davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16

backed him for sentimental reasons for
small amount, naturally cleaned up a con-
siderable sum.
Hoodoo Was "13"
This horses number on the racing pro-
gram was 10. 1t is well known that the
racing fraternity Is a supersttious one, and
the fact that this horse won at such large
odds while carrying the number Is was
duly exploited in the racing papers. l fol-
lowed this case up and found that thereaf-
ter for some days all horses on the racing
program bearing the number ID were well
played for this reason alone; that within
week or so another horse bearing the
number 10 again won at considerable odds,
but that thereafter for several weeks dur
ing which l had the instance followed no
other horse bearing the number ID came in
first.
Just a Coincidence.
Both the first and the second horse, of
course would have won these particular
races, whether their numbers had been s
or 8, respectively, or any other number
upon the program and their winning, while
bearing the alleged 'hoodoo' number of ID.
was merely coincidental to their entry and
their getting under the wire first, yet SO
powerful is popular superstition that the
minds of otherwise sane individuals were
swayed by the coincidental application OF
a number to a horses circuit around race
course.
The Horseshoe Dream.
1.-THE same principle holds true as to the
horseshoe superstition, the four-leaf clover
fallacy, the rabbit-foot idiocy and the
bright. new penny delusion. In touring
through the country If one will take the
trouble to observe, he will note that Q
horseshoe, and sometimes several of them
may be seen tackled up over the doorways
or upon barn doors of abandoned homes
and farms or tumble-down abodes, and
very often the more ramshackle the place IL
the more horseshoes or symbols of good
luck may be seen plastered over the place
Sometimes the heel of the shoe is up, tic
hold the good luck in and again it will
be reversed, which position some people
think lets the good luck out But the
evidences of failure and dilapidation are
indisputable, and the fact that horseshoes
may also be seen tackled up upon premises
where thrift is evident proves nothing, az
a matter of fact beyond that certain pieces
of curved metal are held in position or
wood by their nails.
1T Is the same with the four-leaf clover
which Is merely a freak of nature, as g
twin tree, though this fallacy is somewhat
sentimental and may be accepted for thi:
reason by the young. The rabbit's-foot':
power to bestow good fortune upon its pos
SCISSOR Is, of course, too absurd to meri
analysis, while the bright, new penny fancy
Is a good one to hand out to children-witf
the penny"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16

but most of them are made of plaster of
paris. The S. and the $40 gold pieces are
the most favored by the counterfeiter, the
$50 gold piece being very hard to reproduce
as to battle detection as the die of this
coin Is the most beautiful and the hardest
to initiate of our gold coins. The predomt-
mating silver pieces Of counterfeit produc-
ton are the 30 and % cent pieces and the
standard silver dollar. The first two pieces
of subsidiary coin are the most easily
Showed
Doctoring Genuine Coins.
Nickel pieces have been gold plated
and passed on immigrants and foreigners
at New York as genuine United States gold
pieces of the S. denomination, but they
would not deceive an American. Some
times a counterfeit of the subsidiary coins
is raked in stamped out of brass or cop
per and plated but these coins are all of
light weight and should not be deceptive.
ter, are too light to be deceptive except
on greenhorns Of the far-over-the-sea va
riety. These coins are thickened to give
them weight approaching the real artl-
Gle, and ought to be readily detected.
Some counterfeiters employ their time
in doctoring' genuine coins Of gold, as 1t
would not pay them to fool with the SILVER
employed. and the larger denominations OF
the gold coins, especially the $40 gold piece:
are selected They bore out the interior or
and can get out several dollars worth or
the pure gold from each coin thus doc
tored' The hole Is drilled In the edges.
and so expertly is 1t done. and so neatly
and skilfully is the interior plugged with
bad but weighty metal, that these coins
often defy detection until they reach the
hands of an expert. The puncture In the
reeding Is so minute and so cleverly an
nealed with pure gold, and then rereeded
with a fine file, that the puncture escapes
detection except upon careful examination
with sharp eyes.
Some counterfeiters give the gold coins
an acid bath, or sweat them out Of dol
lar or two of the good metal and then pass
them along. The coins are genuine of
course, but the sweating deprives them of
the required weight. These 'sweated coins
pass in circulation from hand to hand until
they reach the banks or the subtreasuries,
when they are at once caught up by the
coin counters, and their careers come to
sudden and abrupt close as coins of the
realm.
"A laborious task Of extracting the in
teriors of gold coins is called the filling
process" consisting of cutting the coins In
two, or partially through at the edges, and
extracting as much of the interior as pos
sible, replacing the good gold with an in
ferior but weighty metal and brazing the
edges together. This job has to be done
with exceeding cleverness to defy detection,
but when done well a lot of gold can thus
be obtained.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
LUCK GOES BY LAW
Hiqh BroWed Conversation
From a Pedagogue.
SOME FEW SUPERSTITlONS
The Horses That Won Under the
Number 13.
FOOLISH FOUR-LEAF CLOVERS
All These Fancies Handed Down From
the Days When Ignorance
Was Common.

