Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-13
PLACATING GHOSTS.
A CURIOUS CUSTOM OBSERVED IN A
 WASHINGTON CEMETERY.

coiored Persons Who Litter the Graves of Their Departed Friends With Articles
 Used In LIfe-old Mount Zion Grave yard and Its White Haired Sexton.
 A curious custom is still observed in m old negro burying ground in Washington that of placing upon the graves of de- parted friends and relatives tho articles that were most enjoyed or used by them while living and tho bottles containing the rcsiduum of tho medicines that were administered during the last illness.
 The Mount Zion graveyard, as 1t is called, lies in the shadow of tho beautiful Oak Hill cemetery, on Georgetown heights. Both arc charmingly situated on rising ground overlooking Rock creek at its most picturesque point. Separated only by short stretch of land and n high board fence, the two silent cities present the most vivid contrast imaginable
 On one side arc soft grcCn lawns, flower ing shrubs, gravclcd walks and magnii- cent monuments; on tho other, n rank growth of grass and weeds, worm eaten and discolorcd wooden hcadboarlls, and instead of flowers n miscellaneous jumblC of toys, ornaments, tnnls, etc. But Mount Zion has its own peculiar charm, and its patrons arc unique in the hClicf that tho things used by the departed during lifo are needed by them in the land of shadows
 Tho old, white haired sexton, in his quaint dialect, gives many amusing oblt- uarics and explains the significance of certain articles that litter the mounds.
 The idea of the negroes in placing them in the cemetery Is that they may bc with in easy reach of the spirits. whom they confidently believe rcvisit the scenes of their earthly suffcrings. If they find ia miliar objects on their graves, they cOnfinc their manifestations to the cemetery; If not, they haunt the families who have neglected to provide them.
 One grave has instead of monument a largo wooden hobby horse, buried to its launches in tho ground It marked, so tho sexton said to n reporter, the last rrSt- ing place of one Mir. Johnsing, who while living was the driver of m cxprCss wagon. He was cxtrCmCly fond of his horse, and his widow, who was obliged to soil 1t, used some of the proceeds to purchase n wooden one. A complete set of harness was pro vidcd also. and, to quote the old negro: ''Ebery night he hitChCs an onhitchCs dat hoss, an den goes back m lies down again quiet. Ef hc didn't have dat to OckCrpy i'm, he'd hant dc ole woman"
 Often one grave Is made to serve for m entirc family. Ono of tho most prctcn- | tious monuments in the cccmctCry-a plain | marble slab-has carved upon its surface | tho names of AndrCw Jordan and his four | childrcn-Erastus, sophia, -NndrCw and 1 Washington. ''Ob cnursc,' snid the scN- l ton, commenting on the practice, II has to dig de first grnbC deeper, but it's Cckcr' | nomical an soshcrblC in dc end. Most of the inscriptions arc rcal Curi"Siti"s- | With few exceptions they arc painted roughly in black on white wooden tablets. Few of them bear any date whatever. and | in tho majority of cases names arr not | given in full. Nearly all of them Hrc com l posed and printed by the sexton himself. who modcstly dcplorcd tho fact that hC was not as handy at 1t as Inc might bc, but the look of pride with which hc rc gardcd his handiwork bclicd the sincerity | of his words.
 On tho gravc of littlc boy-Grovcl Hancock Van Clicf-a high chair and ( | toy whoclbarrow stood guard. He had beon n special pet of the old sexton, ant tho grass waving over him showed cvi | denccs of cultivation in striking contrast | to tho tangled, neglected growth on either side. The sexton admitted that these ob jccts often dsappcarCd from the grave yard, but, scurning tho idea that thCr was any one mean enough to steal from 'doad folks" asserted that it was a SigI I that the spirits wrrc never coming hacl again and so had taken them to ''f,l"ry.'
 
 most instances by q glass Ind siu,'u. wrr,' he said, placed upon the graves thu; thu! might hr finished up
 | The old man called attention tu tn grave of Aunt Chlur Brown" " i"m h apOstr"phiz,d aS q 'rcg'lIr tcrr;tr or its surface is a large palm leaf fan. l seems that Aunt Clo" use ter git up il meetin an talk nn pray louder 'cn any body else an den 20 home an cut up live fhn oh fffkfNr [ her was that the rest of tho family wnul, Insist on eating twice n day. She usuall! terminated the family rCpasts, when 1T , hor opinion they lasted long enough, b, routing the fcastcrs with n broomstick.
 One day while chasing her husband "who was the paticntcst niggrr alive she caught her foot in hcr dress and fell striking her temple on n sharp stone When they picked her up. shc was dead.
 II put dc fan on her grave, said tn old sexton. finishing his recital. "' 'caus ef ebcr any ono went to do hot place Sh did. certain shoro, m she'll find It rcfr,sh in whcn she comes back in dc night"
 4 gravc In which ho evidently t0nl much pride has arranged around tn mound a toy fence. Inside of thu iuclusur so formed n wooden soldier stands like
 sentinel at either end. In fr,nt uf CAc soldier is a row of smaller ones. and II tho Ccntcr Ot Che mound thrCc bottles Hr pressed into the earth.
 "LizU Lundy" slCrpS peacefully in ni . ObscurO corner under pIstcbOIrd band box. "Lizc was n good woman" said tn sexton, "an earned n nice Twin an Cnui to die comfort hlC on a-uIakin dr,'s$tS.'' ! Shc liked tu 'lr-SS we'll herself alSn an had n regular passion for brnncts \rIrl
 every wCVk she went tu church with a n,'N
 ono and ns often ls~>t".:'rl her di>,lpl,7 | one upon !, SS fnrtuuItt friend in uryl, | to make rpnu in her i:U ''N i',r rh'' latest
 When -lIo 'lurI E-r sister put the lIs
 bonnet Liyc bought in thu "h'ri >hrsI hIuG N | box. together with d smalI handglI~s N .i , which she used tn view hrrs.:lf anal Is,.I-
 it on tho grave. All but th" h0x di
 appcap,d long agu, which fact serves oHl , to strengthen tho belief of the sexton thu / they werc just the things most desired |
 tho spirit of Lizc Lundy.
 Ono grave, marked only with the sing , word "Cecolicr.' was kept in pCrpCtu: 1 bloom by means of two iEIncnsc rps'
 bushes, all made of waxcd papcr.-Nc
 York World
 As to cwcarInr.