Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1875-11-20

MS new departure Oh the J3Uh "
Question. We are glad he has go
near the Republican masses again
in his recent choice of q sturdy
leader, not of the namby-pamby
order to fill the post of Secretary q
the Interior. His last three previ.
Gus designations to Cabinet post.
tions We're well elor2h in THEFT
way-but they were not eminent
ly OF the people that elected him
But lack. Chandler Of Michigan
bold, indomitable, incorruptable
old lack who thinks what he says
and says what he thinks-who
never fiinched from foe nor never
went back upon a friend-who
wears all his faults upon his sleeve
and does nothing by stealth, not
even to drink a glass of old rye be-
hind closet door--bluff, hearty,
downright, outspoken--the bust
ness man who made his own for
tune by attention to details--a man
of more grasp of irtell i than
show of learning, perhap~ but a
Statesman nevertheless who dis
played his craftsmanship in the
dark hour when the country need
ed men like him in her councils,
and when the dress parade of state
craft wilted or turned traitorous."
Here is local for which your
own correspondent it will be seen,
Is given as authority in this new
paper:
1T was to be hoped that with
the REFRESHING influence of slavery
the tendency to superstition of the
grosser kind had passed fro Il the
minds of the colored race. Bat an
incident, which we are about to
print, indicates that it is still prev
alent. 1t is this: The other day
colored woman, who was pass
ing the residence of DIR. Snodgrass
in this city, with a bucket partly
filled with coal cinders, was kind
ly invited to help herself to some
waste coal in the kitchen yard. -
She went In and commenced to
gather the coal pointed out to her.
She had not continued long at IL
before she was heard, crying out
to waiting companion, "Martha,
Martial" at the top of her voice.
Being asked by some one what she
meant, she seemed almost speech
less with fright, and shot out of the
yard in perfect spasm of fear.
On inquiry, it was ascertained
that she had happened to hear the
head of the house addressed as
Doctor" THAT was the first sus-
picion the poor creature had that a
person so called resided there
whereupon she conceived the idea
that she had been invited into the
yard with the malign purpose on
the Doctors part, supposing him
still in practice, to "kill her and
make medicine out of her bones,'
a superstition as to how medicines
are procured, which is quite prev
alent among the more ignorant of
the blacks, it appears.
The same gentleman tells a sto-
ry of colored woman who stop
ped In her tracks and refused to
bulge an inch until a couple of vi
ais of tincture. which lay in her
path, where they had been acct
dentally dropped few moments
before were removed by the owner.
She took it into her head that some
"conjurer" was attempting to put
"pizening spell" upon her
''spells" being matter of sealed
belief among uneducated colored
people, as relic of the Fetch be-
lief and worship of their ancestors.
Clearly the schoolmaster was not
sent abroad among the blacks too
soon. The common schools pro-
vided for them so wisely-the OPP
position of 30 many "Conserva-
tives" to them, to the contrary
notwithstanding-will do much
toward curing the coming negro
man and woman of the gross delu-
sions which now so beeloud the
minds of many of the eX-slaves."