Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1886-03-27

Tess ter de Wichery, an de mex week he
done sell 'em ter Mai'sipPi cane plan
tain"
While jim was talking we had reached
the station, and fifteen minutes later were
ia Kansas City. In the evening I went
over 10 WyandOtte, on the Kansas side Of
the state line, and procuring a saddle horse
took the road for White Church. Two
miles back Of Wyandotte, on the edge Of
the prairie, stood an old stone house
erected by John Splitlog, a WyandOtte
chief who became civilized. 1t was
averred by the old settlers that the
spirit" of the departed SplitlOg, attired
In the ancestral paint and feathers, wan
pun and government blanket did re-
turn tO-his former limestone wigwam TO
hold nightly vigil. Be that as 1t may,
the wrath of the translated John seemed
to trouble very little the eighteen or
twenty negroes, who, finding the habita-
ton to all physical purposes untenanUed,
had upon their arrival from the swamp
/ lands taken up their residence therein.
AsI approached the house 1 observed
a few darkeys outside, peering through
/ the windows, the openings being coca
sionally lighted with the Pickering glare
/ from a spasmodic fire inside. Upon a
shake-down in a corner Of the apartment
/ lay the old woman said to have been
/ sswitched." An indispOsed cOlOred per-
sch is the noisiest creature that ever
raised a complaint, and this particular
/ old lady seemed to be an inhrmarY for
all the Ills that flesh IS heir to. Her
/ voice had increased in an inverse proper
| ton to the reduction of her physical
tone. While she mOaned the doctor was
/ preparing his cure. A fire occupied the
middle Of the room upon the earthern
floor. AT either side was crotched post.
/ the two supporting bar, from which de-
pended an iron pot. In it the swarthy
/ Esculapius cast from time to time the
various compOnents Of the decoctlon
which was to remove the charm, stirring
the contents the while. 1t was modern
incarnation scene with a Louisiana
COON IN overalls and an army blanket
as Hecate.
1t is customary when devil is to be
/ charmed from patient to bar out all un-
/ believers, but IN this instance the usual
/ formality was not observed; either be-
/ cause the numbers Of scOHers who had
| gathered as spectators was so great as
/ to make the attempt to enforce the rule
/ a proceeding fraught with possibilities
/ for woe, or because Doctor Curtis, the
chief operator, had so much confidence
/ in his ability as to be careless Of the
/ presence of outsiders. For full hour
/ he continued his task, his face often lllu-
mined by a fash from the fire. He main
tanned a profound Indifference to the
/ subdued comments Of on lockers, and
/ kept up a monotonous semi-refrain.
/ There was nothing particularly quaint or
weired about it. AS nearly as can re-
member it varied but slightly through
/ the hundred or more stanZas, and was
/ somewhat as follows:
"a lame ole woman layin' on de bed
Oar she 90, dar she 60, DlLln. IN DC poL. .7,,7
Hits boun' TO fetch her. hits suah 70 fetch her
A-bilin' in de pot.
The concluding stir to the pot was given,
the remaining ingredient dropped in, and
the ghOstly cadence of Curtis's material
monstrOsity was borne upward with the
smoke More cottonwood was thrown
upon the fire, and as the blaze grew
twelve or fourteen Of the dusky believers
in the efficacy of the charm cure, Joined
LdAQ6 uBDuU LLL1 444E. NJLLLA5 kLDLLLAC--
an emaciated grass snake, that gave out
ward evidence of a broken spirit, and en-
tering the circle cast the squirting ser
pent into the FIRE The conjurer then
Joined hands with the rest, and they be-
gan a dolOrous chant, moving about the
fire to the rhythm Of the song. The
dance at first was measured and solemn,
but grew faster and wider. The circle
was broken, but the dance continued.
Their fEightful cOntOrtiOns and amazing
leaps would have made a Dervish i'll with
envy. The patient, Mrs. Green, who
still lay on the shake-dOWn, became an
interested spectator and forgetting her
numerous miseries, supported herself
upon her elbows to watch the inspired
capers of her friends. With perspiration
streaming. from every pore, and eyes
starting from their heads with the VIC
lence Of their exertions, the dancers con
tinued. The spectacle was neither edifying
nor agreeable, but determination to sit
the entertainment out if it lasted all night
made me a fixture to the window casing,
which occupied jointly with a deeply
impressed Senegambian. There was a
certain distasteful fascination about the
scene. The only light in the apartment
was that which emanated from the cot
tonwood fire, and tine grotesque and hor-
rible antics Of the '.hoodoos' lent an adj
ditional fendishness.
Several of the dancers fell exhausted,
and the old woman sank back too weak
to wall forth her woe.
at am done fer" announced Curtis;
''de witch hab done TUX its hand Offum
Chahluft. Bettah take her hum"
Those of her relatives not utterly worn
out by the dance gathered up the unbe-
witched Mrs. Green, not without tender
ness, and started with their burden to-
ward shanty about forty rods distant.
L mounted my broncho, which, singular
to remark, had not been stolen, and in
fifteen minutes was kicking at the door
Of the Wyandotte livery stable in an en-
deavor to arouse a very drunken and pro-
fame hostler.
Three days later Jim Garter, the colored
boy, informed me that Mrs. Green funeral
had taken place that morning.
A War Reminiscence.
st. Louis Republican.
Below is a copy Of a letter shown to
Republican reporter yesterday. 1t is an