Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-09
NEGRO spPEEsrIri0Hs.
Eastern Shore weat..sr Prophet Put
80 shame.

{
-tA.t shame.
The present winter, says the. Balti-
more American, has put the Eastern
Shore negro prophet and store Of
weather superstitions to shame, and in
this connection 1T may be stated that
for weird mystery and a something
that is past all finding out 1T is the
proneness Of the negro mind to super
stition. ,
While tho supernatural plays
prominent part in all that he does or
thinks, this is peculiarly the case as
regards the weather. For instance, IL
rabbits in the fall show tendency to
bear to the left when they are routed
from their beds by the huntsman or
his dog, the winter is certain to be
"perishin' cold.'' If, on the contrary,
he turns to the right, mild winter
must result. For this winter, the fall
maDpuvres of the Kent county cotton
tails indicated IAN awful winter, sir;
fur, pleas de Lawd, dey turned almos'
4 clean around TO de lef'. +"
Then, too, those time-honored
| weather forecasters, the immaculate
little muskrats, instead Of building
the walls of their "Noah,s arks Of the
marshes" high and thick-forwarned,
| as ~ Were, ny Soulo unhnoNu power VI
a desperately cold winter, an old
| the high river banks, far above the
reach of tides and ice. Corn. husks
were thick, hornets nests low to The
ground, chestnuts abundant, the bark
i OF trees rough and heavy, and still a
4 winter of phenomenally warm spells
and comparatively high temperatures
has prevailed.
The negro mind, in a vast number OF
instances, clings to the superstitions
of centuries back. In the pockets of
many Of them may be found two moles'
feet, neatly tied together; round,
white stone, taken from some aban-
doned fish-hawk's nest, known as the
"luckstone. A dried eelskin is con
sldered prevention against cramp,
and leather string around q child's
mock will drive back the whooping-
cough. OF course, tho foot Of a grave.
| yard rabbit means unfailing good
luck. "
Ono of the most widely known and
successful Of the Chester River trap.
pers and fishermen never thinks Of
setting d net, or placing trap on the
marsh without adjoining them with a
bunch Of rags or little bag possessing
some mysterious power to WOO the
coveted game. Even the eel trap on
the muddy flats is given this little
bag Us talisman Of good luck. What
these little bags contain, no one but
the weather beaten old trapper knows,
but his faith is like that Of q little
child, as interesting and unfailing,
j The weird dreams OF the negro mind
in the realms Of superstition would fill
volumes, and these dreams mark q
most interesting phase of negro char
acter. But there is now 4 tendency,
even on the part Of the ,colorcd people
to repudiate their former blind faith in
ghosts and ghostly things, but in many
cases this is only q make believe, for
while the old fellow says, in faterins
tones, that he used to believe in
spirits, he has "kind lost faith"
his pockets may then DO stored with
moles' feet, luckstones and amulets Of
many kinds. Many farmers are firm
believers in the effect of the moon, and
never fail to consult their 'almanacs as
to the moon in planting corn or pota-
toes, MS well es in butchering their
porkers.