New-York tribune., 1901-07-21
FOLKLORE IN THE SOUTH.
CHILDISH REcoLLEcTIoNs OF "GooPHER"

CHILDISH kECO1ALECIlONS 'tOofttEtN
From Modern Culture Magazine.
During a recent visit to North Carolina. after
latter day prevalence of the oldtme belief in
my childish recollection of which 1 have elsewhere
embodied into number Of Of stories @ - The deTiyatlen
any other writer than myself has recognized It's
ears Of the Is The cn Of this m
superstition itself is perhaps more easily traceable
fetc6ism. which was brought over from the dark
features too, Suggest a distant affinity with YOU
doosm snake worship. cult which seems to
beliefs. which in the place Of their origin had all
the sanctions Of religion and social CUSTOM ,,, be
ton. a pale reelection of their former selves. In
i' the wtchcraft att and ghost lore OF the white man.
and the tricks and delusions of the Indian con,
vigorously. though discouraged by the great
house" and their potency: was well established Esl
ton, howsvsr has thrown , the ban an Of disreputs s
Of the preacher Who looks upon superstition the
ally of the evil one; the scornful sneer OF the
age, have driven wen this quaint combination Of
of od bae TO e from which y eS
nc 1he stranger to unearth them MI & Harrs IN ans ms
elimination. collected and put into pleasing and en-.
8grng Wt form the plantation stories which & deal, dealt
paid to those dealing with so-called conjuration,
IN Tss loss ay na S R
great but these vanishing traditions might furnish
study study OF racial development; In writing few
years ago, the volume entitled THE Conture
woman ! suspect that was more influenced by
the literary value OF the material than by its So
eioioSical nearirg and therefore took or thought
did considerable liberty with subject. lmagt-
nation however, can only act upon data-one must
hlye somewhere In his consciousness the ideas
winch he puts together to form connected whole.
creative talent. OF whatever grade, Is, In the last
anaysis only the power Of frearrangement-there
Is nothing new under the sun. / was the more
.hrnly impressed With this thought after had in
terviewed half dozen old women and a genuine
'eonlure co doctor: for l discovered that the brill
lant touches, due had thought, to my imasi-
nation were; after all but dormant IDEAS lodged
IN my childish mind by old Aunt This and old
Uncle That and awaiting only the spur of imagi-
nation to bring them again TO the surface For
instance. in the story. .Hot-Foot Hannibal" there
figures conjure doll with pepper feet. These pep
per teet regarded as peculiarly my own. purely
Original creation heard, only the other day, in
North Carolina, OF the CONSERVATION struck TO the
heart OF certain dark individual, upon finding
upon his doorstep rabbits foot--a good omen in
itself. perhaps-to which maIIgn influence had
been impaired by tying TO one end OF II. in the
form of cross, two small pods OF red pepperi
Most Of the deusions connected with this belief
In con1uration grow out OF mere lack of enlght-
eminent As primeval men saw personality behind
every natural phenomenon. and found a god or a
devil in wind. rain and hail. in lightning and in
storm, SO the untauSht man or woman who Is as
sailed by an unusual ache or pain, some strenuous
symptom of serious physical disorder. is prompt 10
accept the suggestion. which tradition approves