davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01
Superstiitiions of Americans
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN
BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN.

Boss. I reckon We better tU'n rOun'
an go back" said an old white-haired
negro. who was my chosen charioteer on
q drive through bit Of Southern country.
He pulled up the horses and looked wor-
ried. why turn back?" I asked. The
road seemed good, and / saw no reason
for delay when important business
awaited me in the town beyond. wy,
didn' you see dat rabbit? He cross de
road 10 de lef, and he ain never gone
back yit- Hitu shO bring bad luck 10
go on I gwine git out an mex a cross
mark in de road an tu'n 'roun to de
cross-road an go the yether road" It
took much persuasion 10 convince my
aged Jehu that my business was more
important than the observance of his
superstition.
When I told the incident to my host
that night he smiled and said: Did you
pump him on the superstition question?
II you had you would have found a
mixture OF modernism and African fetch
ism that is queer and inexplicable. That
old negro would get up at any hour of
the night TO put a shovel in the fire. or
throw salt on the Goals, or turn the
pockets Of his trousers if he CHANGED 10
hear the shivering cry Of a screech-owI
IN the trees near his cabin. If he heard
q dog howl three nights in succession On
his front porch nothing would convince
him that some member of his family was
not doomed TO die, and if he should find
a bit OF hair, chicken feathers, bones, and
herbs rolled in a tiny bundle and put
under his doorstep. he would likely move
on account of this hOodoo put there by
some enemy"
Ny host smiled as he pushed another
cigar over the table to me. and said: Il
suspect most of US have "a vein Of super
stition running through our makeup"
Then rather sheepishly he drew a rabbits
foot, silver-mounted, and fastened to a
chain. from his pocket and held it up
to me. This is pretty good mascot /
ind One of the negroes got It for me.
L am not sure that it is the left hind
foot OF a graveyard rabbit, killed at mid
night in the dark of the moon on the
grave Of a murderer by a red-headed,
cross-eyed negro as the recipe calls for,
but / do know that I am not going TO
leave this house without It,
The only day I left it at home since
l got it my horse threw me. and / was
laid up with a broken collarbone for two
weeks. Why, they say it's superstition
that makes me always have my meat
killed in the light of the moon. but I
honestly believe that meat killed any
other time shrinks away in the cooking.
Same way with soap. Ny wife never has
her soap made in the dark Of the moon.
and she had old Mary watch carefully 10
see that it isn't stirred the wrong way.
Our family has always adhered to the
custom Of planting beans on Good Fri
day, custom that came over with our
forefathers from England. believe. 1
don't know its origin, but we always plant
that day"
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

toner. Pickpockets will never rob a
hunchback, a cross-eyed person. or a
man with club foot Railroad men are
averse to changing a schedule on Friday,
or to taking an engine out for It's maiden
run on that day. The number nine is a
hoodoo on some roads. Occasionally a
certain engine gets a bad name among
railroad men. as did the TOT on rhe
Denver and Rio Grande some years ago.
1t proved to be the most bloOdthirsty
engine in the history OF the road. After
It had killed nine engineers in twenty
months and the entire force had threat
ened to strike on its account, it was con-
demned to the junk heap.
Many Of our customs date back to the
Dark Ages and are based on superstition
We sit up with our dead because long
ago our ancestors kept watch by night
lest evil spirits come and bear the body
away. We shake hands with the right
hand because that is the dagger hand
and means that We disarm ourselves in
the presence Of a friend. We bow the
head in passing others because our ances-
yoke of the oppressor. Men bare their
heads because they had to unmask in the
days Of chivalry before the Queen of
Beauty.
Laugh who will. the faint Of ancestral
belief in omens runs in all our veins.
This superstitious dread may be shown
in the Northerner listening for the were
wolf. the Eastern housewife carefully
setting the head of her bed to the north.
the Southern negro singing over his dead
to charm away evil spirits, or the cattle
man of the West watching for suspicious
signs in the mood Of his restless herd
but, rich or poor, high or low, the seed
has been sewn in us all and we are still
more or less thrall to the mystic beliefs
that were rife In the olden times.
TO-mOrrOw-The Great American
Game of Politics.
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

