Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-08-26

N.ft Htlf e ....... ..IN# 60 - .fi.. V
eitt ,iu iuu. nb 90 ln iplfrs-t.i
lt tHr numbtr e .ipe-luiun. urFn'
umou 'lc urtr .rs ~ tyo' section. nul
U cDl!oDrH tntn. my ,,,as'nrIl4y y
ind the execution f -oH command Il-
tcIic,cl with / Y tia, iceiirC. tcnel1'iy
how ever. a negro, when ordered 10 10
that which hc believes vii! bring him
" bal lack" viii obey unioc protest.
trusting that tie cyilincur.ed viii befall
the instigator Of the deed rather than
tie unwilling instrument.
Sweeping u room in tho afternoon;
taking up tie dishes from Fireplace
after dusk; transplantins cedar tres;
digging Il grave with new spade or
hoe; taking hoe into dwelling (un-
less it be once carried out backward,
which breaks the spelD; wearing the
clothes ola dead person, unless they have
been washed water, OR rippelapart
and made over, or worn the first time
to funeral-all these the negro OF the
old school regards as sins to be punished
with death or disaster.
Few colored people will voluntarily
kill a cat. He who does SO will all
his life be followed by /" bad luck and
whatsoever he doeth shall not prosper
In fact, Pussy is an unluckly animal,
and if taken with :. family removing to a
new home, death will occur in y house
hold before year has passed. No one
who has ever listened to the weird Cry
of q screech-owl will marvel that when
heard near dwelling it is regarded as
4 harbinger of death The whip poor
will is also bird OF evil omen, and
when It alishts on or near dwelling
house, the negroes come out with fire.
brands and tin-pans 70 ichtcn it away.
But the common jay bird is. above all
others the object of their detestation.
Firmly believing that the innocent crea-
ture carries sticks to the devil to kindIe
his fires, they kill every one they can
catch, and take All oyultaat delight in
so doing.
The old saw about Growing hens is al
ways verified among these people. Such
conduct on the part CT the
hen is believed to foretel! death, and
only her massacre within twerty-four
hours can avert the threatened evil.
:: It is 8; bad luck" to build house
near grave yard; TO cut new door III
an old house, or to add to such q dwell
ing to leave Il grave open over night Or
to fail to leave the utensils employed III
digging the grave lying where they were
used until the next morning-all these
entail death in the household where
they are done.
The head Of the family must on no
account change chambers. The house
hold in such case change owners within
4 year, either by death CT reverses OF
fortune.
If a negro,i mbued with the supersti-
lions of his race, starts to q place and
turns back ere the journey is accom-
plished, he will make a cross mark thus
with his foot, on the ground, and
spit in the center of the mark thus made
believing that, this precaution neglected,
some misfortune would befall him when
s9ain passing that way.
Negro children when angry with one
another take vengeance by crossing
With switch, and will give comrade
. light blow with such a weapon, ex-
Oar, now you's gwine git
~hippin' fo' night
And the threatened child will promise
I'll manner of things il only the other
will revoke the "cross," which is done
by a second stroke in the same place by
,he same switch in the same hand before
he "cross'' has had time to cool.'
Another superstition current among
he race is that ordinary water can not
n fire caused by lightning
Rain-water will put it ont, so also will
blood or milk; but they have no faith
in the efficacy OF common water.
II milk be spilled on the ground, the
cow that gave it viii! go dry.
If the nails Of a nursing infant are cut,
the child will grow up to be dishonest,
they should always be bitten. Nor
must the baby be shown itself in :he
looking glass; that would make it's
teeth hard" Putting tho child's
clothes Oh over its head before it can sit
alone is also considered unlucky; it
should be invested with them feet icra-
most-which is certainly q fortune su-
perstition for the baby.
The negroes in the Southern States
practice method OF divination which
is, SO far as I have been able to ascar-
tain, peculiar to themselves, and Of
which [ believe no account has ever be-
lore been published. It is known as
' turning tho siftcr,'' and is Of very
ancient origin, probably dating back to
some African fetch. Patty at least it
IS, however, religious rite. The meet
ns is opened with prayer, and the per-
son who oliiciatas is usually some prom
nen5 church member, often deacon,
and sometimes preacher. Those in-
terested i'll the affair are assembled in
solemn conclave In center Of the room
where the meeting is held two chairs are
placed back to back. and an ordinary
meal sitter Is balanced between them SO
delicateiv that It's equilibrium laiSht be
disturbed almost by breath. Some
times only one chair is used; on this it's
more difficult to balance the sitter. The
priest of the oracle folds his arms, and
stands apart from sitter and chair, that
all may see that he does not touch
either. and then soiemnlv repeats the
following verse:
BY st. Peter.
by 81. Paui.
BY the Lord
Who made us all.
lt-tOOk---
(the missing article is here named)
Turn, siftr. turn and fall.
This is the sole incaDtation, and the