The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-09-19
RURAL SUPERSTITIONS.

A stranger visiting rural districts
in the counties of Berks, Lebanon and
Lancaster, for the first time, says the
Philadelphia Retord, is often startled
by ancient suptrstitions beliefs to
which the old people persistently cling
in spite of the inroads of modern ideas
and education.
1t is fact, however, that supersti-
tious beliefs and ideas are fast losing
hold en- the people, but as stated be-
fore, in certain localities, it is sur
prising 20 learn of the many strange
beliefs INDUCED in.
Some of the favoritc superstitions
of the country folks are "spooks" and
witcbcraft, and is not uncommon to
hear of witch doctor who perform GER
tain incantations for tie relief of per-
sons supposed to be afflicted. BY far
the most popular belief is in "spooks"
and ghosts. Whenever an old house,
bowed down with the weight Of years
acquires mysteriously, some strange
noises, of the shutters refuse to stay
closed, the verdict is Immediately that
the house is haunted.
For nearly score of years an old
log house, situated along the Mannheim
and Lancaster pike, near Mechanics
vile, has bad the reputation of being
haunted by spirits. Tradition states
that the last tenants of the house were
disturbed by strange noises accompani-
ed by the peculiar habit to which the
doors and shutter were addicted,
namely, continually banging open
regardless of the precautions taken by
the owner to fasten them. AT any
rate this became so annoying that the
family moved out and the place has
never found tenant since, so an enter
prising farmer nearby uses the house
at present as drying shed for his to-
bacco
! Close to the South Mountains, in
Lancaster county, is a region of prim-
itivrness where superstition holds
sway among the rural folks, on whom
it is rather slow about losing its hold.
Near White Oak stood house, until
recently, which was said to be haunt
ed, hut an old gentleman who occu-
pied it, made discovery and the
spell was broken. The house had
been tenantless for several years, ow-
ing to strange noises which seemed
to proceed from the attic, and which
so disturbed the occupants that no
one would rent the house. Finally
poor old man who didn't take stock
in such supersttions, agreed to rent it
for mere song. He, too, heard the
noises at night proceeding from the
attic, but instead of clearing out, as
his predecessors did, he decided to in
vestigate the matter the next morning
by daylight, and fiction-like as it may
seem, he found down near the rafters
board which was not quite so tight
as it ought to be, and which, perhaps,
aided by the wind, produced a peculiar
noise.
But that was not all, he pulled up
the board and, TO his astonishment,
discovered a small crock which con-
tanned number of old coins to the
value Of 50. AS the coins were dated
before the Civil War it is supposed
they were hidden about the time the
Confederate Army attempted to in
wade Eastern Pennsylvania. The
old t r,s, ms recall fact the OF
a misery old woman living in the
house, who became afflicted with a
paralytic stroke, and who on her death
bed vainly attempted to tell about
something, but the words were inaudi-
ble to those around her bedside and
the secret died with her.
This house was torn down within
recent years, perhaps for the purpose
of further search for hidden treasure.