The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-09-10
A College Inquiry Shows
Many of Them
RELIC OF IGNORANCE
fourrhs Believed in Influence of
the sharp Edged Instrument
Views % the Moon and
Four-Ieaf CloSers

San Francisco, Cal, September =
To what extent superstitions still re-
tanned a hold among educated people
wa the information sought in a recent
inquiry by Prof. Fletcher Bascom
Dresslar. mead of the department OF
education OF the University or Cali
fornia The striking results Of his
investigation have Just been mad
public in q 240-page report on Sup
erstition and Education" published by
the university.
The data from which his conclu-
sions are based was obtained from
SIS students of California normal
schools. between the ages OF sixteen
and nineteen. Approximately so per
cent. OF those furnishing the desired
information were women. The meth
od pursued vas as follows. Slips Of
paper We're handed 10 the ude
and they were Unexpectedly requested
10 write out every superstition they
could remember. With an honest ex-
preston Of belief or non-belief in il.
The belief was recorded in one Of
three forms. If a student fairly felt
that he could neither affirm fun be-
lief in a given superstition. nor deny
any belief whatsoever, he was allow
ed the alternative of stating that his
belief was partial Prof. Dresslar.
IN tabulating his results. however.
added together those expressing be-
lief and partial belief. on the ground
that the latter, while indefinite and
conditional, was nevertheless belief
and That it was as persistent and as
thoroughly SuperStitious as full be-
lief.
The total humble of separate and
distinct statements of superstition
and expressions OF belief from these
2 Jdan p no ? 4 = . 49,
1851, or 551 Per cent. were u~nquali-
fiedly expressed declarations of nom
beIlef. Confessions of belief num-
bered 1925 or 44.9 per cent. of the
whole, These latter were divided in
to two groups, 2,132 of which were ex-
pressions of partial belief, while l.
093 were frank confessions OF rull be-
lief.
Despite the fact tina Professor
Dresslar disavows any of
furnishing interesting reading for the
general reader, his report certainly
nils that definition. His study of the
subject, he tells us, grew out of a
desire to discover why students of
normal or college grade seemed I'M
able to look at the problems of life
in a scientific way. But whatever
his purpose, certainly this study has
resulted in a valuable by-product for
students Of folklore.
what they Believed.
From the returns in his hands
Professor Dresslar was able to COM
pile a table representative of the most
superstitiOus holdings of today. This
table which follows shows the super
stftiOnS in the order of the frequency
with which they were mentioned by
the SIS students examined. The col
umnS OF figures represent respectively
the number of expressions Of % non
belief, CD partial belief, CD full be-
lief, and % the totals.
If you drop a dish rag you will
have company, (1) II; CD 80; CD
o.; Cd 1873.
Thirteen is an unlucky number, Cd
70; CD 40; (3) Is: (4) 1877.
If you break a looking glass you
have bad luck. Cd AS; CD AZ; 49, 16;
ca 113.
Evil will come to you if you start
a journey on Friday, % 81; CD "a;
i, CD 81; (4) 81.
If you give a friend a present of a
will cut your friendship, 90 "a; CD
So: CD 81; - SO.
To open an umbrella in the house
brings bad luck, CD 81: CD p; CD
6; (4) IS.
II you see the new moon over your
right shoulder. it is good luck, Cd
AZ; CD So; CD 6; ca 81.
Never begin a piece Of work on
Friday. for it will bring mad luck, %
A; I'D 20; 90 Is; (4) 70.
If a rooster crows before the front
door. you will have company, % As;
CD 27; CD 6; Cd 70.
See a pin and pick it up,
All the day you'll have god luck,
See a pin and let it lay,
You'll need a pin all the day, %
AZ; CD "a; CD II. Cd II.
If thirteen sit together at table,
one of the number will die before the
year ends, % 35; CD IS; 80 16; "a
10.
If a task be begun on Friday, it
Will never be successfully done, %
%; CD 20; CD 26; Cd II.
To find a pin with the point toward
you is good luck Cd 30; 60 80; go
z; (4) 50.
If two friends walk on opposite
sides Of a post, they will quarrel CD
%; CD "a; 90 Is; "a 81.
If you find a horseshoe, YOU will
have good lucy, % IS; CD "a; CD =;
% sc.
II You see the new moon over yeur
left shoulder, you'll have bad luck,
Cd 20; CD "a; Ga 8; (4) Sc.
To dream of a death means a we'd
it, 1 \ -. , -. . O.