see the rats leaving a ship and there
will be an immediate exodus on the part
of the sailors, for that means the ship
win sink and that every member of the
crew viii be a candidate for Davy Jones
locker.
Gamblers are said to be next to sailors
in belief in the occult, and stage folks
are third in line. Once a scene-shifter was
called IN to sit at the table In one OF
Drew's plays, when at the last minute
the number Of characters was discovered
TO be thirteen. An umbrella must not be
opened on the stage; a cross-eyed person
in the front row is considered to queer 4
play. and almost every actor and actress
will observe certain rules of their own
in going on and off the stage. Almost
every actor has a personal superstition
that TO any one else would be amusing
1t is told of Lawrence Barrett that be-
fore he would play certain roles he al
ways carefully ate the exact half of a
pie; that Mccullough would always make
a change in his cast before a play was
allowed to go on if he happened to see
the moon over his left shoulder as he
came down TO the theater, while Forrest
would never have an actor with him who
could not look him directly in the eye
BARRIERS believe that a left-handed bar
Der will bring bad luck TO their shop,
and seriously object to being the person
10 shave the first Monday-morning Gus
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

Grace George IS getting ready 70 show
New York what she can DO IN such
plays as "DivorcOns' and The Lady
from the Sea" which she will present
there during an engagement TO begin n
April. She viii not drop the Hopg0od-
Pollock play, Clothes" in which she
was seen in Washington, but will alter
nate it with the others.
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

We drifted into a long discussion Of
pfesent-day supersutons, concluding that
after all we hadn't come far from the
old-time traditions and beliefs Of our less
enlightened ancestors who dreaded black
cats because they might be witches. who
saw winding sheets in candle drippiugs
and journeys in coffee grounds As a
nation we doubtless cling to our super
stitions because they are a sort of lux
ury, and not because we really haven't
the strength to shake them of. Some one
has said that We like old, picturesque be-
hefs and customs quite as much as We
do old china. old books old pictures. and
old carvings.
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

1t hasn't been a century ago since rural
jewellers in North Carolina were surrepti-
tiously placing Bibles under the heads
Of their sleeping children TO charm away
the same witches that dweTers in Old
Salem and Boston had tried and burned
hundred years before when caught in
human shape. II am not superstitious at
all / am really too enlightened" some
charming housewife will tell you. and
then will add with "a smile, "but I do
hate 10 cross funeral procession on the
street or begin a journey on Friday"
Many women will never start the making
of a dress on Friday, and if a spark from
the fire should burn a hole in the gar
ment while it is being made, it is con-
sidered a sure sign that the wearer will
die before the garment wears out. To
turn back for a forgotten article after
one starts out Of the house is d bad sign,
unless one sits down a minute in the
parlor to avert evil. To turn back twice
is good luck.
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

Whatever you do, If you are taking a
sea voyage, don't dare to whistle unless
there is a great calm at sea. Whistling
will bring a wind, so the seamen say.
They may graciously permit you to
whistle bit If the boat is becalmed, but
just try it when there is a wind! The
skipper may sternly advise you to "cut
il out unless you want 70 bring gale.
Sailors arc said to be the most super
stitl0us Of all people, and it is well
known that they have a deep-rooted OBJ
lection 10 having a preacher among the
passengers. or q corpse brought aboard
Just what disaster the SKY pilot or "A
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

Manager Daniel Frohmsn and Play
wright Rex Beach have at last got their
nerve and The Spoilers in such share
that they have determined to spring The
Alaskan piece on New York before tne
middle of March
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

Paul Armstrong has been looking Kyrle
Bellew over with view to writing him
play that will III better than the two
latest he has appeared in. 'Brigadier Ger
ard and "A Marriage Of Reason"
Armstrong thinks he can do it, and is
going TO try, anyway.
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

NaudeviIle is sweeping all before it in
Chicago Two more of the legitimate
theaters of the town have gone over to
vaudeville making five big houses in
Chicago now devoted TO that sort of en-
teTtainmeut
The Washington herald., 1907-03-01

