The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-18
Salt Is a Thing of Both Good
and Evil Genius.
FORMERLY USED AS MONEY
Safeguards Employed by Knowing
Ones Against Its Effscts-A
Pledge OF Friend
ship

an1mateS, and without it all is corrupt
ed. He, therefore, directed that a salt
cellar should be placed upon the table
at every meal, in order to remind men
of this emblematic virtue of salt.
Cosmos, the Egyptian geographer,
stated that salt currency was in use In
Africa in the sixth century; and Marco
Polo wrote that salt was a common me-
dunn of exchange among certain Ash
attic people in the thirteenth century.
In Thibet pieces of salt shaped in
mold and weighing about half pound
each, served as small exchange, eighty
such pieces having value equal TO
about 49,
There is an old proverb that many
packs of salt much be eaten together
to bring friendship to perfection"
So highly did the Thracians of old
prize salt that they bartered slaves in
exchange for it.
Felix Dubois, in his "Timbuctoo the
Mysterious" comments on the variety
Of salt in the interior Of the Soudan,
and says it Is the most valuable COM
modify of that region, the true gold
of the Soudanese.
In speaking of a lack of piquancy or
pointedness in duh sermon or address,
the French people say, There was no
salt in that DISCOURSE
The covenant of salt is the most sa-
cred possible among the Jews.
Compacts among Eastern tribes are
confirmed by salt, and the most SOL
emn pledges ratified by it.
The idea that the spilling OF salt pro-
duces evil consequences Is supposed TO
have originated in the tradition that
Judas overturned salt-cellar at the
Paschal supper, as portrayed in Leo
nardo da Vinci's painting.
In early times anyone having the mis-
fortune to spill salt was supposed to
incur the anger of all good spirits, and
to be rendered susceptible to the male
violent influences of demons.
1t was customary among the Greeks
to present salt to the gods as thank
offering at the beginning of every meal
There is Norwegian oehet tnat IL
one spills salt he will shed as many
tears as may suffice to dissolve the
quantity of salt he has lost
In one part of Pennsylvania, in order
to avert ill luck after salt mas peen
spilled, one should not only toss plneh
of the spilled salt over the left shoulder,
but should also crawl under a taole
and come out on the opposite side.
The following lines are found in
British publication of the last cen
fury:
We'el tel you the reason
Why splitting of Salt
Is esteemed such Fault,
Because 1t doth everything season.
TIL antiques did opine
Twas of Friendship sign,
So served it to guests In decorum'
And thought Love decayed
When the negligent Maid
Let the salt cellar tumble before
them.
The tossing of spilled particles OF salt
over ones left shoulder is not deemed
sufficient in New England to avert the
severance of friendships ties; the spill
ed salt must also be thrown upon the
stove. .,.,
There Is in Russia a superstitious
nreiudice against helping ones neigh-
Dor to salt at table, on account OF the
liability to quarrel thereby incurred.
In Italy helping friend to salt at
table was formerly thought to De an
indication of undue famlllarlt9' anu
when salt was offered by one gem
tleman to the wife of another 1t was
deemed sufficient cause for jealousy ana
quarreling. s.,u,.
TO nav a delicate attention to a frlehu
or guest he produces piece Of rock
salt and graciously permits the latter
to lick it with his tongue.
The priest sometimes places llttie
salt in the child's mouth at baptism IN
Sicily, thereby imparting wisdom, II Is
believed. Hence, the popular local say
ing in regard to person VINO Is duii Oh
understanding that the priest put put
little salt in his mouth.
A common amulet among the Neapo-
Titan poor is bit of rock salt suspend
ed from the neck.
The peasants of the Hartz noun
tain regions in Germany believe that
three grains of salt in a milk pot will
keep witches away from the milk.
Salt was In high repute in olden times
in Scotland as charm, ana the SAT-
box was the first chattel to be removed
to a new dwelling. In 1889, when ROD
ert Burns was about to occupy new
house at Ellisland, he was escorted
thither along the banks OF the river
Nth by a procession of relatives, and
among them was borne bowl OF SAT-
resting on the family Bible
A mother seeks to protect her daush-
ter from evil chances in Bohemia by
placing a little bread and salt in her
pocket and when young gifl goes
out for a walk the mother sprinkies sait
on the ground behind her so that she
may not lose her way.
Scotch fishermen have a custom OF
sailing their nets for luck, ana they
also sometimes throw little salt INTO
the sea ito blind the fairies"
According to the mythical lore OF
Finland, Ukko, the god of the SKY,
struck fire in the heavens. spark
from which descended into the ocean
and became salt.
The earliest mention of salt in the
Bible is in reference to the destruction
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Formerly the women and girls among
the Mexican Nahuas who were en-
ployed in the preparation of salt were
wont to dance at a yearly festival in
honor of the goddess of salt, HuiXto-
cihnatl. whose brothers the rain gods
il is said, as the result of a quarrel
drove her into the sea, where she in
vented the art Of making the precious
substance.
1t is a time honored custom in East
ern countries to place salt before
strangers as a token of friendship and
good will
Homer called salt divine.
AS indicating the superstitious rev
erence with which salt is regarded IN
the east. may be cited the story OF