Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-05
Packages Which are Treasured by
Plantation DarkiGS,
Some Quaint Superstitions Re-
garding the Virtues Of
Snake Teeth.
Men Who Have Seen Ghosts-Be-
witched by a Lizard.

long ag) wnlie n fortnight
In a village near Atlanta, | entered
the efice of the village physician and
found the good old doctor critically
examining a curious little package,
which seemed to be composed wholly
of cords and cords and cotton q
| He babe me take q sent and listen to
the story Of them mystic package,
| which was one of q series of similar
episodes interspersed through his pro.
fes.ional career:
zone day an old colored man, who
10 q thrifty tenant on an adjoining
plantation, came to me for treatment.
I prepared . simple remedy for his
ilie, and he opened q time worn leath.
or pouch to produce my feet when q
email, tightly wrapped parcel, on
larger than q silver dollar, fell, un.
noticed by him, upon the floor. When
he had gone ] discovered 1t and laid it
upon my table. After q few days he
returned, according to my instruc.
lions, to enew his prescription, and I
pointed him to the diminutive parcel.
His white eyes opened wider, and his
and his face was the very picture Of
wonder and doubt as he stored 1t care
fully away In the bottom of his inside
coat pocket, from which he soon drew
q large red handkerchief, and again
the precious charm Wal unconsciously
landed In q pile of papers upon my
desk. I laid 1t away, determined,
when alone, to know its contents.
II knew there was a custom among
the negroes of carrying about their
persons what they denominate q
charm bag which, having been car.
ried concealed from all eyes ave the
owners for q certain period of time,
would possess sundry subtle potencies,
such as warding off danger, keeping
away evil spirits and communicating a
presentment of any approaching ca
iamity. Evidently 1 had captured a
charm bag I cut the cord that
wrapped the exterior cover and found
that the hidden treasure was yet SO,
curely enveloped in a scrap of calico.
Removing this, the parcel presented
the programme, my prze seemed to
be composed of a series of concentric
wrappers, esch differing from the one
Immediately preceding only by a
fresher color Of the calico print and a
scarcely perceptible diminution in bulk
until I reached the last wrapper that
concealed the secret of the African al
chemist, and" said the doctor, unfold.
ing q bit of cloth, 'here it is"
"What is it2' I asked, inspecting a
small collection Of what appeared to be
tiny bones and dried leaves.
"Snake teeth, these are, and these
little bits of dried tissue are portions
of some reptiles skin. But I an
unable to classify these peculiar fos'
sils," and the doctor rubbed som
little particles in his hands ant
chuckled.
Two days afterWsrd the old darke,
returned again, and the d 1ctor, with
searching expression on his face, agail
handled the ''charm bag, folded up aut
tied as he had found it, to its owner
who refused to take it, saying, with
ccmical but serious shake of his head
BOSS, 1 done gin it up; you des wei
keep 1t, do" And he believes to thi
day that the Doctor had "tricked him
so that his charm bag could not leav
that office with him,
/ once knew a negro servant VIII
went to a physician and declared tina
> a certain old woman had become vexe
with him and had "conjured" him
and that every day he could feel
8 lizard crawling down his leg, Til
physician prescribed for some little il
regularity in his circulation and dill
L missed his patient with a sever
, repfimand for his fooling notions
u The faith of the ignorant man was NJ
shaken, however, and instead of ge
!, ting we'll he grew worse, until final
=. he became seriously i'll. Upon lear,
J ing Of the peculiar nature of his ma
y ady the owner of the plantation sc,
). for another physician and to-
him the particulars, whereupc
the doctor, understanding Il
influence welded over the boo
by the mind, adopted a different pl;
of treatment. He humored the whir
of the patient, told him he had be,
tricksd, and spoke confidently of
ability to make the lizard leave l
% l. dyings, which he did In this wa
I'd Engaging q school.bo to capture
ID small lizard, he kept him until t
G, proper time, visiting the sick m
at daily the meanwhile, and informir
In him that upon n "change of I
p, moon" he would call his lizarship o,
or On the day designated he conceal
90 the ugly little creature about his Col
ne and, after p5IfJrming n number
ne imaginary operations, dropped his Oh
IL tive near his patients foot, with t
no remark, "I've GIT him at last, and y
3 will be well in uaree days" The l
IN gro got well Immediately, aud is ,
res grateful to his benefactor for his SO,
to ices; nor can the docter himself O.
De vince him Of the hosx, because Gu
says Che knowed dat varmlnt was
dar all do time"
The plantation darkey is a firm
hever In the existence Of "ghoses a
er pperets." Sometimes they h,
tn strange noiHes about some cabiI
x especially if it has remained yscl
'e, for a year-snd their fertile imagil
IT. tions Immediately people IL "
shadowy forms and ghostly shs.
that hold high carnival among the
serted rafters al! the long, dark, W
try night, and whenever a house
.isl gins to gather about 1t these doubt
ar associations the landlord find no oc
Oh, pant for il among the colored race.
Of. "Boss, you can't TELL me nufia'b
ghosea and sperets, ksse Ise seed
lar wild my own eyes," said old Fe.
uld with whom | was discussing the ex
ence of immaterial beirgs. "l
veil !, Stree; one Sunday mornin' /
nee fshin down on de creek yander,
r OF fu,t thing yer know here come
yer bio white things or clappin dsir wi