''Os the many popular superstitions OF the
Gay which have been handed down from
the dark ages. when ignorance was rife
and belief In omens was as fixed as the re-
hgion of the times, the adherence to several
OF the most common is worthy of analy-
sis" remarked a member of the faculty
of one of the local universities to Star
reporter.
Il have given the subject considerable
study and research and / have come to the
conclusion that good luck or bad luck
which may follow the possession of GER
tain symbols. or which may result from the
performance or the n-performance OF
certain acts at particular times, may
be attributed to the operation of
the law OF condolences, and the good
fortune or the bad fortune, as the case
may be. would have resulted in any event.
Il will give you an easy Illustration OF
the operation OF the law of condolences as
applied TO a symbolical number that will
be quickly understood. but it illustrates the
principle even better than were an abstruse
proposition offered. During the past sum-
mer q horse which had been running a
consistent last in the races in which he
had been entered on the tracks around New
York won one day at the remuneratve
odds OF 100 to !. and his owner, who had
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16

900 fine, or 21.19 carats. The most de-
ceptive gold counterfets are made of
lower grade gold. of from 600 to 500 fine
and as low as 400 fine in the more inferior
grades of counterfeits. The most decep-
tive gold counterfeits are those which are
manufactured from an alloy of gold, cop
per and silver. Platinum is metal which
is used by the expert counterfeiter to gain
the necessary weight to his output, and
when these platinum counterfeits are
heavily gold plated, they prove to be very
dangerous counterfeits when first showed
by the accomplices of the man who gen.
orally does the spurious minting, he
usually keeping out of sight, for he is too
valuable man in the trade to be nabbed
in the passing stunt The gold plating
wears off in due time, and the base metal
is revealed.
"A comparison Of the piece with the gen.
uine of the same coinage and date. to-
gether with a critical inspection OF the
minting, general appearance die Impress,
ring, size and weight will be found accu-
rate tests when in doubt as to whether a
coin is genuine or spurious. The familiar
acid test may also be applied.
Counterfeit coins made in molds are the
more common and the more easily detected.
The mold counterfeit usually applies to sill
yer coins. number Of years ago there
were many counterfeits of silver coins made
Of lead and type metal. but these nave
largely passed because of their easy detec-
ton both as to sight and feeling, as they
are slippery to the touch as compared with
the real silver coin. The molding process
is a cheap one to set up, and is largely in
dulged in by foreigners, who pass their bad
products upon their own countrymen when
the latter are green as to the genuine coin.
Counterfeit Silver Coins.
1.-The sharp, clear-cut appearance of the
genuine coin Is absent. the milling and let
tering are dim. while the reading is usually
very faint and poorly delineated. Never
theless, some pretty fair silver counterfeit
coins are turned out of mofds, but the
weight is generally short when an attempt
is made to bring them within the specineo
thickness and diameter.
THAT there is considerable counterfe1ting
In coins still attempted is shown by the fact
that our secret service officers captured
So 600 in spurious gold coins and $l2,oOo In
silver coins during the past year. The more
expert silver coin counterfeiters use for
their product of the larger silver coins an
alloy of about two-thirds anthony and
one-third lead, and when they heavily plate
these productions they get out a deceptive
coin which has a pretty fair ring. The
good old standby test of the required
weight gives these coins away in the hands
Of one used to handling money, though in
some sections of the country they get into
circulation easily. The dollar-piece makes
the most dangerous of this class of coun-
terfeitS.
Some Of the molds are made Of metal.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
JERCEY PoRIKL
UNgER BERaEN HILL
Pennsylvania Tunnels
Meet Under Hudson River

