Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-02-23

guest Just through teoking over ne
days list OF arrivals. This act Is sup
posed to throw a baneful influence over
the house for a period OF nine days,
n that hotel is lucky which energies
therefrom without n serious acct
dent at least.
Old hotel men will tell you that the
night before the Baldwin burned In
san Francisco someone jokingly closed
the register before the yes OF the
night clerk; that three days before the
Gumbry, in Denver, was blown up by
It's boilers and some of the inmates
We're killed, a clerk discovered the reg
lister closed, and SO on ad lnfinitum.
Hotel clerks think 1t bad enough that
a negro woman applies for Il room, but
II she Is followed within an hour by
another, why, before twenty-four hours
have rolled around there will be a sui
eide in the hotel or a robbery which
VIII gain the hous much u~nenyiable
notoriety.
That bellboy who desires to get calls
for Ice water and such things from the
guests who will hand out the latest
tips never fails to spit in both shoes
before he starts on his shift. and 1t Is
commonly held among chambermaids
that to try a door three times or a
morning and each time find 1t locke is
a sure sign of death NOM the help
before next pay day.
Pet Superstitions Of Famous Men.
Many men of brains. wide reputation
and sturdy character have been or are
ruled more or less in their daily con-
duct by a peculiar pet superstition.
After William X. Vanderbilt has
made q bet at the race track, he en-
deavors to shun all his friends and &C
quaintances, for he feels certain that
If anyone speaks TO him and he there
fore las to break silence before the
| race has been won he will be numbered
among the losers.
Russell Sage has beer known to re-
fuse to transact business with any man
who Is preceded into his Office by a
buzzing fly. One day a broker who
had done business with Mr.. Sage for a
number of years was dumfounded to
be told In the curtest ann possible
by the noted fnancier that they could
transact no business that day; n not
until q week later did he learn the rea-
son for this unusual conduct. After
that the broker always took good care
to see that no files were with him when
he went into Mr.. Sage's presence.
Under no circumstances would Jay
Gould use an elevator; he had a super
stitious dread Of It.. x United states
Senator Chandler counts white horses
for luck until he reaches the number
thirty-nine, when he begins over again.
Many persons have a superstitious
preference for entering a room a GER
tain way. THE prosaic DR.. Johnson
always counted his steps before enter
ing any place, SO as to arrange that
his right foot should always precede
his left; or, again, touched every post
which h passed along a certain route,
fearing that, II he missed me-, some
misfortune would befall him."
Whenever he dreamed of crockery
General Grant felt sure that some good
| fortune would surely oon befall him,
and the night before he received his
commission as colonel Of an Illinois
regiment he dreamed of a field filled
with beautiful china. He Immediately
informed his wife that prosperity was
about to dawn pom their fortunes.
The great Nelson carried the land
lubber's horseshoe superstition with
him to sea, and while h Victory was
his flagship a horseshoe was kept
nailed to the miZzenmast.
Lord Wolseley has acknowledged
over his own signature: II not only
believe in many superstitions, but l
hug them with the warmest affection.
I believe in ghosts and amulets. l have
worn out the rims of several hats since
l have been In Dublin through my salu-
tations of single magpies."
SuperStltiOnS were Oh a
more common mold. He had a strong
aversion to the number thirteen II to
Friday, on which day he would do
nothing that he considered important.
When General" Boyer, Bazaine's en-
voy, arrived at the German headquar-
tiers at Versailles on Friday, october I,
Bismarck would not see him until the
next day, pleading his superstition.
Some years later, when he was talk
ing about one of the few defeats which
the Germans suffered in the war with
France, he said: II beg o to OBJ
serve, gentlemen, that that happened
on a Friday"
The late James G. Blaine was ruled
by a superstition which kept him from
turning back to his house TO get some
thing that ne had forgotten. This Is
said 10 be the reason why messages
were continually travelling between his
home in Washington n his desk In
the capitol. and later In the state de-
partment,