Sing before breakfast and you will
weep before dark, runs another old say.
ing, and some country folk believe that
he who cuts his nails on Sunday viii
suffer much shame and modification be-
fore the day is over. To put a stocking
on wrong-side out when dressing I'm the
morning is very bad luck, unless the
wearer viii sit down at the exact noon
hour and turn the unconscious tool OF
destiny True, this performance might
be embarrassing, but il must be done to
change the luck. In some communities
a custom brought from the Old World
requires member Of a house where
death has come to go out and whisper
the news TO the bees in the hive and bee
them TO stay, else they viii depart.
Thirteen will always be a hoodoo num-
Der. 1t has survived centuries of reform
and progress, dating back. il is said. Ia
the Lords Supper when Judas BETRAYED
his Master. Men are even more uneasy
over this number than women. often re-
fusing 10 sit at a table where there are
thirteen, and declining point-blank to
occupy rooms in a hotel that bear the
eabalistic sign. This superstition is so
general that up-to-date hotels and steam
eTs have no rooms numbered thirteen.
The divining rod is still to be found in
this country, though people have laughed
time and again over the superstition of
the day Of the father Of Prophet Joseph
Smith, when that worthy went seeking
for buried treasure, or for good locations
for wells, with his hazel wand.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
FIGHT NOTES

Billy Snailham states that he has
been matched with Kid Texas by
the San Diego club for November.
Billy also says that he is willing
to back his brother Tommy against
Tony Earl for substantial side
bet any thine the South City box
er wants to fight. billy laughs at
Earl's claim of broken hand.
Portland will see as clever an
aggregation of young boxers to-
gether when the racific coast
championships are held here next
April as came here during the
Lewis and Clark exposition. Ath-
retic clubs of San Francisco, Seat
tie, Oakland, Portland. Aberdeen.
Los Angeles and probably Spokane
and Sacramento will be represent
ed Multnomah is hoiulng try-outs
among a large class of youngsters
for the Northwest boxing and
wrestling tourney Nov. 8, when Sc
attic Athletic club artists will be
here.
Lew Powell and Jack Clifford
are to fight ,20-round go in Sac
ramentO on Nov. IL. The men have
signed articles calling for so per
cent of the gate receipts and are
to weigh in at 1876 pounds This
should be rafting good fight, as
Powell is a clever chap, while Cliff
ford possesses one of the hardest
punches of any boy his weight
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
ELECT LIEUT.. KUNzIG
CAPTAIN

Lieutenant Kunzig. Of Fort
Wright, was elected captain of the
S. A. "A. C. football team at the
8 o'clock dinner at Davenport's
last night. This is mark Of good
sense on the part of the players.
Kunzig is a great tackle and bold
as lion. His running mate at the
fort, Lieutenant Dickson, is too
light for football, but if he were
bigger than a minute he and Kun
zig would make almost a team
themselves, for Lieutenant Dick
himself is about as aggressive a
person as was ever in this neck O.
woods 1t might be added that the
squad appointed Secretary CASTOR,
OF the 10000 club, yell leader"
and boss rooter" Fred's duties
will be the same as boss carpen-
ter, main gazaba' and King of the
Dump.
The squad, or as many of it as
possible, will assemble at O'Clock
this afternoon at Natatorium park
for practice under Coach Varnell.
The football team has just one
ambition this year-the defeat OF
Multnomah.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
COLUMBIA E. RED MOUNTAIN
RAILWAY COMPANY

Notice of Stockholders Meeting.
SPOKANE, WASH, OCT. 81, 1907.
The annual meeting of the
stockholders of the Columbia &
Red Mountain Railway Company
will be held at the Office of the said
company in the City of Spokane,
Washington, on the 18th day of
November, 1907, at 1870 a. M, for
the purpose of electing trustees
and for the transaction Of such
other business as may be brought
before said meeting.
Among the business to be trans
acted at said meeting will be con-
sideration of and action upon a
proposition to sell and convey to
the Great Northern Railway Com.
pany all Of the railways and prop
critics Of every name and nature
owned by the Columbia e Red
Mountain Railway Company.
The stock transfer books will be
closed at $3.50 o'clock p. m. on
Thursday, Oct. 81, 1907, and re.
main closed until 10 a. m, Nov.
IL, 1907.
w. H. FORTIER, Secretary.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
SPOKANE FALLS G. NORTHERN
RAILWAY COMPANY
Notice of Stockholders Meeting.