NEW YORK, September Is, 1906
"A :TER two years and a half of con-
~ tinuous work the eastbound and
"a westbound shields in one of the
II foot twin tubes which the Penn
sylvania railroad has been driving
under the Hudson river to connect New
York and New Jersey have met. Now men
may walk through dry-shod from one state
to the other. The second tube, a few feet
20 the south is expected TO join about Oc-
tober 7. The meeting of the shields marks
the beginning of the completion of one of
the most astonishing engineering feats on
record. 1t means the realization of the long
time dream of the Pennsylvania railroad
to land its passengers in the heart of Man
haitian Island. Probably no feat of railway
strategy in the history of the United States
has attracted more attention throughout
the world than this one. Its completion Will
mark triumph over difficulties of ire
mendous magnitude, as this Will be the
longest tunnel ever bored entirely under
water.
For many years the Pennsylvania has
brought it's passengers to Jersey City, and
there they have had to stop. The company
looked longingly across the Hudson river,
but for decades it seemed impossible that
this longing could ever be gratiied. Engt-
neerS wagged their heads doubtfully whel
the project of a tunnel was preached. and
fnanciers were overcome at the thought Of
the expense of building bridge across tn
river.
i
Soon after President Cassatt took office,
however, at the head of the Pennsyvani:
system he determined that the ambition of
the railroad should be realized. In his an
f,r no ha
stated to the stockholders:
''In order that your company may perform
its duty to the public and secure its share
of the growing traffic 1t will be necessary tc
continue TO improve and add TO your prop
erty"
Then in the report for the year 1901 Mr..
Cassatt stated the determination of the road
in the following simple language:
THE board has long felt that your inter-
ests, as we'll as the convenience of the pub
lie, require the extension of your line into
New York and the establishment of a CEN
trally located passenger station in that city
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
Tombstone. to the Ll,Iss.

TO stranger the erection Of a tomb
stone 10 n living person seems rather
CHASTITY. but it's the custom In some
New England villages" said the travel
ing man. II was collecting quaint
epltaphs for a magazine article, and.
after had put up ny motor car on my
arrival In a villlge. | would go stalght-
way 10 the cemetery on an epitaph
hunt. There / would and. set up In lot
after lot, tombstones OF living people.
Each stone would contain the name
and the date OF birth. Ghastly. wasn't
~ met a pretty girl In a hotel In
New Hampshire. She was the land
lords daughter. She showed me her
stone In the cemetery. The last name
was left blank In her case. I may
marry. you know she explained" -
New York Press.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
THE WAILINo WOMAN.
A queer Old Legend of the City of
Mexico.

As IL generally known. senor. many
bad things are met with nj night In
the streets OF the city. but this waillng
woman, Ia Llorona. Is the very worst
OF them ALL She is worse by far than
the Vaca de Lumbre. that nc midnight
comes forth from the potrero Of Sau
Sebastian and goes galioping through
the streets Ike blazing whrlwlnd.
breathing forth from her nostrils smoke
and flames. because the fiery COW. se-
nor. while a dangerous animal 20 look
at. really does nobody any harm. and
La Ll0roua Is as harmful as she
can be.
Seeing her walking along quietly
at the times when she Is not running
and shrlekng Tor her lost children
she seems a respectable person, only
odd looking because OF her white skirt
and the white rebOso with which her
head is covered. and anybody might
speak to her But whoever does speak
10 her In that very same moment diesl
No one who has stopped her 20 talk
with her ever has lived 90 tell what
happens az that terrible encounter. but
Il is generally known that what does
happen is this: Slowly she turns TO
ward the one who has spoken. and
slowly she opens the folds Of her white
rebOso. and then Is seen bare grin
ming skull set fast 20 bare skeleton.
and from her fieshless jaws comes one
single icy cold breath that freezes into
Instant death whoever feels H. After
that. shrieking again for her lost chill
dren. she rushes onward. the white
CLEAN Of her gashing the darkness. aud
In the morning the one who spoke 70
her Is found lying dead there with a
look OF despalrlng horror frozen fast
In his dead eyes.
What Is most wonderful Is that she
is seen In the same hour by different
people In places widely apart one see
ing her hurrying across the atrium oi
the cathedral. another beside the ARGOS
de San Cosme and u third near the
salto del Augua. over by the prison of
Belen. and all In the very same mo
ment OF time.
She Il 80 generally known. senor' and
so greatly feared that nowadays few
people stop her TO speak with her. and
that is fortunate. But her loud. keen
waillngs and the sound OF her running
feet are heard often and especially on
nights OF storm. myself have heard
them. senior. but have "sver seen her.
CA fori,fd that ater shaiit-TlOmas
A. Janvler In Harper's.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
PASSPORTS IN FRANCE.
The kind That Were Issued In the
Tiu,c of Louis NvI.

