Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1904-03-28
Good Friday a Witches Day
Martha Young in the Springfisld Republican.

q that person is apt TO be witch, spenC
/ ing his night in riding or putting petit
injuries on his neighbors al nigh
time as a witch.
This is a story, an old. old, wrinkle
brown woman told me Of before-th
war witch: She had not seen tn
transformation OF which / viii te
you with her on eyes. but she he
seen those who had seen il. and 81
believed the story. She told ii
Ifollows:-
'Ole master, he went 10 town or
day and a drove er niggers done bee
brung down from Verginny. Dey w
putin 'em up on de block and knockf
'em of briefly, Gaze money was plent
dem days. Master he want biddi
much, but when de auctioneer put u
great big double-jinted yaller 'oma
hit seem lax ter ole master dat des ]
han he need in de rice iel So
bid Wild de res He alas out-bi
eevr' body, so he had de 'oma knocke'
down ter him at one thousan' dollars
He tole her ter git up on de ridin
boss hind his body servant and come
on home.
/ Dat oman she was 70 mon gel sol
on dat boss, holdin' black Joe roun' de
waist, den she noddin' Heah she
went home. bobbin' an nod1in' and
mos slippin OF de ridin' boss, nigh
bout maxim black Joe go crazy tryin
ter get dat one-thousan' dollar oman
home.
Time she got home, AID ole
Master give her a cabin ter stay in
wild some of other omen folks, she
was in de corridor noddin and nappin
She nod in de ricefeP. She nap at de
spinnin'wheel. Che fall clean out de
cheer fast asleep wild de cotton-cyards
in her hand.
Master try her at ever sorter
work in de feel. She nod and nap and
sleep at al. Mis- try her at ever sort
of work in de house, and mongst de
women she nod and nap and sleep at
all. Yet all time she was de pootiest,
likeliest-lookin' oman on de place.
No sooner had she git 10 de place
den de folksese gin ter complain of
witches. AT ever house in de quarter
witch come at night. Come IN all
sorts of shapes. Come cat AMI steal
de meat cOOlin' 'gainst tomorrow's
eookin' Come a dog and turn over
all de meal trays. Come and ride
down ever work boss and ridin' boss,
on de place. But never no mule vas
pestered. Come a witch and ride de
folks trod night bout ever body on dc
place pear like des as franzy as a
! jay-biTd on a Friday mornin'
Folks gin ter s'picion dat dat big
yaller oman was dOin' all dat. Witch
ca'yin's on at night and noidin' all
day, dat what de people gin say. Dey
didn't wanter 'scuse her right out. so
dem gals in de house hid her watch
her good. Sho 'nough one night
'twixt midnight and day dey coIch her
at 1t.
She slip out her skin. she did, and
she turn to squinch-owl and fly inter
holler tree and begin her devilment.
-gwine fly in de mex cabin and ride
somebody mex minute. Dem gals dey
| jerk up her skin and turn il wrong
side out. Dey rub it in salt AND
paper. Dey stun dat skin wild a
| broomstick. De 0les' oman on de
place she plat horse-hair bride and
throw il into dat boiler tree. Hit eli
right over de neck of dat squinch-ow1.
'Des TO day dat squinch-owl began
10 scratch on de winder-shutter-
couldn't git in.
''Des TO day dat squinch-owl be
gan to shiver on de do'step-couldn't
git in. Dem gals dey lay and shook
and trimbled under de bed-kiver.
You know if you turn a witch per
sons skin wrong sd out'ards and rub
: il wild paper and salt and stun it wio
/ broomstick dey can't git back in dey
skin. Dem gals seed de skin dey done
hung up, hit was wearin' : blue
checked homespun dress, swingin
hind de door whar dey done hung it,
de broomstick dey done stuck it in
des Vaughn Dey des trimbled dere
twel daylight, dem gals did.
AT daylight dey hear such a
galIopin' tho de quarter. Dey git up
and look out. Oar she was.
a great, big. likely-looRin' gray
mule was des gallOpin up and down
de row er quarter houses. Das yaller
'oman's shoes was on it's hind feet
Dat horse-hair bride was hangin
round its neck. De gals looked whar
1 dey had hung de skin. 'Twan't nottin
dar but de blue-checked homespun
dress wild de broomstick pokin' out
Master he didn't say nottin
spec he done a heap er thinkin. He
/ had de men drive dat gray mule ter
/ de swamp. Dat mule didn't DlOng to-
our drove She done kicked of lie
shoes by time good daylight COME
No. sir, nobody never did find den
shoes. Don't know whar she kicked
'em. But de bride was yet hangin' OF
her neck. Master never did never sa1
nottin' tall ever agin bout dat one
thOusan'- dollar WALLER oman what he
Z Ef1 ~, ont do N-ar-uiuv1x- drove T7fur-