Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1883-12-05
WHAT AL. HALF BELIEVE,
The Popular Supsrstit;ons That Somehow
Keep Alive.

" n Ri
Thete Is somct hing remdfkable Ind
not iiatterin~ 10 human sagacfty in the
tenacily of old superstitions. 1t is
usual thing for neutrality-suspicious. 10
declare thattaey are not superstitious
the declaration being coupled with II
seltsatistied air that proclaims their
belief that they are 4 notch above their
fellows. Yet these same persons like
10 see the new moon over their right
shoulders, and regard the incident with
especial satisfaction If they happen to
have silver in their pockets. Magic they
are adverse to starting on a jouthey on
Friday or to beginning an ti'al, l,OrtAntl
piece of wCrk on that unlua kys dav.I,
They will carefully picA up pins if the
rieM entF lias toward them and as care
fully void them ii fhe wrong cad sis,
nearest. Other persons whos scoiar the
lucky moon and unucky Friday super
stitions have a peculiar regard for7 tile
magical number seven, or any number
which may be divided by seven or add
ed SO as To form seven. They prefer to
Lve in q h0ase which is numbered sew
ea. With seven steps. If the house is
the seventh IN theSrow. and tlely are
seven mem Ders. IN tle family, the charm
is complete. Tie seventh hour of the
dav, the seventh day of the week. the
seyeAth month of the year. are by them
regarded as especially lucky. Others
have Il special aversion to the number
thirteen. The iintng of buttons is by
some considered lucky omen. Other
persons are supersiitious as to dreams.
and still others as to the wearing of
certain charms or anu cts to ward of
disease. Thus, a horse chestnut in the
pocket is considered a safeguard against
rheumatism. and Il string of peculiar
sea-beans will carry II child safely
through the Diseases Incident TO teeth
ing. Peacock's feathers are unluckv;
the howl NC dog foretells disaster to his
masters household, and 10 pass between
the carriages of funeral procession is
portentous emen. 10 meet a coiored
person. i cross-eyed woman or white
horse beiokens good or bad luck rs the
ca se may be. In fact, the most trifling
taings i'll lie are conjured into prophet
ic symbols. Pod. ..,
Perhaps one of the oldest fsupesti
lions and onei that <slnacks somewhat
Of sorcerv. is the belief in the divininrs
rod. This rod or twi@. is thought 10
enable certain gifted persons tosdiscasxz
er hidden springs of ,vaier. Reliable
persons dec,ars ttgtt they nave seen tife'
rod succe essiuily used in search Cf wattr,''
the iwiw often turning so quickly in THE
hand as 10 break it in two. What
secnls remarAa2.esisst tnat the rod nevsr
Turns except where the water is conceal
Rd. Hnere nave teen, many attempts
70 explain, this, ny slery. Some belier
rrs Q aim tiat. the wand is inspired,
others tlrai tke5 rod issspnly an index,
and thaa uic RMYcal sensations of tlie
asetare ess1coisAi IN KatsS themselves p
the wand. The most sensible solution
is that of Paramelle, who wrote u
Nnldthpds for discovering wells. III
eolhladed that the wand turns in tik
hands of certain individuals OF .pcculi;&
temperament, and that it is very mucS
n matter of chance whether there ayS
not wells in the places where it ,urnE
The twig was also used in ancient times
to point otit where stolen goods werN
concealed, TO answer questions y
planchette, and to indicate crimes and
criminals. A Bible suspended like
pendulum has been thought in soma
parts OF rural England to serve thk
same purpose. The credu,ous saw thaS
the wide distribution OF these and otheA
popular superstilions is proof that therS
IS something in them. In the meank
uHe houses 90 on being haunted; ghoste
continue to appear; tables to tip; chairk
to move without the aid of visible hands,
and the periodical resurrection of halls
forgotten bogies is unceasing, notwiths
standing the declaration of the average
nineteenth century man and womaH
that they ut least are not superstitiouss
Philadelphia Record,