The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-14
THE RABBITS FOOT BOOM.

Bryans Harmless Superstition Doing
 Much for Formerly Obscure Indus try.
 TO receive a rabbits foot, mounted as per specifications, may now be consid- cred very lucky thing, If the reel plent ot the gift is not superstitious, and values rabbits foot only as a rapb1ts foot, neglecting It's voodoo as- soclations, he has still much reason for rejoicing. He or she, usually she, may throw away the hairy abomination that Is supposed to form the piece de resistance of the gift and still have a mounting of gold and jewels worth sev- eral weeks allowance. A rabbits foot with the customary accessions Is a gift not to be despised
 How the custom of carrying a rab- bits foot made it's way from it's origin in the mysterious depths of voodooism to it's present Judgement in the sacred circles of upper tendon Is a question which must be left to the specialists on lads and degeneracy Intrinsically, the rabbits foot is not beautiful ob- Ject It is dirty-looklng, and it's hairy | covering has an irradicable tendency to get mixed up promiscuously with eve rything in its neighborhood, As an ornament for personal adorn- ! ment it ranks some degrees below the scalp lock so affected by aboriginal so- ciety for bizarre effect, and as pocket companion it is useless and cumber- some. To reach into a pocket in search of penknife and bring up short against the uncanny thing gives most peculiar and disagreeable sensation very much like reaching into a cup
 board in search of food and finding a mouse there for the same purpose. A glance at jewellers window, how ever will show how great demand for the ornament there is, and the demand evidently cannot arise from the pure aesthetic effect of the ornament We are driven to believe. therefore, that it's wearers are in search of the supernatu- ral assistance attendant upon Its pos session. It is just here that they are making a fatal error.
 Of course no student of folklore can doubt the efficacy of this charm, under proper circumstances. Here is where the trouble arises. There must be a grave doubt as to whether or not all the necessary formalities are carried out Every child knows that the rab- bit must be what is known as grave yard rabbit" and that 1t must be cap- tured and killed by an elderly colored man under a peculiar combination of astronomical and physical conditions which seldom occurs.
 An enterprising firm of jewellers have taken advantage of this and put out the following advertisement describing their rabbits feet:
 Killed In a country graveyard at midnight during the dark of the moon, on Friday, the 18th of the month, by a oss-eyed. left-handed, red headed. bow-legged nigger riding a white horse'
 It is hard to find a colored man with the above characteristics: it is harder to find one who can obtain rabbit while riding a white horse on Friday. the 18th of the month, in the dark of the moon. Graveyard rabbits, in addi- tion, are by no means abundant It is possible that all the rabbit feet on the market are obtained under these cir cumstances? The intelligent investi- gator thinks not. Yet the market Is flooded with alleged genuine charms. It is to be feared that the public is be- Fing deceived. Chicago Daily Inter Ocean.