ltMfN ot LOUIS Afis
The mysarious cards OF the Count
de Yergeul each contained n brief
history In cipher Of those 10 whom they
were given. DE yergennes was Louis
XVI.'s minister OF foreign affairs. and
when strangers OF n suspicious chnrac-
ter were about 20 enter France be Is
sued 20 them these strange cards.
which acted as passports. and were
also Intended 20 give information con
eerning the bearer without his knowl.
edge.
In the FIRST place. It's color indicated
the nationality OF the man who car
ried H. The persons age. approx
mately. was told by the shape Of the
card. A fillet around the border Of the
card told whether he was a bachelor.
married or a widower. Dots gave In
formation as 20 his position and for.
tune. and the expression Of his face
was shown by a decorative flower.
The strangers religion was told by
the punctuation after his name. II he
was a Catholic IL was a period. II a
Jew dash. II he was a Lutheran a
semicolon and no stop at all indicated
him nonbellever.
So a mans morals. character and
appearance were pointed out by the
pattern Of his passport. and the author
tiles could tell at a glance whether be
was gamester or n preacher. n ply
sician or a lawyer, and whether he
was TO be put under surveillance or
allowed TO go free. Sunday Magazine
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
LEGEND OF THE TOPAZ.
why the Jewel q. Called the stone
OF Gratitude.

The topaz IN called the stone OF grnti-
tude. and the old Roman books record
the following legend. from which the
stone derives this attribute:
The blind Emperor Theodoslus used
10 hang a brazen gong before his pal.
ace gates and sit beside IL on certain
days. hearing and putting to rights the
grievances of any Of his subjects.
Those who wished for bis advice and
help had but 90 sound the gong. and
Immediately admission into the pres.
ence OF Caesar was obtalg>l one day
a great snake crept up 10 We gate and
struck the hrazen gong with her coils,
and Theodoslus gave orders that no one
should molest the creature aud bade
her tell him Of her wish
The snake bent her crest lowly In
homage and stralghtway toll the fol-
lowing tale:
Her nest was at the base Of the gate
way tower. and while she had gone 10
find food for her young brood a strange
beast. covered with sharp needles. had
invaded her home. killed the ncstllngs
and now held possession of the little
dwelling. Would Caesar grant her jus
ticel
The emperor gave orders for the pOr-
cupine TO be slain and the mother 20 be-
restored 90 her desolate nest. Night
fell and the sleeping world had for
gotten the empero-'s kindly deed. but
with the early dawn n great serpent
glided into the palace, up the steps and
into the royal chamber and laid upon
each Of the emperor's closed eyeiids n
cleaning topaz.
When the Emperor Theodoslus awoke
he was no longer blind. for the mother
snake had paid her debt OF gratitude.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
WHEN NOT TO KICK.

When you get bad shave or hair
cut. Neither lasts long.
When you find you're going TO die
poor They haven't begun making
pockets In shrouds yet.
When your health goes back on you.
Life isn't very long, anyway, and a
healthy man dies just as dead as q
sick one.
When you discover a mean streak in
your noighbor lie has to stay with
that mean streak day and night. and
you don't
When you can't pay all your debts al
once. Your creditors would great
deal rather get the money in driblets
than not at all.
When you have had bad meal set
before you. You may get over II be-
fore the next meal even II you eat H.
aud you don't have TO eat II.
When your wife isn't In good humor
She Is partially balancing the books
against some OF your numerous dis
agreeable spells that you never make
note of-Chicago News.
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
MateriaIIstIe Man.

