"I cay' make one of a party of thirteen," he exclaimed; "some of us will be sure to die within a week."
Thus spoke barber Jacob Gross, of Batavia, on the J2th of November last. The occasion was a dinner party. When the guests were all seated Gross noticed that there were thirteen at table.
The others tried to laugh him out of his superstition, but he insisted that he would not eat as one of the company of thirteen, A fourteenth guest was therefore added to the number.
"Now we're safe," said Gross, and the festivities proceeded.
Gross boarded at a hotel in Batavia. Ten days later the hotel was burned to the ground. The wext morning the body of a man was found inthe ruins. It waste body of barber Now, this is a curious thing to happen, cerinly; but is it more than that? Do you there is anything in the common irteen is an unlucky number or that Friday isan unlucky day of the week 'As much business is done on the 13th of the month as on any other date, and on Friday as on any other week day.' You wouldn't refuse to take thirteen eggs for a dozen if your grocer insisted on it, neither do you have more bad Inck on Friday than on any other day of the seven, Nu, no, it's all humbug and nonsense. Barber Gross's superstition had nothing under the sun to do with hiis death.
Besides, he dined as one of forrnot thirteen. Don't be silly. is: Nature indulges in no senseless tricks. jolting the laws of life, but not for assembling in groups of thirteen at dinner. Here we havea man who says he was afraid locat. Why in Mercy's name, was he afraid eat? Had he, too, some idle and foolish stuff in his head about bad luck? Not He'd been glad enough to have eaten in a thirteen party on Friday if the dinner would only have stayed on his stomach and digested after he got it down. But it wouldn't and his fear grew out of that.
He says, "I had a fulness and tightness at the chest after meals, and such a dizziness me that I could scarcely sce.
was in the spring of 188; felt tired, dull, and heavy, with a sinking sensation at the stomach. My appetite was variable, and "t know what to eat. In fact nothing seemed to suit me. There was a feeling of weight and pain over the eyes and at the back of my head. T became very weak. and it was with difficulty that I kept on with my work. In this way I continued for twelve months, during which time I suw a doctor. and took various medicines; but none of them did me any good, and I grew worse. In June, 1888, I read in the Darlington Timex about a person who had been handled just as I was, and had been cured by a medicine alle Mother Seigel's Curative Syrup. On the strength of this I got a bottle from my brother, William Teasdale, grocer, Copley Lane, and began taking it. Ins short time all pain left me, and I was able to eat and digest. my food, and have since been well and strong. I still take the Syrup occasionally and i€ I feel any signs of my old complaint, dose or two sets me right. Iam a collier, and have worked at Woodland Colliery for over ten years. If you think the publication of this letter might be of use
of it.
others, you are at liberty to make that use (Signed) "'Joseri Teaspane. "Copley, Butterknowle, Durham, "November 5th, 1891."
Now that Mr. Teasdale is cured of his ailment, indigestion and dyspepsia, he would probably not refuse an invitation to dine with twelve other nice people any day. And in such case we stand ready to guarantee that none of the party will die within a week, especially if they all take a dose of Seigel's Syrup inimediately on rising from the table.
(1) 21, 28jy & dau 100
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.