Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-14
ROOMS NUMBERED 13
REGARDED WITH FEAR
BY TRAVELLING PUBLIC
HOTELS GENERALLY AVOID
USE OF BALEFUL FIGURES
Unlucky Happenings and Loss of Ar
ticIes by Theft from Apartments
So Marked Credited to Dreaded
Numerals

The susperstitious nature of many
persons and the awe and dread in
which the baleful figure "13" is held
are shown more forcibly in the hotel
business than in any other walk of
life.
But small percentage of the float
ing" or travelling public, ever will
consent to engage a room at a hotel
the number of which embraces the
figures / and g. Many persons look
with such dire forebodings on the un-
lucky number they will not even con-
sent to engage room the figures of
which combined will total "13."
There are many persons who, from
experience, have good and sufficient
reasons to think there is something
strange and uncanny about the num-
ber and regard its association as sure
premonition of danger, and warning
which unless needed will result disas-
trously.
A middle-aged business man walked
into the Hotel Hollenbeck yesterday
afternoon, and in the usual manner
asked for a room. Clerk Al Selby, after
inquiring the kind of room wanted,
handed the man key bearing the num-
Der 213. Instantly the stranger passed
1t back with the remark: "Well, 1
think this trip is sure to be financial
loss. Look at that number! Why, 1
sat in the chair car all the way from
Ell Paso simply because the only
berth that was not occupied was num-
her 13 and 1 would not have slept in
it if the refusal obliged me to walk to
Los Angeles. Now 1 come here to
register and am given a key with the
number 13, and see by the date line
on this paper that today is June 13.
If that's not a warning that something
Is going to go wrong / miss my guess.
| surely will keep my eyes open for
the next few days for l have learned
by experience that number 13 and my
self are not compatible, and l have
abandoned all attempts to rid myself
of what at first l thought was
foolish superstition"
Fears Evil Will BefaII Him
The stranger was given another room
and walked away satisfied, but still
possessed of the idea something evil
is sure to happen. Clerk Selby did
not appear surprised and stated it was
a usual occurrence to have persons re-
fuse to associate with anything that
bears the number 13.
"All persons do not carry their SUI
perstition to such a degree, but 1t is
for that reason that rooms bearing the
number 13 are generally omitted from
all hotels and rooming houses said
Mr.. Selby. I'VE have no room bear
ing the exact unlucky figure, but in
stead call the room 12A, and the next
one a.
Some slightly skeptical persons who
would be afraid of the number 13 be-
lieve that all evil connections are
eliminated when associated with an
other figure, such as 213. But in many
hotels, where / have worked, the un-
lucky figures never are used. and 1t
is generally the custom in all hotels
to arrange the rooms so that 13 is
entirely avoided"
A tour of the leading hostelries in
Los Angeles showed that 49, rooms
had been avoided studiously when the
plan of numbering rooms had been ar
ranged, and also brought forth inter-
esting stories of events that transpired
when the "13" rooms were in vogue.
Persons contemplating suicide, for
some ineXplicable reason, always sought
rooms numbered with the unlucSy fig
ures, and it is this which first made
the rooms so numbered to be regarded
with fear Petty thieVing. upsets in
love and matrimonial affairs, loss of
valuable heirlooms and other happen
ings which mar the blissful course of
life have been directly attributed to
room "13."
These events began to become so
pronounced that room 13 was looked
upon with distrust and suspicion,
which ultimately resulted in the aban-
donment of the figures.
At the Angeus, before the present
system of numbering was used, story
is told which caused room 49, to be
tabooed forever as far as the Angelus
is concerned.
Given Unlucky Room
1t happened wealthy woman, who
yearly visited Los Angeles and always
roomed at the Angelus, was on one
occasion given the 'hoodoo" room. She
o{ I1..f htrf the
of her leaving and why the Angelus
lost one of its lucrative guests was
made public before she took her bag
| gage and left for other quarters.
It seems the woman had made an ac-
! ouaintance in a previous visit which