Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-12-02
Curious West.lndian Superstitions.

With certain plants and with certain
animals there always goes bad luck, in
the opinion Of the West Indians. The
stephan0tis, rich in leaves and flowers
though 1t is, il an unlucky plant in some
mysterious way. But, considering OF
how slow growth II is, you have, at least,
very long time during which the storm
IL brewing before it actually bursts upon
you.
There IN another plant, however, that
brings much more serious trouble upon
any house near to which it grows, and
this Is OF quick growth. 1t Is the plant
which q Barbadian may be pardoned for
thinking the most beauteous Of all flowers.
] mean the i'oincioha pulcterrimd, or
',pride of Barbadoes' or I" towering
fence" as II Is also called. In ST. Croix,
where 1t goes by the unpoetical name
doodledoo," 1t Is never used as II hedge.
Exceeding beautiful as il is, IL only
springs up here and there, without cult
walton or care People are unwilling to
run the risk Of the unknown troubles
and all the more alarming because I'M
known--which will follow the planting
OF II.
That other splendid and most snowy
tree, the Pothctaaa regfa--the " iiamboy-
ant, +" or flame. tree" sometimes called in
~. Crois giant doodledoo''-is not hurt
full in ITSELF but 1t Is remarkable as tree
under which jumbies like TO sit An old
man who transplanted large one to my
rectory actually charged more for his work
on account Of the danger that he said at
tended the meddling with such jumby
tree"
As regards animals, guinea. pigs may
be mentioned as specially unlucky, at
least in ~. Croix. There are families
there, among those from whom one would
not expect such things, whose children
would on no account be allowed To keep
these pretty little pets. What precisely II
the harm they do Is not stated. All you
can get out Of anyone Is; "Oh, they always
bring trouble to u house; they're very un.
lucky.n
Birds have apparently more i'll luck at.
tending them than animals. For any bird
whatever 10 fly into your house and over
your head Is at least indicative of some III.
tidings you are To hear before long. Birds
have always had, ever since solomons
days, propensity 10 carry news. He
warns us not TO curse the king or the rich,
lest "a bird of the air shall carry the
the Natter And most OF us can rcmem.
Der some little bird" being jokingly
given 10 us by our grandmothers or some
old friend OF our childhood as the author.
ity for some piece of news.
But the only news that birds in the
West Indies carry Is i'll news, II would
seem. II Is reserved for the "black bee"
or carpenter bee,n so called because he
bores holes In wood, 10 come buzzing
with any kind of news he can catch, good
or bad. He Is true gossip Only give
him piece Of news and away he flies,
buzzing In the ear Of this one and tile
other one, telling II 10 every one he meets,
whether they wish TO hear II or not. Your
efforts 20 get rid of him are as vain MS
those OF Horace when victimized by his
friends loquacity. =" Ma dgis, usque ten,
ebo, persequar,n Is the spirit In which the
fellow acts. The negro belief about him
Is that when he comes buzzing up To you
you are sure 10 hear some news before
long. He can scarcely, however, be con.
sidered abundant in any West Indian
island. There is, to say the truth, such a