The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1891-12-04


Il q Thsa Are plsssgardeA
The superstitions OF childhood ar
grim. grcwsome and absurd. remem
Der many of my own; do not meal
such superstitions IS are passed dow
from their elders 10 the children in
family. such as Il u bad luck 20 dream
Of wedding or 20 turn q chair tn
wrong way. or 20 break . looking-glas
or TO start any enterprise on Friday. o.
that IL Is good luck TO pick mp pins. 4
| see the new moon over the right shoul
| der or to have cat come TO the house
| No; there are superstitions which
belong distinctly 70 the periot
| OF childhood. and which exercise
| shaping influence over the actions Of
| those who firmly believe In them. With
view to ascertaining what supersti
tons are current among the children OF
the present day. gave over one hun.
dred children. Of varying ages and II
different times, an exercise in oral com.
position. in which each scholar in the
class was called upon 20 give testimony
rs to what cobweb had been spun across
his brain. The tradition concerning
the spider. with its accompanying his
torical fact concerning the Bruce's in
spiration Of courage and perseverance
from the spider in the hut Of hiding.
holds = first place in their minds As
for the other superstitions. they were =
tumble Of signs and wonders. Of omens
OF talismens, Of mascots and hoodoos.
One boy gravely assured me. and his
experience was vociferously corrobo-
rated by a score or more Of other boys.
that ITO spit on the bait brought good
luck in fishing" and that If you spit
on the chip in hop scotch you'll hardly
ever miss"
That the darky should be considered
mascot will occasion no surprise to
those who know aught about the lore
OF superstition But the schoolboys OF
this city certainly have peculiar way
OF testifying their participation in the
belief III YOU get a niger 10 spit in
your hat" said one boz. in a tone Of in
tense conviction. 1t will bring you good
luck" And whether or not it receives
credence, the fact is that before going
up to their rooms on examination DAYS.
or befor engaging in games OF contest,
the white boys present their hats to
the darkies in the school-yard. and re-
spectfully request their dusl<y brethren
70 use them as cuspidors. for the sake
OF bringing their wearers good luck.
Boys who sell newspapers believe
that the first nickel received in pay
ment for paper must be held in the
hollow OF a clinched fist and blown up
70 bring quick sales and pleasing profits
To insure success in playing marbles
they must be blown up. both to keep
them from slipping out Of the hand or
into the pockets of the other fellow.
To bring good luck take an adobe mar
ble-one Of clay is meant-and attempt
to throw il over house. II it IS like
vaulting ambition and overleaps itself
to fall on the other side. success il a.
sured While playing marbles. to pro-
tect ones own stock and to get posses
sion Of more than he carried into the
game a. stakes. the youthful gambler
must fortify himself with such mutter.
ings as Chess terra or Clip. /" ''Geno"
or Jono,' the last rnalediction EVIDENT
" being corruption OF the word Jonah
"A modern allusion to an ancient affair.
70 the hoodoo of mariner, whale and
Nineveh.
Childhood being . prolonged period
of teething. many beliefs regarding
those important factors are current
For instance. tooth pulled out and
rast away. and then swallowed by =
dog, Is sure TO be replaced in the mouth
u its former owner BY . dog tooth,
To throw a newly-extracted tooth over
the shoulder At once. find il: repeat the
operation . second time. then : third.
and not find the tooth after the third
throw. means good luck will follow
with all the teeth. Too much elation
of spirits Is followed By . correspond
ing 1T Of the blues-so to sing before
breakfast is 70 cry before dinner. To
zee load Of hay. ''go wish on it, and
to watch Il until Is gets out Of sight
or turns . corner. insures the full
6llment Of the wish When an EVE
winker falls out il should be placed
on the palm Of the hand, or on
the back; and blown st three times by
; second person. while its owner makes
; wish II il is pulled on It the third
blow. sure sign that the wish will come
true. OF course the wish bone supersti.
tion holds its sway.
Another superstition which seemed 20
be highly popular among the children |
questioned was 70 this effect: Let .
child take piece Of paper and bow 70
every child he meets. whether acquaint-
ed or not l. immaterial. and check Oh
each bow until he has counted one hum
dred on this slip Of paper. Then let
him bury the paper, making . wish a.
he does 90, and II on returning 70 the
spot week later he can excavate the
paper his wish will come true. Seven
bows to the new moon will also insure
the coming true Of wish.
Among all children IL il considered
very bad luck TO turn garment which
has been put on wrong side Of II, or TO
60 back after something which has
been forgotten Both Of these super
stitions may be regarded As protective
measures adopted by children TO re-
strict the exactions Of too captious
parents and guardians Any account
Of the superstitions Of childhood would
Be far from complete were no mention
90 b made Of the belief that to step on