ILL LUCK IN THE OPAL. Experiences of Mitchell, the Boxer, and Others With, the Distrusted Stone.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 357, 6 April 1889, Page 4

ILL LUCK IN THE OPAL. Experiences of Mitchell, the Boxer, and Others With, the Distrusted Stone.

How many people there a) c who at seme time or other have read or heard stories which tend to create the belief that opals bring ill luck to their owners, writes a correspondent from Troy to the New York 'Sun.' Super&titious persons have great faith in the notion, and not a few who would deny that; they are at all given to superstition at heart believe that opals and bad luck travel hand in hand. Bookmaker James F. Cleary of this city bought a very pretty scarf-pin a year ago last month. It has a handsome opal in the centre, and this is surrounded by brilliants of the first water. A 'Sun' correspondent learned that Mr Cleary was willing to sell the jewel at a liberal discount Meeting Mr Cleary on Monday, the writer said : 'I heai you want to sell that pin ?' ' I have been strongly tempted to do so a dozen times,' Mr Cleary replied. 'Now, I amnotsuperstitious,butmany acquaintances have told me I would surely have bad luck as long as I kept it, and thus far there has been more trubh than poetry in their utterances. For the first time since I have been in business I had a very bad year in bhe one just closed, and my ill-luck began very soon after I bought the pin. My book has been a heavy loser, and other ventures in which I was interested resulted unprofitably. Still 1 don't attach the blame tor* this state of facts to this pin. But T'll tell you a story about another opal and diamond pin. When Kilrain and Mitchell were here the other day I had quite a talk with Charley Mitchell. He noticed the pin and said to me : 'I had a pin very much like that one, and 1 had bad luck all the time I kept it.' * I remarked that my luck had not been good since I had bought this pin.' ' " Get t rid of it," said Mitchell. " I gave £28 for one in London, and from the day I bought it until I sold it I had nothing but bad luck. Everything I touched went wx-ong. I was at Newmarket and couldn't pick the winners at all, and, in a moment of desperation, I sold the pin to a bookmaker- named White, one of the heaviest operatoi son the English turf, for £10. I played the races with that money, and when I left the track I was over £50 ahead. But White's book, lost heavily, and for a long time he had a run of bad luck, while tickle Fortune was more considerate in her treatment of me. White finally sold the pin to a third party, and the bad luck that attended White and myself visited the new purchaser, and continued until he sold it to a fourth man, but I do not know how he made out atter becoming the owner." ' I must confess that since I had that conversation with Mitchell, I don't think so much of the jewel as I did.' Mr Cleary continues to wear the pin, and probably when the boys who play the horses in his book read this story, they will hope that he will not part with it.

Mr Wyllie, better known as the "Herd Laddie," the champion draught-player, is now on a visit to Sydney, and has already begun his campaign against the local players. He has played thirty games, twenty-five ot which he won, four were drawn 1 , and one was won by Mr Drury, a member of the School of Arts. ■