River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-04-09

| also am here, the great DR.. Rutherford,
the witch-doctor of Boston y
"Doctor," inquired Edward in a loud
voice, "can you tell who is conjured and
who is not 7"
81 cannot tell unless robed in the
Establishments of plagiarism and the
satellites of hygienic art as expunged by
the gyrations of nebular hypothesis.
Await vel" He and Mr.. Smith went
into the house.
The negroes were very much impressed.
They have excessive reverence for grand
Eloquent language, and the less they UNI
derstand of it the better they like it.
"What dat he say, honey = asked old
Nanny. 81 can't heer like used ter. +"
''He says he will be back soon, Nanny,
and tell if any of you are tricked," said
and just then Edward and the Doctor
reappeared, bearing between them pine
table. On this table were arranged about
forty little pyramids of whitish.looking
powder, and in their midst stood
a bottle containing some clear
liquid, like water. DR.. Rutherford
seated himself behind it, robed in
the black gown he had used in the dissect-
ing room, and crowned by a eonical head
piece about two feet high, manufactured
by Edward and himself, and which they
had completed by placing on the pinnacle
thereof human skull. The effect Of this
picturesque costume was heightened by
two large red circles around the Doctors
eyes whether obtained from the juice Of
the pokeberry or the inkstand on Ed
wards desk need not be determined.
In front of the ia bic stood the negroes
men, women and children. There was
the preacher, decked in the clerical livery
of standing collar and white cravat,
but, perhaps, in Difference to the day of
the week, these were modified by the
secular apparel of a yellow cotton shirt
and homespun pantaloOns attached to a
pair of old "galluses" which had been
mended with Irvine, and pieced with
leather, and Heightened with string, till,
if any of the original remained, none
could tell the color thereof nor what they
had been in the day of their youth. THE
effect was not harmonious. There was
Nanny, with her low wrinkled forehead
and white turban, and toothless gums,
and skin Of shining blackness, which tes-
titled that her material wants were not
neglected. There was Wash, a great,
stalwart negro. who ordinarily seemed
able to cope with any ten men you might
meet, row looking so subdued and dis
pirited, and of complexion so ashy, that
he really appeared old, and shrunken,
and weak. There was William Writ,
the pillow boy, affected by chronic grin
which not even the solemnity of this oc-
casion could dissipate, but the character
Of which seemed changed by the awe
struck eyes that rolled above the heavy
red lips and huge white teeth. There
was Apollo-in social and domestic lr-
| cles known as 'Poller there he was, his
hair standing about his head in black
tufts of horns wrapped with cotton cord
to make it grow, one brawny black Shout
der protruding from rent in his yellow
cotton shirt, his pantaloons hanging
loosely around his hips, and bagging
around that wonderful foot which did not
suggest his name, unless his sponsors in
baptism were Of very satirical turn.
| There were Martha and Susan, and Miner.
va and Cinderella, and Chesterfield and
Pitt, and great many other grown ones,
besides crowd of children, the smallest
among the latter being clad in the
diShdbitLe of a single garment, which
reached, perhaps, to the knee, but had
little to boast in the way of latitude.
There they all stood in little groups
about the yard, looking with awe and
reverence at the great DR.. Rutherford,
who sat behind the table with his black
gown and frightful eyes and skull-crowned
cap.
"You see these little heaps Of powder
and this bottle of water. You will come
forward one at a time and pour a few
drops Of the water in this bottle on one
of those little heaps Of powder. If the
powder turns black, the person who
pours on the water is 'witched. If the
powder remains white, the pevson who
pours on the water is not 'witched. You
may all examine the powders and see for
yourselves whether there is any differ
ence between them, and you will each
pour from the same bottle"
During silence so intense that moth.
ing was heard save the hum Of two great
"bumblebees" that darted in and out
among the trees and flew at erratic an
giles above our heads, the negroes came
forward and stretched their necks over
each others shoulders, peering curiously
at the little mounds of powder that lay
before them, at the innocent-lookins bot
tie that stood in their midst,a the great
High Priest who sat behind. They
stretched their necks over each others
shoulders, and each endeavored to push
his neighbor to the front but those in
front, with due reverence for the uncan-
ny nature Of the table, were determined
not to be forced too near it, and the re.
suit was quiet struggle, silent wrestle
an undertone Of wriggle, that was irresist-
IDLY funny.
Then arose the great High Priest !;
"Range We ~
Not knowing the nature Of this order,
the negroes scattered instanter and then
collected eli massc around Mr.. Smith.
"Range ye! range!" repeated the doc.
tor with dignity, and Edward proceeded
to arrange them in long, struggling row.
urging upon them that there was no
cause for alarm, as, even should any Of
them provp fWitchpd the doatnp had