Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-07-22
SUPERSTITIONS In THE SOUTH.
An Aged Darky Explains the Cause o.
His Aversion to Black Cats.

Did you ever see a black cat in a |
southern negro's household? asks a |
Florida correspondent of the New
York Sun. never did. One would
think that the sympathy of color
would create a natural attachment,
but it is right the other way. With
all his faults, and exc his virtues, !
Sambo is not color blind. and his
superstition in regard to the felinei-
bus blackibus comes into direct con-
tilct with one OF the most vivid of
the biblical theories. / had often
noticed this strange antipathy, more
pronounced in some than in others,
and was at loss to account for it.
L have seen negroes hesitate to enter
yard where the black cat held forth,
and when they did go in every move
ment was garnished with an acute
perturbation caused either by fear
or excess of poetic feeling. 1 doubt
if it could have been the latter.
Even the female portion of the south
community enjoyed the same aver
sion, and were 10th to enter the en-
ploy of the white person who kept a
black cat. Some there were, though,
Of the world, worldly, and they ig-
nored all the fascinating conditions
OF their race. They cared not how
many cats were kept, nor what their
color, so long as they (the negroes, of
course) got plenty to eat and free
dom to roam at night. The curious
feeling of repulsion possessed by
many annoyed me greatly until I OBJ
tanned its solution. This cost me a
drink of alleged rum and a cigar
doubly valuably for its marked inno-
cence of tobacco. Uncle Pinky was
the venerable darkey who possessed
the key to the riddle. l corralled
him on Saturday afternoon as he was
limping homeward, a good bit the
worse for wear. After he had par
taken of the dubious hospitality
aforesaid, he lifted up his voice, after
the manner of one crying aloud in
the wilderness, and spake as follows
''Boss, you done heerd erbout de
Good Man dribin' de debbll outen
de white buckra inter dem shoats
isn't yo'?"
Yes, 1 had a faint impression Of
having seen an account of it some.
where.
AN desc yere shoats was driv
down inter de sea an all of dem got
drownded?"
Yes, that reason was correct.
"Well, l wants ter tell yo'. De,
didn't all GIT drownded. One righ
peert shoat he say ter hisself as de,
was gwine down de slope, 'Bos
devil, big man ober all. dom let IN
git drownded. Sabe me, and hop
to die ef don sarb you all de restc
oh my days' So de boss devil b
turn dat shoat inter q black cat, an
he clim' tree an stay dar ontil d
1 sun 60 down, den he come dowr
: swum ershore and went projectin' a
7 ober de kentry. You white folks Xxi
hab all de black cats yo' wanter, bu
L yo' can't fool dis yer Niger; b
knows, he does, de debil in de blac
cat sho', and hit will crop out"
Another superstition of our brotl
Il er in black is closely connected wit
e that pride of American forests, Il
! blue jay. One day in the week
:. held sacred on Its account. Six day
IS shalt thou kill and eat him, but G
e Friday not even a stone must |
Il SHE'D at this rert and saucy fellow
Now the blue jay has handsom
Il well-clothed person. His voice migl
IL not tickle either the ears of Il
d groundlings or the upperlings, br
IS ornithologists will tell you that he /,
l. very useful in his own domains. i
is devours myriads of insects, he driv'
n away hawks, and if he does steal
y grape or cherry it is only by WI
l. of dessert to his otherwise monot
% nous bill of fare. As IN eatable biI
;" he is not very tempting, being som
D. what sinewy and not overladen wi
r. meat. Yet Sambo will kill him io
IL ousIy every day save Friday al
- serve HIM up in various epicure
u ways: On Friday our crested friel
Is can waltz around all lie wants
We No love nor money will tempt t
he average negro to molcst him. VIII
ST Because on Friday the blue jay !
u longs to the devil. This ratl
re oflicious gentleman takes charge
or that day aud sends him down to {
ne earth to pick out victims. Woe
Sambo if the bird of omen lights n'
nd him on that day. Salt won't Sd
N. him. He had better have his ma
Is stricken off the registration book
'id once. There is no more voting
IT. him TO do.
ns ] was trapping quails, end one q
DIV found one Of my traps tenanted by
l. solitary male blue jay. who peckcd
'uf me viciousiy as / took him ont.
"a carried him to the house, and, c
no ing TO The little black girl who !
IN tended to work for US, said: '.He
'he Topsy, here's bird for you"
ov- She looked at it a moment ,
las then replied: Don brung hit b,
Turn it loose' To-day's Friday.