion Christ appeared
lucky for the time being. Here. as elsewhere in
the mineral world, may be observed strong Iel,g
dency 10 let fancy take so powerful possession OK
the mind that II appears TO that abnormal inasl-
however. was the symbol of death considerably
earlier even than the beginning OF the Cnrls9lan
sented by skeeton with his scvtbe This symbol
ism may be traced through ancient oral tradition
70 the thirteenth letter of that sacred word or the
Hebrew Kabbalah Yod-he-vau-he. word never.
II is supposed uttered by the Israelites themselves,
S Ssd S 9py by the gh Priest S2Ge eS nq
every word in due course gained a numerical value,
meaning in numbers certain results We're attained.
As the principal doctrines Of the Kabbaah en-
creation. the nature Of the angels and Of men. but
/
became associated with its own number
are told in the old Morse mythology deemed "un-
HHet in the Vaibaiia Toki the scandinavian God
of Strife and EVIL. intruded himself on one Occa-
ed in his desire to kill with an arrow OF mistletoe.
Baider. the God Of Peace. II Is notieea3 pie that
bematic embodiment of evil In the case OF Pope
Gregory the thirteenth guest was the symbolic
Thirteen says Wynn westoott in his, treatise
on numbers was the sacred number Of the Next
cans and the people OF 1ucatan. Inc method OF
tinues was by weeks of thirteen days@their year
being twenty-eght weeks OF thirteen days and one
Of yeaTs"the thirteen days over forming another
week. Four times thirteen, or nIty.JWo was thelT
gods" He draws attention. too. 10 the fact that
to procure agreement among married. people ThT-
teen. IT should be pointed out is the number Of the
We find from the old Julian Calendar that the
ber is and ACCORDING to the revBBry Of salisbury
b bePIis s o. august d. OCTOBER ID ana SsP'e-
In opposition to this the Turks Russians, ItaI-
selves more less prejudiced, from time 10 time,
dinner Of thirteen 81 Nine. CataIinis when a
French countess was hastily , SUMMONED 70 remedy
has gone so far 10 delete the dreaded figure
quartoziennes have held themselves in readiness
TO avert by their presence supposed f9reshadow-
stitious in many ways though they be. could calm
" carry about with them a coin worth just thtr-
Thirteen-the bakers dozen"-is. Of course
would YOU not" pertinently asks DR.. Forbes. in
contendng FOR the luck lurking in thirteen. rather
a Thirteen club At time made itself con-
widely spread prejudice and other i'll. foreboding
ideGtfyHg Them themselves With skulls and Skeletons
black cats croSs-eyed waters and cotiin- shaped
itself unable 70 refrain from facetiously excain-
ing Who could have believed that there We're 169
men IN London SO singularly lacking In hunor?,
90 Mention might also be made de- OF me celebrated
deeds in all parts Of the globe for upward OF los
years. combined with excellent conduct in quar-
the country and the queen IVlctoraI has gracious
y named II after her ROYAL Consert. In testimony
Attention may now be turned 70 several lately
tory OF thirteen being felicitous rather than the
reverse The country or ms ever Increasingly
on the 18th, comprised originally thirteen states
piuribus unum.' consists OF Just thirteen letters
The American eagle claims to have exactly thir-
when raising the republican standard. was saluted
with thirteen guns. It. might almost be styled
remarkable example in evidence Of the infiu-
opinion IS worth recalling. Bismarck Is credited
WITH holding IN supreme ,yeneT9G91 The plumber
preceded by the figure one. and would never. - is
thirteenth person at table Pythagoras declared
three 20 be tho 'perfect number, typical Of he
his predIection were briefly stated the time OF
sponsbIo for ana fought in three great wars: he
signed three treaties Of peace; he arranged the
Triple Alliance in the Franco German War he had
CB!snarck Sch9enhausen and Lausnhurgl; he &C
quired three titles 1counJ. prince dukel; the an
robyr trSngth In TrintvIwas surely t Itself
ton. So closely were his feelings associated with
him With three hairs on his head lie had three
children. Under lis adnlniStTation the Conserva-
tiEes, National Liberals anu Iltraig"ntanes were
formed, These circgnstances, con- .dered. then II
| have had a penchant for three rather than for
hand preferred ithirt cen Born in 1913 fate
endowed him with a name Of thirteen letters and
ToiRs, rs, Is 4nnii$oser was hnlshed on APrh
| lie LEFT Bayeuth on September lS and died on
Even in The present year ~ grace folks may be
/ found firmly believing that there is luck In odd
ssyen also 1,, shown in former paPer Ike
ncouspcuous part I'm the story Of the past Had
Golden been a man Of constitution little less
! matter OF fact he might have dwelt with Fense
Il satisfaction on the number seven. for II
owing 70 the power 81 seven men and the patience
81 years that these crushing Corn Laws were
| I'm the end completely conquered and over
thrown? Luck VIII come. n it can was, In
substance, what Carlyle once tersRly and soundly
predicted, 10 which ventures 10 add. Yes. and
ia the train Of three and seven and thirteen IRE
spectively. and IN spite Of rather than because OF.
any particular number The reflection carries with
/ n amazing amount II comforting consolation
But # should not be forgotten that while awaiting
its appearance one may be actually speeding IT'S
advent in calm pursuance of the Chelsea phioso-
uher's sensible counsel. Woodwork hard. work