Notice of Stockholders Meeting.
SPOKANE, WASH, OCT. 81, 1907.
The annual meeting of the
stockholders of the spokane Falls
& Northern Railway Company will
be held at the Office of the said
company in the City of Spokane.
Washington, on the 18th day of
November, 1907, at II o'clock a. M,
for the purpose of electing trustees
and for the transaction of such
other business as may be brought
before said meeting.
Among the business to be trans
acted at said meeting will be con-
sideration of and action upon a
proposition to sell and convey to
the Great Northern Railway Com
pany all of the railways and prop
critics Of every name and nature
owned by the Spokane Falls &
Northern Railway Company.
The stock transfer books will be
closed at $3.50 o'clock p. m. on
Thursday, oct. 81, 1907, and re-
main closed until 10 a. m, Nov.
II, 1907.
w. H. FORTIER, Secretary.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
PLAN TO SAVE WHEN APPARENTLY
DEAD FOR HOURS FROM DROWNING

me as my own child. This little
girl fell into the Fox river at Elein.
In four minutes | had her out of
the water and was rolling her
across the barrel in the old method
laid down in our medical books. |
kept her body cold and tried to get
the water out of her lungs. But
she died.
Then the thought struck me that
the whole system was wrong. 1t is
absurd to keep the body cold, for
that stops circulation through the
capilaries because of their con-
traction. Then made the startling
discovery that no living person
could get more than one drop of
water in the lungs.
Just as soon as You get drop
of water In your windpipe you
cough and suffer sensation Of
srangulation. The water does not
go into the lungs because the wind
pipe closes Involuntary. Water
may get into the stomach of the
drowning person, however.
''Since then | have lived near the
water in an enort to try my system
on supposedly drowned persons.
believe now that the real cause of
drowning is a sort of paralysis.
Life is for time suspended. The
continued cold in itself would cause
death. have resuscitated persons
who have been in the water ana
apparently dead lor 20 minutes.
and I believe that even five hours
might not be too long a time to re-
store them.
MY plan of rcsusciration is this:
Get the body out of the water as
soon as possible. Wrap it in
blankets and take at once to tub
of running hot water. Pour not
water on the body until it becomes
warm. Then reach your fingers
down the victims throat and for
chilly raise the epiglottis off the
windpipe. This is easily done as
soon as the body becomes warm. 1t
allows the air at once to fill the
lungs. Then pump air into them by
slowly working the arms at the
sides. Re careful not to press the
stomach as that will force water
from the stomach into the mouth
and stranglo the patient"
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
IS NOT A NEW
RACE

LOS ANGELES, Nov. 7.-Arc..-
deacon Octavius Parker. who spent
seven years at Eugcnee Ore, before
going into Alaska % years ago
smiles at each recurring report of
the discovery of new race at
Kuskawim. He says he discov'
cred 20 years ago that "sinless
race" He remarked to an inter
when I arrived at the Kusko-
vim river In 1887 | stopped with
the people described as a new
race by DR.. George b. Gordon, of
Philadelphia. who mas just return
ed from Alaska. | have the best
reason to remember it, for il was
there that my life was threatened
and | was saved as by a miracle.
i had occasion to punish one of the
natives who helped me to pitch my
tent Fifty of these people sur
rounded me and made all sorts OF
hostile demonstrations to indicate
that they meant to kill me.
II had knife In my belt and a
large revolver in my hip pocket
but | never thought of them, and
IL ! had attempted to use them
should certainly have been killed.
What moved me to 90 1t cannot
tell. but | pulled off my coat and
made threatening demonstrations
with my fists, and rhe next thing
l saw the natives We're all running
IN II \ Al
next village that they thought
was either an evil spirit of di.
vine spirit forget which-and in
either case they decided not to mo.
lest me-"
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
May MATCH 0'KEEFE
AND THOMPSON

Efforts are being made to get
County Prosecutor Barnhart's con-
sent to fight on either Thanksgiv-
ing or some other near date be-
tween Maurice Thompson, Mike
Buffers assistant at the Spokane
Amateur --etic club, and Jack
O'Keefe, the clever welterweight.
Both men have fought in this city.
The match. provided it can be pull
ed off, would attract many fans
who are eager for something in the
fight line as reminder of the old
days, instead of the poor exhibit
lions between socalled amateurs
seen at the club the other night.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
BY r. r. FRAZER.

