The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1894-08-17
gprtical,
Aliscellanenrts.
PLACATING GHOSTS.
A CURIOUS CUSTOM OBSERVED IN A
WASHINGTON CEMETERY.

A CURIOUS CUSTOM OBSERVED IN A
WASHINGTON CEMETERY.
| Colored 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 an
old negro bury4ng ground in Washington
that Of placing upon the graves Of de-
parted friends and relatives the articles
that were most enjoyed or used by them
while living and the bottles containing
the residuum of the medicines that We're
administered during the last illness.
The Mount Zion graveyard, as 1t Is
called, lies In the shadow Of the 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 q
short stretch Of land and high board
fence, the two silent cities present the
most vivid contrast imaginable.
On one side are soft green lawns, flower
ing shrubs, graveled walks and magnili
cent monuments; on the other, rank
growth of grass and weeds, worm eaten
and discolored wooden hoadboards, and
instead of flowers u miscellaneous tumble
of toys, ornaments tools, etc. But Mount
Zion has its own peculiar charm, and its
patrons are unique in the belief that the
things used by the departed during life
are needed by them In the land of shadows
The old, white haired sexton, in his
quaint dialect, gives many amusing obit-
uaries 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 be with
In easy reach of the spirits, whom they
confidently believe revisit the scenes Of
their earthly sufferings. If they find ia
miliar objects ON their graves, they confine
their manifestations to the cemetery; II
not, they haunt the families who have
neglected to provide them.
One grave has instead Of monument
large wooden hobby horse, buried to its
launches In tho ground. 1t marked, so
the sexton said to a reporter, the last rest
ing place of one Mr.. Johnsing, who while
living was the driver of an express wagon.
He was extremely fond of his horse, and
his widow, who was obliged to sell it, used
some of the proceeds to purchase II wooden
one. A complete set of harness was pro-
vided also. and, to quote the old negro:
"Ebery night he bitches an onhitches dat
boss, an den goes back all lies down again
quiet. Eff he didn't have dat to ockerpy
i'm, he'd liant dc ole woman"
Often one grave is made to serve for an
entire family. One of the most preten-
tious monuments in the cemetery-a plain
marble slab-has carved upon its surface
the names of Andrew Jordan and his four
children-Erastus, Sophia, Andrew and
Washington. lob course" said the sex
ton, commenting on the practice, II has
to dig de first grade deeper, but it's ecker
nomical an sosherble in de end. Most
of the Inscriptions are real curiositics.
With few exceptions they are painted
roughly in black on white wooden tablets.
Few of them bear any date whatever, and
in the majority of cases names are not
given in full Nearly all of them arc COM
posed and printed by the sexton himself,
who modcstly deplored the fact that he
was not as handy at 1t as he might be,
but the look of pride with which he re-
gaRded his handiwork belied the sincerity
of his words.
On the grave Of little boy-Grover
Hancock Van Clief-a high chair and q
toy wheelbarrow stood guard. He had
been q special pet of the old sexton, and
the grass waving over him showed evil
dences of cultivation In striking contrast
10 the tangled, neglected growth on either
side. The sexton admitted that these OBJ
jccts often disappeared from the grave
yard, but, scorning the idea that there
was any one mean enough to steal from
dead folks" asserted that it was sign
that the spirits were never coming back
again and so had taken them to glory"
The medicine bottles, accompanied in
most instances by glass and spoon, were,
he said, placed upon the graves that they
might be finished up
The old man called attention to the
grave of Aunt Chloe Brown" whom he
apostrophized as regular terror" On
It's surface is large palm leaf fan. 1t
seems that Aunt Clio" "use ter git up in
meetin an talk an pray louder ZEN any
body else an den go home an cut up live
ly." The chief bone of contention with
her was that the rest of the family would
insist on eating twice a day. She usually
terminated the family repasts, when in
her opinion they lasted long enough by
routing the feasters with broomstick.
One day while chasing her husband,
"who was the patientest Niger alive, 4"
she caught her foot in her dress and fell,
striking her temple on q sharp stone.
When they picked her up, she was dead
Il put dc fan on her grave, said the
old sexton, finishing his recital, " cause
of cher any one went to dc hot place she
did, certain shore, an she'll find it refresh,
In when she comes back in dc night.
A grave in which he evidently took
much pride has arranged around the
mound toy fence. Inside of the Enclosure
so formed wooden soldier stands like
sentinel at either end. In front of each
soldier is a row of smaller ones, and in
the center of the mound three bottles are
pressed into the earth.
Lie Lundy' sleeps peacefully in an
obscure corner under pasteboard band
box. "Lize was good woman, said the
sexton, IAN earned a nice livin an enutf
to die comfort BILE on a-makin dresses"
She liked to dress we'll herself also and
had a regular passion for bonnets. Nearly
every week she went to church with new
one and as often bestowed her discarded
one upon less fortunate friend in order
to make room in her hatbox for the latest.
When she died, her sister put the last
bonnet Lie bought in the cherished band
box, together with q small handglass with
which she used to view herself, and placed
it on the grave. All but the box dis
appeared long ago, which fact serves only
to strengthen the belief of the sexton that
they were Just the things most desired by
the spirit Of Lie Lundy.
One grave, marked only with the single
word "Ceceller," was kept in perpetual
bloom by means of two immense rose
bushes, all made of waxed paper.-New
York World.
As to Swearing.
Wife-You say man does not swear
at random, but tremendously to the sub
ject to be sworn at. Now, how would he
swear if he came home hungry to dinner
and there was no dinner in sight,
Hubbie--My love, you have that last