THE LUCKY HORSE SHOE.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume I, Issue 93, 1 April 1911, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE LUCKY HORSE SHOE.

A .ichef in the lucky influence wrought by horse shoes is more widespread than is generally supposed. Hie superstition has been indulged iu by »«an.v men jis well as ignorant old ladies. Lord Xelson is supposed to nave nailed a horseshoe to the mainmast of i?he \ ictory, and Dr. James attributed the large fortune he made °”t of his fever powders to the finding of a horse shoe, which symbol he adopted as a crest for his carriage. In 1813 Sir Henry Ellis recorded the noting of seventeen horse shoes outside a house tn Monmouth Street, and few establishments were without one or two affixed to the door posts. The horse shoe unites within itself three ‘•lucky” elements. It is crescentshaped, it is a portion of a horse, and it is made of iron. Iron has from ita first discovery been regarded as a lucky metal. The Romans drove nails into their walls as an antidote to the plague and to this day the Arabs when overtaken by a simoom will hold pieces of of iron aloft and cry. .“Iron, Iron.” Horses have always been looked upon as luck-bringers; a horse's hoof placed under the pillow is yet regarded as a ■ specific for .many diseases in country places. The form of the crescent has from the earliest aiftfiquity been esteemed as a preventive against danger, and especially evil spirits. TFRXIXG THE TABLES. Among rhe first railroads built in the Flitted States .was a little line about twenty miles in length. In the course of time a big tunnel was constructed ‘ihrouuh the same country. The t-rigina! line became merely a branch. Eor many years it was in a cheap way, with, one locomotive, one engineer, and two or three luggage vans. Finally a new manager was appointed. He bad been in the office about a week when he sent for the one lone* guard who had held I, he position ever since the road was built. . "I want you to send in your resignation,” said the general manager. • “My resignation?” inquired the guard m astonishment ‘‘Yes. sir, yours.” * What for, pray?” “Well. I want to make some changes and get new blood into .the Imo.” was the general manager’s reply. “I won't resign.” answered th© man. ‘-Then I shall l»e competed to discharge you. a step which for y.mr sake I had hoped I would lie saved from taking." “Young man you will not discharge me. I own a controlling interest in the stock of this railroad, and elect ♦ho president and hoard of directors. I shall have you sacked.” The old guard did really own the majority of the stock, and. as he said, put in iiis own board of directors and president.