The Atlanta constitution., 1900-11-12
SNAKES AS BAROMETERS;
FORETELL COMING RAINS
By William r. Hanleiter.

Prejudice. or preconceived notions or
things, ofttimes cause us 10 fall to
truth hidden within the muck piles of life.
The fear of being called superstitious
often makes US blind to spiritual gems
and We fail to distinguish the super
natural or deny 1t altogether. calling IT
by the ienominlous name of superstition
Many a deep spiritual and philosophical
truth. founded upon the immutable law OF
God. has thus been hidden from 1.-THE
w-se and prudent" because of prejudice
which says: Can any good come out OF
NAZARETH" Th mixing men. men of hon
. est. intelligent thoughts. are often over
looking truth at their feet and looking for
II afar off when at that instant, and al
ways before. it lay right in the midst
OF their commonplace SURROUNDINGS only
awaiting some intelligent or scientific un-
folding to bring forth the full corn in
the ear 10 the honor and glory Of God
and highest good of men.
Xxx
Several years ago was in the rear yard
! of my dwelling. when servant girl who
had been engaged in sweeping the front
yard ran screaming snake! through the
haI to whore ] was. | rebuked htr Tor
making such an alarm and. thinking II
only a small matter at best. paid little
heed 10 her fright. Shortly afterwards.
upon leaving the house for my pace OF
business. suddenly thought Of the alarm
and DauSing half way up the front garden
walk, sa d to myself: Il wonder If that
fool nigger did see a snake. and TAKING
a general survey over the entire area OF
flowers and shrubbecy, came more fully
- the conclusion that 4 was Il TAKE
scare. and was just on the point of walk
ing on. when | casually glanced down
ward and, to my great surprise ana
alarm. discovered snake seveTai iee'
long lying right at my feet. II dld ho'
bite me. but the shock OF alarm which
ran through my nervous system caused
a holy terror to take hold OF me ana
when | lighted from the vicinity | ana 80
with more respect for the nesro's riSht
20 be scared.
This incident illustrates somewhat M!
meaning as To looking over the trutn
sometimes I'm obedience TO our Tre"on-
ceived opinions or prejudices as 10 where
the tvuth should be- Thus the AlS1er
truths are hidden from very capable peo-
pie uutl ~ the course OF events lney are
rcvea."d by what We call accidents. Many
of these truths nave struggled through
al ages in vague and incapable minds
for incayuate usefulness. until they be-
come mere SupcrStitiOuS indeed IN tlS
brains and hands Of ignorance.
Speaking os snakes reminds me OF
case in point. a good Illustration oi me
subject I have been speaking of. ana
shows how a natural law fails OF as
coverv because of its vulgar and supersti-
tious surroundings. 1t is this; Every enc
OF The good old ante-be!lum south Knows
thai II was a current saying amon% re
NEGROES: If YOU XII, snake crossing ul'
road and hang n.m NJ il would ram IL
three days" Now this was superstition
with the negro: but the writer. whth
boy, learned bv personal experience t"a'
it was true. and fully quarter OF cen
tury ago promulgated the tact lhal TN
DERIVING this negro superstition was
natural law of WHICH the negro nad no
parcept on. He mad. seen the effect ana
mietno;l this for The cause. while more
tntelifseut minds would not see II because
of oreiudice against the discoverers ol
the circumstances. Besides negroes are
not the only ones who think natural 1a-
reuotars breed storms instead ot only IN
d.cntns them.
Even today there are intelligent people
who viii. al first thought. treat with con-
temntrous scorn my assertion that IT
a
hang il rp. il Will rain within thfc@
days.
Nevertheless ii is a general truth, back
ed bv observation OF thousands in coun-
fry walks of life. and ii is based upon
an undeniablc law of nature. VIZ; just
before any marked atmospheric change
insects, reptiles, fowls and the lower
animals become restless, each manifest
ing its condition according to their seF-
eral habits Fowls use their oil bags
pricIt their feathers. geese and duck
cacNIe and duack and sometimes iiy fep-
tiIas leave their Iairs and begin TO move
around Indeed man himself is not eX-
cnpt from these atmospheric Influences
ana excIaims with David Of old. the east
wind veNes my homes SO just before
a rain snakes are more apt, than at any
other time. to bc found crossing a road
and as "A consequence. more apt TO bc
killed The negroes killing these snakes
naturally threw them over a fence or
limb ont of the way Of persons and horses
otd noticed that shortly afterwards, say
within tnrec days. there was rain. fut-
ting this and that together they con
cluded that killing the snake aud hang
ing IL up produced the change Of wealth
cr. while really the reverse was true.
Noyv TINS made il superstition with the
mo hanging mp and killing, had
mo- more To do with the wealth
or than a. barometer or weather
vanc has Ioollins at appearances or
apparout truths alone makes many
,yeiqhty matter superstition with the
foolish and they are content 10 rest in
their belief.
We find or might find. many other sim
liar truths hidden under ignorant super
stitions which have grown out of their
observation of facts connected with their
every day environments. Perhaps | might
go ON and show that "niggcr coujerS'
and SMELLS" etc. We're but the embryo
manifestations from which has been evolv-
cd hvpnotisin and other wonderful man
ifcstations of the natural and psyche
logical laws always existing, like grav-
it-. eforc Newton. electricity before
Franklin and Morse and Edison. and
others discovered how to utilize these
forces for the good and delight of men.
Thus il is I'm both natural and spiritual
kingdoms All our environments afford
rccompense to the diligent seeker after
truth. All our environments are for our
use. but none of them must use or dom
mate us. our natural man must ut least
die b,, swallowed up in the victory of