The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-01-24
HIS HOUSE aooDooED.
A New Orleans Man Reluctantly Fur.
chases Exemption from an
Unlucky Spell.

Il have just paid two dollars cash ard
q pair of second hand trousers to have
hoodoo removed from my residence
said a ST. Charles street retail mer-
chant. Il know that sounds funny, but
it was really perfectly sane, sensible
business transaction. I'll tell you how
it happened. We have an old-time
nanny for a cook, and one of her
pensioners has been a venerable darky
known as Uncle Gabe, who came hob
bling around once week or so for
cold victuals. He was an impressive
looking old rascal, with white hair and
whiskers and deep, hollow voice, and
he has the reputation among his race
of being great witch doctor.
about six weeks ago l caught Uncle
Gabe in the act of Stealing new
hatchet which was lying near the
kitchen, and ordered him off the prem
ises. A few days afterward he came
back, either to make peace or get the
hatchet, and that time l helped him
out. with kick. Next morning we
found two small bags Of red flannel,
full of pieces of stick and bone, pinned
to the front and back gates, and Aunt
| Rachel. our cook, informed us that
Uncle Gabe had done put er hoodoo on
de house
Il laughed heartily. but ! could see
the women folks were impressed, and
it was certainly an unfortunate coin
cidence that both our children should
be taken down with measles the very
| next day. Then followed Il series of
those domestic mishaps that often come
in streaks and would never have been
regarded as extraordinary had it not
been for that hoodoo. My wife fell and
| sprained her ankle, the parlor lamp
| exploded and ruined hundred dollar
| rug, the cat drowned in the cistern,
| the bathtub sprung a leak and brought
down some plaster, a loose shutter
knocked over $75 japanese vase, and
| at each fresh disaster.old Aunt Rachel
| would roll up her eyes and declare the
hoodoo would be the death of us all.
"Well," continued the ST. Charles
street man, 1.-The thing finally got on
| my nerves, and while / knew perfectly
well that nothing had happened that
| was out of the ordinary course of
events, | couldn't help feeling that we
| were living under sort of blight.
have mentioned cur principal misad
ventures, but there were hundred and
| one minor accidents and annoyances.
| all of which were religiously credited
! to the hoodoo, and at last l saw clear
| ly that something would have to be
done to prevent the household from be-
coming utterly demoralized.
| ''The only course that seemed to be
open was to effect some sort Of COM
promise with Uncle Gabe and persuade
him to declare officially that the evil
spell had been removed from the prem
ises. So much as | hated to parley with
the old villain, / commissioned Aunt
Rachel 10 GO out and find him and in
vite him to a peace conference. After
considerable difficulty she finally ran
him down and induced him to come as
| far as the front gate, where he waited
for me, evidently suspicious Of a job
of some kind and ready to bolt on first
alarm.
| 'Our conversation was DfieI ana 10
the point. He denied vociferously that
he had put any hoodoo on the house.
but l cut him short and asked what he
would charge to take the hoodoo off,
irrespective of how it got there. I'll
kill de spell fer five dollars he re-
piled. I'll give you two dollars and a
pair Of striped pants said l; but if
you don't take it off for good I'll have
you arrested for obtaining money un-
der false pretenses.'
''On that basis we came to terms, and
he went around to the back yard, per-
| formed some kind of incarnation,
burned piece of rag. and announced
that the hoodoo was lifted. Since then
we all breathe easy. and if disaster
comes our way now we will attribute
it to common. old-fashioned bad luck
instead of the Vaccinations of a malig-
nant spirit. 1t will be bitter cold
day when you catch me giving any
more swift kicks to professional witch
| doctors."-N. o. Times-Democrat.