Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-11-25
NEGRO SUPERSTITION.
SPIRIT LORE OF THE SOUTHERN
PLANTATION HANDS.

PLANTATION HANDS.
The Ghosts That Stalk on Moonlight
Nightz-spooks as Tall as Pine Trees.
How Old Uncle Joe's Spirit Was speeded
ON Its Way.
Down south II Is interesting to hear the
iarkies tell about the ''spirits" as they sit
around the log wood fires, IN their old, tumble
DOWN cabins in the woods None can equal
in horror their thrilling stories nor make
their listeners feel so truly that the spirits"
are really TO be seen.
An old darky. Aunt Peggy by name, was
an enthusiast on the subject. How she en-
joyed telling us about one eventful evening,
when she was nearly ''skeered TO death" She
was going to prayer meetin'" through the
lonely pine woods, and 'thinkin right hard
bout de guide Iawd," when. what should she
see but a ''shadder walkin' right dar aside
her" She told how she closed her eyes right
tight so as not to see il, but stumbling over an
old stump which happened to be in the way,
she had TO open her eyes, and "dar il war
agin, right afore her"
"l4hwd a'mussey," she said, "how she did
run, an dat ere speerit right arter her" +" and
over The good old soul declared the spirit"
did not leave her until she reached the meet
ing house There no spirits can enter, as ''de
guide Lawd sees arter dat an they's skeered
OF him"
ONLY STALK BY MOONLIGHT
She told us that the spirits" were only to
t'e s'en on moonlight nights. and that some
times they looked like long, thin shadows,
dressed in gray They often bend right down
over people and peer into their faces, whilst
their breath is like a cold north wind II
any one notices them they sigh doefnlly, and
then suddenly disappear with wild shrek
OF mocking laughter Some OF these shadows
are as tall as the lofty pines, and as they toss
their long arms wildly IN the air, the clinging
drapery of their shrouds waves In the breeze
THIS belief might well be accounted for by
the long ciinging Spanish moss, whilst the
wind ''soughing" through the pine trees
might be compared to the plaintive wall OF
some lovely spirit" hailing from the Land
OF the Dead"
Another old darkey, by the name of Aunt
Sallie, once lived in log cabin in the woods
She was Il queer little old woman and de-
lighted in telling US about the spirits" and
how she could "smeil them when the moon
shun, though, the Lawd be blessed, she'd
never seen 'em-"
Some OF US dared TO suggest that she might
possibly have reference to the ''spiritn of the
little brown Jug" hut the good old soul
failed to understand our meaning. Poor
Aunt Sallie, she is now at home among the
spirits" and is far wiser than We are as to
their pecularities.
Uncle Joe, another of our darky friends,
dwelt in II log cabin on our estate, within a
short distance of the house, and we had an
excellent opportunity for observing the ways
and customs of the 'darkies' In that part of
the country. One day while tue poor old
man WIS driving team OF mules he was
thrown out Of the wagon and dragged some
distance. Although he was not badly hurt,
yet he was much shaken and could do very
little work after that
With care he might possibly have recov-
ered but his friends seemed 10 think that it
was about time for de guide Lawd TO take
his SOUL" SO they came tramping in from far
and wide TO hasten him ON bis Journey. They
certainly did 50 most effectually, for they
gave him every possible thing to eat, from
fried alligators to unripe watsrmelons
Finally the doctor who had been attending
Uncle Joe declared him a hopeless case, and
after futile effort ~ disperse the crowd, he
| pushed his way out and left the man To his
| fate.
SPEEDING HIN ON THE WAY
In short while the cabin was full of dar
kies singing and praying-waiting for Uncle
Joe's soul TO take its flight. The greatest
| confusion prevailed, and amid the din the
dying man tried in vain TO make himself
heard. His wife and daughter were watch
ing every breath he drew, and telling him to
hurry, TO de guide Lswd was awaitin' " for
to take him cross dat golden ribber." More
and more came crowding in from all direc-
| tions and Joined in the monotonous chanting
until at length Uncle Joe breAthed his last
His friends were now 50 excited that they
| jumped and screamed with joy clapping their
hands and saying: The guide Lawd hab
taken his soul; he am gone to de guide Lawd
Lawd bless poor Brer' joe"
As the shades Of evening fell fires were lit
all around the cabin to keep the spirits
away. whilst the darkies sang hymns TO cheer
! Uncle joe on his way. 1t was a weird scene,
as the darky preacher stood there, soemnly
| chanting the first line of every hymn, which
was then vigorously sung, or rather shouted,
| by the assembled crowd. All around was the
darkness Of night, save for this one lonely
| spot Illuminated by the freight, showing the
| old log cabin In strong relief against the dark
background OF pine trees. Such q bowling
and lamentation as those dsrkies kept up all
night long 1t was truly pitiful and only at
| early dawn did the weird song end and the
crowd disperss.
At noon they all assembled again at the
| cabin to follow the coffin containing the re-
uains of Uncle Joe, as he was carried TO his
last resting place. AL the way the darkies
kept up their low. monotonous chant, until
they reached the lonely grave in the midst OF
lei. Ia,
the grave TO light the wanderer on his way,
and overhead the pine trees sang a solemn
requiem for the traveller TO that bourne from
| whose shores none return
As the darkies returned homeward their
funeral chant was changed to a song of joy,
and their appearance suggested little OF the
| solemn scene which had just taken place.
After Uncle Josis death the log cabin was
deserted, and Is now slowly falling to decay.
His ''spirith Is supposed to haunt the old
home, and at night nothing could persuade d
darky To 20 near the place. As Aunt Sallit
told us, If there war anything she wal
afeerd on" 1t would he to see Uncle joe.
spirit Ii appears he had not been very good
during his lifetime, or else he would have
gone straight to de guide Lawd," but Aunt
Sallie very much feared dat he'd be a long
time gettin' dar ~
Stories were now told about mysterious
lights to be seen in the cabin at night, and
how one evening darky rashly venturing
inside the cabin with the intention of taking
plank lying there, suddenly heard deeI
gruff voice saying, Leave dat plank right
dar." And it is needless to remark that he
went without awaiting further orders. WheI
Aunt Peggy heard about it, she said If hi,
spirit came anywhere around her ''she'd sit
the tribe of Israel on him. MARY Proctor il
st. Louis Republic.
Family Physician-My dear Mr. Shearman
you are in a low state of health Your cir
culation is not what it should be-
Invalid Editor tabsently)--rn get out {
fresh affidavit tomorrow and-trecovering
beg pardon, doctor, what did you sayi-
Pittsburg Bulletin