The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-11-08
NEW ENGLAND SUPERsTIrIoNS.

NEW ENGLAND SUPERSTITIONS.
The Dowser's Collection Of Signs and
Portents.
After little chat tsramp mentioned
that the spring which supplied his barn
had gone dry. we got plenty Of water
i'll the house, he continued, 80 that
amt got nothin' to do with my hein'
here to get 4 drink of cider; but carry
ing water TO the critters don't agree
with me, and I'm goin' To try to locate
another spring that won't fail in dry
SPELL
This he proposed to do with witch
hazel crotch, which he has already se
cured, and | accompanied him to see
the process. we Went together to d
hillside pasture, and Gramp wound the
end OF one braIch Of the witch hazel
crotch around lis right hand and the
other about his left hand, and grasped
these ends very firmly The crotch stood
up vertically il the air.
Now, I'm goin to walk around here
in such places as seem As all likely
said Gramp .and when 4 come over wa
ter, The croteh'll tip away from me
downward The harder it pulls down,
the more water. There amt everyone
can find water this way. They amt
got the electricity or something in EN-.
With me, it's as easy as falling off a log,
! can't stop that crotch goin' down
when it's over water if | try and some
times ii pulls down so hard that the
bark viii be twisted of in my hands
Gramp wandered here and there
through the pasture noIlows, and some
times the crotch remained upright and
sometimes III tipped downward. But At
length a spot was found where the pull
was 50 satisfactorily felt that my com
panion drove stake there to remember
the exact place.
found him digging a few days later;
but after excayating 4 great dry hole
he abandoned the Job. In explanation
o. the mystic crotch be pointed to some
yellow stains III the dirt and said there
was iron ore In the soil That's what
raised the mischief with me- he de-
clared; iron ore'l attract witch hazel
Vas powerful as water will"
His belief in the hazel crotch was
as strong rs ever. and | discovered that
lie was i yertitable mine of ancient su.
his faith To all Of them; set there was
"a surprising number IN which he had
implicit confidence They are reported
in his language. lust as he told them to
me at various times when ! CHANGED TO
meet him about his home, in the fields.
o. by the river whore he was fond OF
fishing,
Crow on the fence.
Rain viii 90 hence.
Grow on the ground
Rain viii come down
storms clear off az O'Clock in the
morning, at noon, at Q o'clock in the
afternoon, at sunset, at midnight, or at
sunrise.
Granp. added that he know we were
going 20 have dull day; for he had
heard it raining III the night about 1
O'Clock; "and said he. II couldn't help
thiukin Of that old saving:
Between twelve AMI fwo
You can tell what tile day viii do
ut may cloud up or clear off later
in the night. but the day viii be what
/ it was between ~ and g
III Our dog comes into the house and
puts his head under the mat. I'm Ger
tain sure there's gon' 10 be a cold snap,
and il comes every time.
when the wind dies down at sunset
I ii win blow again the next day
A thunderstorm amt good for eggs
that are under hen Matching. The
chickens are apt 70 be crazy.
eMarch winds and May sun
Make dun cloth white, and fair msids
dun.
when yon're peelin onions. hold q
pin between your teeth and ii'H prevent
4 yom erwin.
Dream Of picking fruit out Of season,
And You'll quarrel without reason.
eif yoii want 10 ret rid OF the rats
4 in yOHr house kesch one and tar and
\ feather it. and then turn it loose, All
the rats viii leave in hurry
when ! Was a boy ia sometimes play
isc hard I'd have il pain in my side.
4 ic cure it Ia lift ND stone. spit under
F., 1t and put the stone back in It's place.
4 l wouldn't have amy more trouble from
the pain after that
III you begin to tell something and
forget what YOU were SAYING that is a
( sign It was true.
Mend your clothes upon your back,
Poverty you'll never lack.
@Whcn the world was new the devil
spent lot of time sowing It with
stones. he carried the stones in his
apron. and where you ser spots that
1 they are very thick, YOU can know his
aprons strings broke there.
ITO stop tho hiccolghs see how near
( son can hold yomr little fingers together
4 without their touching.
~ you don't want to have the tooth.
ache, cut a little BIT from each toenail
end finger nail. Then wrap the cuttings
in a white paper or biichhark and put
'em III a hole bored in 4 pine tree.
Close the hole by plugging and yon
won't have any trouble with aching
teeth as long a. yon live, though this
won't prevent your losing your teeth
4 by decay.
"You can cure your rheumatism By
putting mustard in Your shoes
4lf you have the stomach ache
Eat piece Of burnt cake.
"You can stop the nosebleed by put.
ting piece Of paper under votu tongue.
Nou can stop ii, too, BY placing key
or the back of your neck.
TITS a good plan 70 I'll n bottle with
water at sPing on Easter morning
before sunrise There amt any medi-
cine advertised in tho papers that can
equal such water because it'll cure more
things and is sure every time. Drink
d little of il If anything l. the matter
inside Of you; and ii You have sore
rub IL on the outside. Youll be sur.