Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-06-02
NANNY ISABEL, THE WITCH
'0MAN.o

Nanny Isabel was celebrated char
acter in our neighborhood, her renown
arising from the possession of several
accomplishments, the chief of which
was the power of "trickin',n or '.cun-
jerin'.'' The popular pronunciation of
her seemingly pretty name may be best
learned by reading the opening lines of
poem addressed to her, ''when she was
young and charming" by n sable ad-
mirer of unusual erudition:
oh, lubly lzzable,
You makes me so miZZable!
Ineber IL happy 'cep' when you is vizzable" :"
She was what is called "Gullah mig
ger;' that is, she was born in Africa,
and was brought to this country when q
child. She always maintained that she
was the daughter of a King, and had
been kidnapped by mistake, nobody
ever having had the cruelty to suggest
to her that perhaps her papa had pos
sessed a superfuity of offspring, and
had been charmed to part with score
OF so on favorable terms. In proof of
herroyal birth she was fond of exhibit
ing pair of broad bone bracelets,
which, fitting loosely about her wrists,
would not pass over her hands, and also
necklace of ''teeth," which always en-
circled her regal throat. About these
teeth she made various statements-at
one time that they had been extracted
from the jaws of warriors slain in bat
tie by her valorous sire; again, from n
tiger which had fallen u victim to the
same mighty hand. They were shape
less bits of some hard substance. not
much like the grinders of man or beast,
but they were held in the utmost rever-
ence by all the negroes, one of whom
confided to me the popular belief ON the
subject:
"Does you tink dem dar teef of Mann
my Izzable's is teef? Nav, sab, dem
amt no teef-couldn't nobody chaw
muffin wild dem pinted tings, I'll tell
you what dey is"-and here his voice
sank mysteriously as If half afraid to
utter his thoughts "dey is de debip IS
toe-naits. Ain you neber heerd dat song
bout
Did you seber, eber, eber see the debil, debil,
A-scratehin' up de grabble wild his long toe.
nailsr
Arter while dey gifts SO long he's
'bleeged ter cut 'em of, an den he 9Th
'em ter Nanny Izzable fer ter trick
wild. Gollyl hope she won't neber gil
wrarthy 'ginst mel and he covered At
the very thought.
Nanny Isabel's personal appearance
was very striking. Although of q
great age, she still carried herself per,
fectlyerect, and her small trim figure was
always clothed in scanty black woolef
dress, short enough to expose another
token Of her royal blood.-tiny feet o
beautiful shape. Upon her head was
huge red turban, disclosing at eacl
temple a tuft OF snowy wool. Her skin
was intensely black, and a pair OF heav,
white oyerhanging eyebrows gave
singularly uncanny expression to hei
small brilliant eyes; and the big silvel
rings which dangled from her ears pu
the finishing touch to an appearance a
weird and striking as any witch oman
could have desired.
Woe be to the unlucky individual VIII,
offended this embodiment of magic an,
theblack-art, or for whose dscomfitur
anybody would pay her good fee
His children would begin TO pine away
his" craps would fail, his hogs gro,
lean, and his fences tumble down, an
he himself be subjected to aches ant
pains innumerable, and perhaps eve
death itself, unless the "cunjei'' wa
removed by II timely bonus TO TN
dreaded witch 'oman.n This bein
the general belief, there Is small wonde
NANNY Isabel. whose rule for money
making certainly worked both WAYS
should gradually have become III
Crpsus as wel as the ORACLE OF tn
neighborhood. She was also muc
esteemed for her skill IN doctorin',