Sir James Crichton- Browne. the Eng
llsh physician, speaking before some
members OF his profession, protested
against the tendency 10 adopt too mate
rialistic an explanation Of man. The
raw material % a medical practice be-
came a mere contrlvance OF matter and
force; the brain OF this poor consumer
OF pills and potions a ''glue-like sub
stance. nlne-tenths water with little
phosphera= thrown In" They left Us
man." said Sir James, with a smashing
figure. "a motor car. self made and self
started. with no passengers and no
chauffeur. moved by series OF explo-
sIons or redistrlbutions OF energy. and
rushing on 20 inevitable destruction"
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21

Send some one, Lord. 10 love the best
that Is In me and 10 accept nothing less
from me. TO touch me with the search
ing tenderness OF the passion for the
Ideal. 60 demand everything from me
for my own sake. TO give me so much
that l cannot think OF myself and 90
ask 50 much that can keep nothing
back. a. console me by making me
strong before sorrow comes. 90 help
me so TO live that while | part with
many things by the way lose nothing
OF the gift OF life Hamilton W. MA.
Bile
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21
Incnnnrlinieh.

As the extra hand" rose from his
dinner In the farm kitchen the farmers
son Informed him that he aas 20 pitch
hay In the afternoon.
Il won't do itr' was the curt reply.
"All right. please yourself. II doesn't
make any difference TO me-" retorted
the farmers son. MY father told me
10 deliver the message. and II you
don't pitch you'll get into trouble with
him"
4 won't do Il for either you or your
fatherr' rejoined the man. you
should ha' told me sooner. At dinner
time filled myself for rakIng. and I
can't pitch"
Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1906-11-21

Millions Paradise Lost" was com.
menced between 1899 and 1912 and
completed about the time of the great
Ere of London" Ia September. 1895.
It's author composed u In passages OF
from ten to twenty lines at time and
then dictated them TO an amanucnsls.
usually some attached friend. II was
first published In 1861 by one samuel
simmons. and a second edition appear.
ed In 1914. For these two editions
Milton received 40 and his widow
IS more.-London Graphic.
The Washington times., 1906-07-08
ARMED NEUTRALITY EXISTS
BETWEEN BELMONT FACTIONS
ON THE ROCKVILLE ROAD
White Residents of the Pretty Suburb Will Fight Desper-
ate Legal Battle to Prevent Subdivision Becoming
COOred Settlement.

Satterwhite and clhers. and on last
Sunday the advertisement first appear
ed. Interviews with the new purchas-
ers developed only their intention 70
provide a suburb for that class who
might desire a pretty home convenient
to the city, while the dweIlers in the
neighborhood were not disposed to vel
come the coming OF that class of neigh
bors and were disposed 10 take steps TO
prevent it.
The land has a front Of about half
a mile on Wisconsin avenue, immedite4
ly opposite the subdivision known aS
Friendship Heights. and abuts the
grounds Of the Bannockburn Golf Club
and the Chevy Chase Land Company.
South il extends along the new Columbia
Boulevard about two hundred and fifty
yards. II has already been Plated into
streets. and contains l75 lots. lmme-
diately opposite. in Friendship Heights,
are the handsome residences OF H. w.
Offutt, l. y. Fowler, William Tyler
Page. Richard NJ. Ough, George f. How
The Washington times., 1906-07-08

A condition OF armed neutrality pre-
walls between the warning factions IN
the section. adjoining the District of
Columbia on the Rockville road. who
dispute the disposition TO be made Of
the subdivision known as Belmont. The
land. now owned by A. l. Satterwhite
& Co. and a syndicate Of colOred men,
has been advertised for sale to mem
bers Of the race, the announced inten-
tion being 10 transform it into cClored
settlement
It is this intention that has caused
the white men of the neighborhOod TO
rise in indignant wrath. Some Of the
most attractive suburban homes around
Washington are located in this section,
and the anger of these home-dweners
has been intense. aud their plans OF
meeting the invasion of the most drastic
character. Every success gained by
the agents for the property IN the sale
of lots has only served to increase the
anxiety and strengthen the determine
ton of the white residents.
Property Values VIII Slump.
Richard NJ Ough, leading citizen of
Friendship Heights. has announced that
the establishment Of a settlement for
colored persons in his immediate neigh
borhood would mean an impairment OF
the value Of his property and the des-
truction Of the peace and security Of
his family and the happiness Of his
home
The mass meeting to express the SEN
tfments of the dweuers in Bethesda,
Friendship Heights. Somerset, Drum
mond. and all that section has not yet
been held. bat Mr.. Ough says It VIII
be held. and that it viii arrange plan
of campaign entirely satisfactory and