American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-07-25
SUPERSTITIOUS CREDULITY.
The follics of supcrstition and crcdu

still prevalent 4 scrccch-owl hooting
at night alarms the nearer as the roar of
Il lion would do. \ rusty nail or Il
crooked pin is invested with prodigious
powers The ticking of the death
watch" is Il prognostic of the death of
some one dear To us. The loud cracking
of furniture in room or the breaking of
Il looking glass-both of which accidents
are often caused by II sudden change of
temperatures horrifying, and causes
us to expect the death of "A
near relative Sudden chills com
ing over us signify that an enemy Is AT
that moment moving on the place where
our grave will be some time.
The practice of seeking for water by
means of magic applications is very com
mon in all parts of the world. The
process employed by these practitioners
usually rev,rend-looking old men,
whose appearance is calculated to allay
mistrus0 is to take in their hands in pc
culiar manner a triangular branch Of
witch-haZcl or willow, with which they
pass over the ground until the wand
turns in their grasp, with the angle point
downward, under which exact spot
they promise that water will be
found These watcr-witches assure
you that when they come to
the right places they cannot con
fluencc on it being various, and accord
ing to the depth of the water from the
surface operated on. In many mining
regions the same methods are applied to
find mineral deposits, the wand employed
being usually made of IA thin and flexible
metal prepared for the purpose, for
which magical virtues are claimed.
To discover lost articles it is usual to
spit on the palm of the left hand, and
q, oh, al
fore finger of the right hand. Then by
following the direction in which the
farthest particle of the spittle has been
splashcd we shall find the thing sought
This means, however, can be used only
within the circumscribed limits of Il
room or playground.
With regard to charms here are some
which are still in common use: If when
walking you get IA pain in your side, lift
a stone, spit where it lay, replace it and
go on neither speaking nor looking back,
and the pain will leave you Are you
afraid of spooks or any supernatural hob
COLLINS, press your thumbs into the
palms of your hands and the ghosts will
not come near you. To make your vine
gar sour write on Il piece of paper the
names of the three most viXenish women
you know, throw the paper into the cask
and the vinegar will become as acid as
you can desire Purslain placed in your
bed will prevent visions, especially of i'll
omen or discomfort. Sew four-leaved
clover in any portion of your wearing
apparel and good luck will follow you
wherever you go.
Our farmers SOW Their flax on the one
hundredth day of the year; their clover
seed in March, when the almanac sign is
in the Crab, so that the roots may spread
and hold fast, and the frOsts of winter
cannot draw them out. Fences must be
made when the sign is up, else they will
sink down in the ground. Houses must
be shingled in the down sign to keep the
nails from coming up. l know a very
fine old woman, believer in signs
for planting garden-truck, who once
planted her potatoes in a down sign, and
when she came to dig them declared that
she would never plant them SO again, for
they got down so deep that she could
scarcely find Them Timber must be cut
in certain signs to keep it from rOtting
Cattle and hogs must be slaughtered
when the sign is up, so that the meat
may swell when cooked. Potatoes must
be planted in Libra, so that they will
weigh heavy or grow large. They can
also be planted in the Lion, to make
them grow strong and large. Peas and
beans must have their poles stuck when
the sign is. So with hops, or they will
never climb. Cucumbers must be planted
on the LIST of May for the first crop;
for the second crop plant on Whitsuntide,
when there Will be a tremendous yield
because there is always IA large crowd of
people keeping that holiday.
The belief in lucky and unlucky days
and numbers is equally widespread.
Whoever happens to have been born on
any of the unlucky days, unless provided
In tnl IN ar}n hp ct
take pot luck" and play a grab game
all the days of his life. No business of
Importance must be commenced on Fri
day, save that of hanging, trimming the
nails or cutting the hair. Do not move
on Saturday for if you do you will not
stay long Saturday is also an especially
unlucky day 10 be married on.
These superstitious beliefs are kept up
in the same manner in which they were
transmitted to us from our Scandinavian
ancestors-by teaching them to children
too young to question their truth. Old
people sit by fircsides and tell ghost
stories until every listening child's eyes
grow large and glistening with fear.
Thus impressions are made on the plastic
mind which years of study and intelli-
gent reasoning do not always eradicate.
How many persons are afraid to go into
the dark alone or to pass a graveyard in
the night. How many neighborhoods
on this continent, as well as in Europe,
have their haunted houses, with local
traditions, which are related with at
least the affectation of belief! My inter
est in the subject has led me to investi-
gate the causes of the noises and visions
more than once represented to haunt
certain places. In several instances
where | have expressed this intention |
have been met with earnest arguments
to dissuade me from making the attempt.
Several of these explorations were made
in secret, without any previous announce
ment. Such inquiries have brought me
to the conclusion that the ordinary
noises heard about the so-called haunted
houses are produced by rats, mice, flying
squirrels, owls, hawks, bats and other ami
mails which usually harbor in deserted
buildings. The Grtraordinary noises are
made by cracking or decaying timbers,
falling plaster, bricks, etc, but sometimes
by thieves who resort to these places for
the purpose of hiding their plumber, and
who seek to make the suspected places
avoided by the people of the vicinity.
The lights seen lowering and fitting
around haunted places, whether houses
or dark dismal retreats, are often car
ried by the persons referred to, and their
occasional appearance strikes terror
into the hearts of the beholders. An
other and more common cause of these
luminous appearances is found in the
phOsphoric eXhalations arising from the
compost-piles, decaying timbers and
tissues of all kinds which abound in such
localities.
In one famous haunted house on the
road between Yellow Springs and Xenia
Ohio, these exhibitions were specially
noted The people throughout that re-