The sun., 1890-07-20
SUPERSTITIOUS DARKIES.
SOME OF THE SIGNS OF GooD AND
BAD LUCK IN THE SOUTH.
A North Carolina Weather PrOphet-Bn,e. |
full Inauence OF witch Hazel Ashes and !
u TOnd-Nnnred One NecromHncer.


RALEIoH. N. c., July 17.-Travelers Oh the
way from the seaboard railroad station TO thu
hotels in the business part OF the city vory
often see sitting on little porch In front OF {
negro shanty half way up TO the main street
one oi those curious specimens of negroes
called Beachers. He is a mlddle-aged man
apparently, and the greater part OF his skin is
! OF a pinkish white tint. although he was totally
| black number OF years since and Ia 80 now
save where the curious transformation Is going
on. But ho is not alone interesting for his
| physical characteristic. for he is regarded with
! q superstitious awe by the entire colored popu-
| latlon and by a vast number OF white folks rs
! we'll His name Is Moses Delbridge. but he Ia
generally known as Moso. He Is regarded rs a
| regular barometer In foretelling the weather,
aud il one may believe the stories told him can
predict changes many hours In advance Of or
dinary indications. He depends wholly on his
feelings caring nothing for a look at the sky.
| Indeed, he often awakos at night, and. lying In
bod tells what the day will bring forth. Thus
| 1t happens not infreQuently that. having fore
told during the afternoon certain state Of
weather for the next day. he will before mid
night alter his prediction although to an or
dinary observer the indications In air and
cloud remain the same. He says he feels
long storm or a thunder storm or q dry spell
or cold snap or q blizzard coming as the case
may be. but when asked how each sort Of
weather makes him feel as It approaches. he Is
unable to explain. except in general terms. A
coming blizzard makes him shiver while yet
the air is balmy without, and hot weather
makes his skin dry even though a sprinkle OF
rain were falling Tho negroes say that ho
never fails in his forecasts.
Success In such matters however. need by no
means be continual to enable one to get very
firm hold as sorcerer on the colored people
OF the South. A SUN reporter was at q little
pains to talk with negroes about their faiths
during a journey from Cape Hatteras to Ashe
vile. and found that they believed In every
superstition he had ever heard Of and many
more beside. Thus. In the matter OF dreams,
the following interpretations we're given in all
sincerity:
II a young woman dreams OF going to
church, 1t is a sign she will attend wedding
II a young man dreams 1t he Is going to be
honored In some way To dream OF taking
part in the service means that some relative
Is to become clergyman. To dream OF pass
ing the contribution box and receiving liberal
donations is q sure sign OF getting hat full OF
money. but II little or nothing is received
that Is sign Of very bad luck indeed. To dream
ofrefusing to take part In the services when the
minister personally requests 1t means that
some great temptation is at hand. but II it
were q host Of tho brethren who wore resisted
that means good luck OF some sort. To dream
OF going alone to an empty church is sure
sign that ap unmarried dreamer will remain
single for while the dreamer. II married.
Is going to lose the lie partner within that
time either by death or desertion.
To dream OF snakes means that new enmity
Is to be Incurred. but Ii the snake Is killed or
driven away by VIGOROUS action. then enemies
are to be overcome. To dream OF barking dogs
means iepuse of enemies. and, in fact the
appearance Of dog In dream in any shape.
presages the ra-est good luck.
To dream o Of t birds: partieplarly large flocks
chSnGe r he IN one
but to dream OF n single black bird Of prey like
raven or crow or buzzard. Is an iii omen.
means the recent OF money. the quantity Of
money being in proportion to the n lumber and
Is to dream Of, q shark without being frightened
at It II one dreams OF being frightened at tho
shark he Is likely to lose the good luck when It
the State o menagerie Of vicious wild beasts
takes the place Of the shark-a bear. a panther.
dream OF If one is not frightened BY it. 'N'nH ~
To dream Of anything pertaining to a funeral
unless it is Of funeral services on a church. in
which case the dreamer will surely attend a
Welding On the other hand dreaming Of
So, too, does woman's dream OF kissing
woman or man 8 dream Of kissing n man.
means the loss OF friends. while to lind or pick
uD this. metal is gain OF friends; So to dream
but il few pennies only are picked up. hard
luck certainly is In store for the dreamer.
To dream OF thirst or to dream OF seeing food
without eating OF ii means sickness To dream
OF storms. floods, OF sailing on stormy water
or struggling IN tho water or against rain
great grief and trouble but II the dreamer
suddenly cor.es clear Of the wet and tlnds
everything serene he will also get clear OF his !
stead nj
the old one and SO on.
means coming danger. To dream OF putting |
enemy. To dream OF standing in the midst OF |
ity financially. but to dream OF a field OF corn |
that has been ruined by storm presages |
In tho arts OF witchcraft the witch hazel tho
serpent, and the toad play most important |
make lovors quarrels. unite or separate man
and wife, make the well 20 dry. give tho cows
bring the rheumatism on the fathor, blight the
crops destroy the beauty and other attrac-
thing that envy and ieao9sy @ or love % and % desro
Thus to bring abont disaster on neighbor
hazel in tho mouth OF a toad. The toad is lhen
split in two lenGthwise ono half must be sec.
afflicted will walk. The othor half If dropped
II well veil XII III, make * It go dry 4 tossed IN
lelu VIII DnRnt tno CROP III pIhceu Wnere u COW
will step on IL will make her give bloody milk:
i placed on root will cause the husband and
vile beneath to quarrel and so tor ali tho
IL which rivals would bring on each other.
Tho favorte way OF making uuarreis be-
Ween men and women. however. Is bT getting
hair from the head OF the womah who is to be
nVolvod in the trouble and an0ther ono OF m
opposite color. Then something tho woman
las worn once must be taken and burned. and
hose two hairs held In the smOko OF it for m
instant, nfror which they are to be buried be-
de the house tho woman lives in. so TINT tho
water from the roof will fall on it Tho ashes
" tho burned garment with II bit Of papo' on
which the woAlan9 name has been written.
uust then bo buried in tho ground where tho
hndow OF n tree cast by the moon fails on it,
That will end her peace OF ind beyond perad-
enture. unless ndeod she h Is been working
ONO contrary spoil for luck.
sed t. he an old darky who had a great repu-
a,ion, both MS thief catcher and as u sOcrotor
i thieves as we'll II thief went to him for II
harm before the crime was committed or after
ong 1t, providing the loser had not previously |
rrved for one, tho old darky would insure |
atety. On the other hand, II tho old fcllnw |
nd not been bought OF by tho thiei tnn loser
nuli get charm that would catcr tho thief
nd recover The property. The charm for car
uring tho thief consisted OF three white hair.
rom u horse tall cut TO an eiunl length and
hey curled under the heat they would point in |