The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1877-03-03
SOME NEGRO SUGGESTIONS.

SU4E NE6kO SUFEkSIlTl0NSs
A northerner removing to Southern
State can hardly fail to be impressed by
the nun ser of superstitions current
among the negroes in that section, and
if employing them, may occasionally
find the execut on of some command
interfered with by this feeling. Gener.
ally, however, q negro, when ordered
to do that which he believes will bring
''bad luck" will obey under protest,
trusting that the evil incurred will be-
fall the instigator of the deed rather
than the unwilling instrument.
Sweeping room in the afternoon ;
taking up the ashes from q fireplace
after dusk; trausplanting a cedar-tree !;
taking hoe into q dwelling (unless it
be at once carried out back wards, which
breaks the spelD /; wearing the clothes
of dead person, unless they have been
washed in rain-water, or ripped apart
and made over, or worn the first time
to funeral-al these the negro of the
old school regards as sins to be pun
ished with death or disaster.
Few colored people will voluntarily
kill cat. He who does 50 will all his
life be followed by "bad luck" and
whatsoever he doeth shall not pros
per-" In fact, Pussy is an unlucky
animal, and if taken with a family re.
moving to a new home, death will
occur in the household before q year
has passed. No one who has ever list
ened to the weird cry of q screech-Owl
will marvel that when heard near q
dwelling it is regarded as q harbinger
Of death. The whip-poor-wil is also a
bird of evil omen, and when it alights
on or near a dwelling house, the he
groes come out with fire. brands aud tin
pans to brighten hin away. But the
common jay-bird Is, above all others,
the object of their detestation. Firmly
believing that the innocent creature
carries sticks to the devil to kindle his
fires, they kill every one they can
catch, and tax. an exultant delight in
20 doing.
The old saw about Growing hens is al:
ways verified among these people.
Such unseemly conduct ON the part Of
the hen is believed to foretell death,
and only her massacre within "A hours
can avert the threatened evil.
1t is "bad luck" to build house
near a gravey ard to cut new door in
an old house, or to add to such dwell
ing; to leave grave oven over night,
or to fail to leave the utensils employ ed
in dig ing 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 a family must on no ac-
count change chambers. The house
will in such case change owners within
the year, either by death or reverses of
fortune.
Ii a negro, imbued with the SUPER
stitions of his race, starts to place
and turns back ere the journey is ac-
complishei, he will make cross mark
thus X with his foot, on the ground,
and spit in the center of the mark thus
made, believing that this precaution
neglected, some misfortune would be-
fall him when again passing that way.
Negro children when argry with one
another take vengeance by +" crossing
with a SWITCH" and will give COM
rade light blow with such a weapon,
exclaiming, "Dar, now yCu's gwine git
q whippin' TO night
And the threatened child will promise
all manner of things, if only the other
will revoke the "cross," which is done
by second stroke in the same place
by the same switch in the same hand
before the cross "has had time to
COOL"
Another superstition current among
the race is that ordinary water can not
extinguish fire caused by lightning.
Rain water will put it out, so al will
blood or milk but they have no faith in
the efficacy of common water.
If milk be spilled on the ground, the
COW that gave it will 60 dry.
II the nails of nursing infant are
cut, the child will grow up to be dis
honest; they should always be bitten.
Nor must the baby be showed itself in
the looking-glass; that would "make
it teeth hard" Putting the child's
clothes on over its head before it can sit
alone is also considered unlucky; it
should be invested with them feet FORE
most-which is certainly fortunate
superstition for the baby.
The negroes in the Southern States
practice q method of divination which
is, SO far as l have been able to ascer-
tain, peculiar to themselves, and of
which believe no account has ever be-
fore been published. 1t is known as
turning the SITTER" and is Of very
ancient origin, probably dating back to
some African fetch. Partly at least it
is, .owever, religious rite. The meet
ing is opened with prayer, and the per-
son who officiates is usually some prom
ineRt church member, often deacon,
and sometimes preacher. Those in
terested in the affair are assembled in
solemn conclave. In the center of the
room where the meeting is held two
chairs are placed back to back, and an
ordinary meal sifteris balanced between
them SO delicately that its equilibrium
might be disturbed almost by breath.
Sometimes only one chair is used; on
this it is 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.
''By St. Peteri
By st. Paul!
BY the Lord
Who made us ALI
u-toOk-"
(the missing article is here name0,
Turn sitter, turn and fall"
This is the sole Incarnation, and the
rhyme is repeated over and over, each
time with different name, until the
whole roll has been called or the sitter
falls. The negroes have great faith in