CHICAGO. Nov. DIR. II. X.
Whitford, best known physician in
Elgin, ILL.,, has after 20 years of
investigation announced discov-
cry which may mean the saving of
hundreds of lives annually. He has
demonstrated a plan Of resuscitat-
ing persons who have apparently
been dead from drowning froa long
time.
According to DR.. Whitford, many
persons have been buried who
could have been saved. and he
gives out the result of his studies
and experience for the benefit of
the public generally.
81 was led into this investiga-
ton 20 years ago by an Intellectual
attempt to save the life of a little
girl at Elgin, who was as dear to
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
TRAINING SCHOOL OPENS

WALLA WALLA, Nov. AT st.
Mary's hospital the training school
for nurses was formally opened
No exercises of any kind attended
the opening. but the school Is now
ready for students ana will take
care OF all applicants from now on.
A large number OF applications
for admission have already been
received and 1t is expected to have
a number of young ladies actively
engaged in practical work in the
near future. The physicians OF
the city will constitute the faculty
and this assures one of the best.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
WEALTHY MAN DISAPPEARS

PORTLAND, Nov. with ne.
gotiable paper for 81 500 and more
than ). 900 in cash in his pockets
when he left the home Of friends
at st. John to visit his fiancee. Mrs.
Sida de la Mer. Frank Mclean a
wealthy architect of San Diego,
Cal, is missing under circum-
stances which convince his friends
that he has been murdered. AL
most frantic with anxiety. the WON
an to whom he was to have been
married sit and looks at the mag
niflcent wedding trousseau and the
costly hat which she was to have
worn as n bride, and in one breath
denies that there Is any truth in the
report and In the next bewails her
sad fat0,
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
NEW BUILDING CONCERN

WALLA WALLA. Nov. 7.-Of-
fetal announcement was made this
morning for the first time that all
arrangement have been made and
practically every detail worked out
in the organization of one of the
largest financial undertakings ever
launched in the state of Washing
ton.
Theh organization will be known
as the Walla Walla Security Co.
and viii he comprised of 10 local
business men. The object of the
company will be to build and other
wise advance interest In Walla
Walla property
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
SPOKANE NORTHERN TELE.
GRAPH COMPANY,s - -
Notice Of Stockholders Meeting

Notice Of Stockholders' Meeting
SPOKANE, WASH, OCT. 81, 1907.
The annual meeting Of the
stockholders Of the Spokane North
ern Telegraph Company will be
held at the office of the company
in the City of Spokane, Washing
ton, on the 18th day of November,
1907, at HAS a. m, for the purpose
of electing trustees and for the
transaction of such other business
as may be brought before said
W. H. FORTIER, Secretary
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07

husband in great distress over an
unjust will, carried constantly in
his hand.
Weird stories were told by a
nurse Of the dead woman of gypsy
lamentations and midnight baths
with a magic lotion, neither of
which proved of beneficial effect
upon her paralysis.
All of these things, Mrs. Garrus
charges, were instigated by the
nieces of her father, and finally
combined to induce the mother to
cut her off with an annuity of only
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
DUPLEX PIG LIVES AN HOUR

BIDD'EFORD, Me-, Nov. IL. B
Merrill, of North Parsonsfield, has
a pig with eight legs, four ears
and below the head and neck two
perfect bodies. The animal is very
small, having lived but one hour.
The owner has already had an of
fer for it from a scientific society
in Boston, but is holding it pend
ing an offer from a museum.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07

NEW YORK, Nov. Tt is gen.
orally considered that Tuesdays
elections have eliminated William
Randolph Hearst as a factor in
politics. 1t is believed that the In
league will throw it's
strength to the republica nparty
from now on.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
WEIRD, GE4OS7Z Y STORIES TOLD
DYING WOMAN MAY BREAK WILL

CHICAGO, Nov. BLACK art of
the creepy, uncanny. nerve-twitch-
ing sort is being exploited in Mrs.
lAdah l.. Taylor Garrus' contest of
her mothers will.
Half dozen witnesses, testifying
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07

TACOMA, Nov Mrs. F. NJ
Cocker has asked the police to find
her 14-year-old son who has been
missing since Friday. Mrs Cocker
alleges that another boy, Mark
Vanslike. has made threats against
her boys life.
The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-07
THEATERS
SPOKANE

The 'Kilties" tonight. In add
ton to the choir and band they
have with them Angus Mcmillan
Fraser, champion piper and dancer
The "Kilties' are all Scotch.
Canadians and wear native cos.
tunes.
Clarence Benefits "The Holy
City," is to be the attraction Fri.
day and Saturday, with Saturday
matinee.