The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-06-18
Something About the lucky Horse Shoe

The horse shoe, now all the rage as orna
ments,and affected by men and women alike,
has long been considered token of good |
luck, especially by sailors. Few sailors |
would start ON a voyage in a ship on which |
the potency Of the horse shoe was not ac.
knowl edged. 1t must be kept at some con-
spicious place as a sign of good luck. On
Western steam boats, not deck hand could
he induced to engage himself on steamer
that did not have partly worn horse shoe
nailed over the companion way of the bow.
Very'often they are near the figure-head
at the stem Of the bow. How long this su-
persttion has prevailed, it would be impos-
sible to tell. 1t is by no means of recent
! origin. Horse shoes aud corjurors have
been allies. To find whole horse shoe in
the road that has been cast from the animal
and sill retain five of the nails ia it is con-
sidsred remarkable token of good luck.
But should any one find horse shoe with
all the nails in it, he may consider himself
endowed with wonderful powers of magic.
This conceit, no doubt, had its origin in the
TACT that it is almost impossible for horse
to cast the shoes while all the nails are in
tact. There lived man in Shenandoah
county, Va, who claimed to have found
such horse shoe. His name was Uonard
Gerst. He had little education, but was con-
siderable of knave. He proiessed to be
able to work wonders. and was believed by
many people to possess certain powerful con-
juring powers. Gerst was shoemaker,
and very poor, for he was too lazy to work,
and had a large family of children He
could heal the sick, recover stolen articles,
cure diseased cattle, find underground streams
of running water, make the butter come for
the dairy women and drive off witches. A
woman churned all day over churning Of
cream but the butter would not come. She
sent for Gerst He told her to get an old
horse shoe, heat it red hot and cast it into
the churn Then, after cleansing the churn
with boiling water, he guaranteed that the
butter would come at the next effort And
more. If the woman would inquire carefully
among her neighbors she would discover thai
some Of them ian eye enemy would have Q
| severe burn on some part of her body
There We're plenty of people who believed in
this. Another case. A widow lady living
two miles from Gerst had sum of money
stolen from her. Instead of giving it into
the hands of the authorities, she sent fol
Gsrst. He inquired into the affair, and af
!, ter performing number ofincantalions witt
|, a stick that he carried and placing his horst
shoe in the fire and cooling it in the spring
he announced contidentially that on th,
morning of the second day thereafter tn,
money would be found in certain place
The conclusion of the copjuror was widel,
II circulated and on the morning indicated
quite number of people assembled at tn,
widows house to see the prediction verified
- The money was found at the place indca
i ted. The solution was that the THEFT, who
> ever he was, believed in Gerst's prefer
' ded power, and returned the money out
fear. The superstition that imparts the vii
tues to the horse shoe gave birth to the pre-
! vailipg idea that makes it the emblem
good luck