New-York tribune., 1906-12-30
WOODS SUPERSTITIONS.
Guides and Hunters TN Name Gov-
crned bu Them,

Bangor. Me. Nov. 24-Many and curious are
| the superstitions Of the guides and hunters OF
the northern woods. The other day old half
| breed woodsman, who was In the lead OF a
shooting party stopped, after they had travelled
one hundred yards from camp, with the declara-
| ton that his companion would direct the party
| that day, he was obliged to return.
| Maybe he heard something" the only
/ explanation the younger man would give for his
| action.
At night. when the sportsmen came bacA
empty handed, the grayhead gave his reason tor
! his failure, and also for their non-success.
Il heard the chickadee singing right IN front
| OF us, and that always means bad luck. you
know" he said.
Why the little, CHEEKY black and white chirper
should be considered the harbinger Of Ill
| fortune he could not tell He had always heard
that 1t was. and always found the tradition TO be
| true.
| The man who hears the birds song first must
always so back some accident may happen.
The others might well accompany him, for
| they VIII get no game, anyway.
| News came in. while on the expedition, Of the
accidental shooting of cousin Of one of the
| guides. He had been taking couple Of sports
men to good place for ducks
| He always was a mad-headed fellow" his
relative explained. He never would be guided
| by anything. He laughed about hearing a
| chickadee sing one morning. and before noon ne
had shot and pretty nearly killed the man he
| On the other hand. the call OF the wood
pigeon, or wood dove, Is good medicine as as
die that day. If the fortunate hunter hears It's
cooling early In the morning.
The worst OF it is that death may possibly
strike some member of the party we'll The
| guides remember the fact that when a New York
| nimrod was found dead in his shack some years
| ago his attendants noticed wood doves nest
| right above his pretty little embowered retreat;
| He had had wonderful success that season. and
| In month had killed more game than in his
| whole previous lifetime. Every day the pigeon
called him to renewed success in killing, until
| the evening when her soft call presaged the
1 of~ev thn haf fryhn
| life of men.
| The hoarse squawk of the raven. again. often
! means good sport for hunters. Although a bird
| of evil omen. 1t is the game upon which the bad
luck will fall. unless there are other bad signs
noticed. For instance. If the chickadee chirps
| when the raven calls. 1t means bad times for
| sportsmen. And Il. on an ordinary trip through
| the woods, raven is heard look out for falls,
| breakages or accidents of some more serious
| character. But, with gun on shoulder and dog
| at heel. rejoice at the note of the raven, for
many the good chances of sport the day
| will afford.
| The observant hunter Will notice that, although
| the most common of trees in most shooting dis
tricts. poplar is never USED apouI 'he a, cap rst
| expedition undertaken to lend a hand In setting
| up the tents at night. and to that end nave
| brought in forked stakes OF the ciean easily CUT
| white wood.
| Fer one reason or another these almost
invariably laid to one side and tent poles
| from another tree. Or green hand Will ser
| up poplar sticks which to sling the pot Inc
| cook always has reason ready for discarding
/ this wood.
| II by any chance he should not notice It and
| the pot tits over the bouillon burns or the tea
| is smoky, there will be hearty maledlctton be-
slowed upon the unlucky poplar STICKS. Inc
| men are by no means ready with explanation
| for these superstitions, and when quesuoneu
will content themselves with the half laughing
| reiotnder, Didn't you know that? I thought
| that everybody knew that poplar always prinSS
bad luck TO the men who use 1t ABOUT a Camp
| fire"
| But the probability Is that the observant red
! man noticed the continual restless movement OF
the leaves Of the quiverins aspen ana feeing ms -
senses rritated by the incessant rnotlon set u
down as bad medicine at once the poplar Is
| at any rate. a brittle. quickly rotting woou.
which possibly furnishes further reason 1oi
| dislfI,ing It, Tent poles are never drawn from
| the ground when camp is struck The OLD, nos
pttable idea of helping the next man to nome
| makes n almost a crime certain to entail bad
fortune on the offender against this rule Pop-
| lar stakes, pretty sure to decay at the oottoin
within a month or Two, would be poor KIND OF
Gift 10 make TO q party OF travellers hastily
setting up their canvas lodging some dark nisht.
0oh,s piS ggonstfns mon poplar tree often when
| bad shooting Is made at freed birds the suloe
will laugh In his peculiar, noiseless manner anu
couldn't expect anything better firing at
! poplar tree ,.,
# would be RASH however, to assume with
/ some observers that there is any connection pc
| tween this superstition of Woodmen ana Worio-
wide tradition that the leaves of the poplar tree
| have quivered ever since the cruclnAloh because
| from it's wood the cross was made.
| II is curious that among the Indian guides the
| idea should prevail that the mouse Is supPO0SN'
! TO exert malevolent influence in the Woous'
| r. as sometimes happens early In the season.
| a big bull moose charges with wild rusLl
| through the camp, scattering irebrands and pots
| with it's huge feet. the Indian guides COVER IN
terror before it. AS likely as not they VIII Tele
/ TO go further with their employers ana VIII oes
| TO be released from their contract
| If at all possible, the Indian hunter Will not
| shoot at the moose from the front or from
/ where he can be seen In order that this con,
| tnsencv NAV pe aVoided, one of the guides VIII
/ endeavor to attract the attention of the moose
| by rubbing his hand against tree or by break
| ing a tIny twig A diminutive dog is sometimes
| taken along The lordly moose dtsdains to nee
| from such a puny, barking foe. but impetuousiy
| strikes at the dog with his numerous IoreIeet'
| the unnoticed hunter meanwhile getting certain
| aim at a vital spot. At the moment OF nr1ng
| an Invocation is often shouted out lmplor1nS
| the forgi.eness of the moose, and giving some
| good reason-such the lack OF good meat 1or
| instance-for the intended murder.
| The black bear is generally considered IN Ine
| Iiert of the clown of the forest menagerie. His
| appearance Is hailed with chuckle. and though
| respected for his strength and tenacfty OF nre,
| he may always be attacked and killed. GOOD
| luck is pretty certain to come to a camp Where
| the carcass of a black bear is strung up.
| In the days before head hunting had became
| the rage the head of the moose was always
| smashed In by the guides before skinnlng opera
| tions were begun Bruins head was never sub
| jected TO such indignity Following of the
| primitive customs of the northern woods. the
guides OF to-day take particular pains in skim
| ming without damaging the skull OF the bear,
| which is sometimes set UP on pointed stake
| driven firmly into the ground beside road a
| stream or a lake, and left there just for luck.
| as the men say