New-York tribune., 1901-12-08
PART II.
TWELVE PAGES.
LEGENDS OF RAMAPO.
rIEs OF THE EARLY BLACKS AND
rFTR FEAR OF wTTCHES-A BAD
MANS CAVE BETTY" SUI
FERNS PATRIOTIC RIDE.

s ., the Rauapo Mountains that series Of
.r -boed hills which rise suddenly out of the
&c along the border lire between New-York and
Tsx-Tersey. There are many peaks of peculiar
.o-- highland lakes Of wonderful depth and color,
,s caves in the rocks. about all of which strange
,-,es should have been handed down. Nor has
-. opportunity been altogether neglected, for
,,snds CT this sort have come from the people
=, lonS ago lived the border, lust outside of
=. nourtain district.
Tne original rnountaineers were, for the most
.- negroes for when the farmers freed their
ssres the mountains were not settled and the
-ocs cursed highland was the black mans only
refuge. They went there. these negro dependents.
sv5denly thrown upon their resources. and
rs-ved ont miniature farms for themselves. They
established families and. having known nothing
fc,t Christian names in their condition of servi-
-y5e they usually adopted the surnarnes OF their
CORNER masters And il these mountain blacks
With their Unborn love OF mystery and fear of the
devil who have kept alive spirit of superstition
far behind the ege-
In the shadow of Hoven Kaupt. the old Dutch
called the peak which towers over the village of
surern. there stands quaint and aged hut. built
of logs. with the cracks roughly plastered with
clay from neighboring hank. It has been tunbled
doHn for the last twenty years. but manages in
some way 10 hold together and continue the fight
against the clements In this there lives blind
Owen De C5roat. OF the Oldest negroes in the
Rarapo section. His grandfather Of the
original mountain niggers, and the superstitorS
Of three generations pent up within him His
children and their children have gone to school and
therefore belong TO another Of them noth-
ing more Old Owen would not be hapy II the
lower shelf Of Hoven kaupt did rot form part Of
his back yard AS 1t is he is content TO hobbe out
of his shack and gaze with eyes that not in
The direction in which he knows the beloved noun
tains lie and, calling his side a hunting dog o.
Two relics OF the good old days when clubs Of cit!
men had not pra-empted all OF the hunting ground
and fishing waters he sits in the and tells sto-
ries 70 himself He can remember when wolves
hoved in the hills al night. when deer were not
hard to find foxes plentiful and bears be had far
the seeking In his mind he hunts these hunts over
again giving shrili orders his dogs, and at Just
the right moment bringing down the game with
clever imitation of the report of q gun.
Ha had just shot q wildcat when q visitor came
10 him few days ago-that is he had given him
self the pleasure Of dramatic rehearsal OF an eN-
citing hunt which had taken place, say. forty-flV
rears ago. He ready to go on with a story OF
how he had cornered a million pigeons over by
Niger Pond but the stranger demanded legends
and the pigeon story will not be old enough TO enter
the legend class for another half century
I hate liar began the old coiored man, with
many sage shake Of the head.
a strange preface, indeed, TO a legend" thought
the stranger. who had been told more than one
legend before but nothing had been said about
liars.
Il sartfn do hate liar continued the old
hate 'ern worse an rattlesnakes an Tse powerful
scarf O. them critters. Youse got TO speak right up
when you meets O. them. if you don -" and
he rolled his sightless eyes.
But what about the mountain stories?" he was
asked.
Sure sure. I amt forgit dem. but Use just
groppin' round in my Grain I'm for some what
amt les cause does hate liar. Deed does.
You knowed there was witches in dem RamPoos,
adn't you?" he asked finally.
Real live witches?" demanded the stranger.
''sartin. cocksure, hiI.doo witches he replied
eagerly. Men and women witches both. TheTn'd
draw de grub out your house, 'fict you kill yeer
cattle, bend de sights in ye'er rife make ye'er
give blood stead O. milk. an all that an q lot
more
You can't make me believe il witches said the
stranger. That idea is exploded
y didn't believe in 'em either more an you.
an 1 believe that I'm white in skin. until
Hans Menschell. the Dutchman moved into these
parts. Him was a witchElaster
master as told by the old colored man. except as
shorn OF his peculiar yerbage:
We ali lived back IN the mountain quite piece
great many & years @ @sG; ana & were peaGefui @ aIie
our cow would give bucketful Of blood Instead Of
pure. white milk. Neighbors were troubled the
All said that there was witch at work but no
oae knew who ii was. Then Hans Menschell moved
into the mountains, having all the way from
Germany, where they know all about witches. We
told Hans about the trouble with the cows And he
"a few days later he drove up to my fathers
place. and, stopping his cart said: Last night 7
was driving past Nanny Fitch's place and saw
crow
- You can't see crows at night said my father
for crows always go to roost an there amt no
- saw four OF them flying across the road just
as plain II il was day insisted the Dutchmau-
This morning our COW gives bucket Of blood,
said 1l- father.
Some night I'll shoot a crow. and then there
vii be no more witch said Hans he drove off
hen he got home his chickens were walking
on their tails instead Of their legs That afternoon
tarmer coming back from down in Jersey told how
ipg after he j9sd Ieft her tied in stall
Hans thought that il was about time 10 do
s.inGhing. lie loaded his gun with silver bullet
and put his hat.
Where you goln'?' said his wife-he called her
4ion' out to shoot q crow he said. What
1encera of yours%
~, Can't shoot crow at night she said snapping
Aae Besides. what you want OF a crow, anyhowF
&c just slammed the door and went out into the
croE Tagging her wings and cawing like mad right
Yer his head He ups with his gun and hred the
viii BIN and then he went home
u shoot your crow? asked his wife. but
= 1l1' not answer. and not could she get out OF
Ln: .1.ugh she tried long after they went TO bed
ys A. morning Nanny FIteh en- was vas missing MSS 1. der e6
Ia th!-kr He found her lying in the field where
fans had shot the crow After that the cows gave
Halls vas Something OF witch himself. but he
oaH cast spells on evil persons He threw one for
= &&ther once. / remember very we'll though
o5 "a - 9st boy II was this way: ne nae one one
- Jersey; She 50 long that she bent IN the
h'g those Of good sized calf one night after
lEs tough characters. some black and some white
Cela Te get any track o. her. The old man was
ies7 ,a e. through oscause m ne 9 wGeiq r no nave
- DoteanssE.' says he. some ones up an stole
Cacle Pete says he. III make you even: and
t57T thinking while he mutter fve
night The hog was missing. but he didn't have any
way Of knowing that
49, Yen BET do says my father: IF knoTed
Nao twas done it I'd kill % him Inysef
h. fo1 want them all killed or lust the plannerE