Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-02-28

hs in that event the decoy would lose
Its power, and the kahuna (sorcerer)
would have to go through the opera
tion again.
The influence Of the minister is hard
liz Jess adverse than that Of women,
and the practices noted as connected
with the Ill omen of feminine interior
ence apply also to the clergy. The
herring are said to have all left n
part Of the Irish coast because they
heard the new parson say he was going
to 1.-THE the fishery, and in Lapland and
on the coasts thereof fish are lever
looked for where a church is in sight.
On the coast Of Lancashire, England,
the fishermen have a custom Of setting
Bail on Sunday. A clergyman of the
town one prayed against this breach
Of the Lords day, as he called it; but,
to neutralize his prayers, the fishermen
made a small image Of rags and pious-
lily burned the parson in efagy.
The avoidance Of the neighborhood
of churches referred to is accounted
for by the fshermen's belief in the
great quickness Of hearing of fishes.
In Sweden, for instance, the church
bells are not rung in the Dream season,
lest the fish should take fright, and
where the pilchard are fished the peo-
ple are no less careful Of their sensi-
hveness to sound.
The Romans believed that the SER
rated spine on the tail of the sting
ray was so venomous as to be capable
Of causing injury to even vegetable
and mineral substances, trees losing
their verdure and ever rocks being af-
fected. They also considered it bad
luck If a person with a love or lawsuit
on hand met a remora Sucking fish,
when bathing. Albertus Magnus adj
vised a sutton in a law case to place a
perch under his arm and the judge
would thereupon become his friend.
When they catch certain species Of
fiat fish the Films make the sign of the
cross. The Irish will not eat the skate,
sometimes called the maid, because it
Is supposed to bear q questionable re-
semblance to some of the gr%otesque
medieval ~delineations of the Virgin
Mary. The Dutch fishermen believe
that they can discern the image of the
Virgin in each scale of the drum, and
the Swedish fishermen believe that the
pike turns its head toward the shore
on st. Gregory's day, March IL.
The origin Of certain species of fishes
are to be accounted for in various
ways. When the Brittany fishermen
happened to catch the lotte they threw
them back into the water, as they were
supposed to turn into cells. In parts
Of England cells are supposed to be
bred from dew in the months of May
and June or in other sections from the
hairs Of horses or kline which drop into
cart ruts or into drinking troughs and
springs and there quicken after rain.
This latter superstition is widely prev
alent in this country. The ancients
supposed that cells were e%ngendered of
mud OF that when tired Of living they
rubbed themselves against the rocks,
and from the detritus issued a new
breed, while still others believed they
came from the of animals.
Soles, according to the French fisher
men, are bred from prawns. The Eng
lish fishermen think that the pike Is
begotten by the west wind, while the
Eudgeon Is believed to be generated
from the brains Of horses.
Burn the teeth Of fish you catch, or
your luck will be bad next day. Pins
found in church make good fish hooks.
In Scotland a quarrel on the beach, II
blood is drawn, will drive the herring
from the coast for the rest of the sea-
son. In Sweden stolen tackle Is lucky.
In north Germany behring's eaten on
New Years day bring luck all the year
through. To witness the plunge Of a
pike before noon was considered an
ulnlucky omen in Bohemia. In New
England If you catch a fish you don't
care to keep don't throw it back into
the water until you have finished. If
you throw 1t In before 1t will tell all
the other fish what you are doing. and
no more will bite.
The Hawaiian fishermen sometimes
prepare a bait from the flesh Of the oc-
topus and the juice from the blossom
of the lima plant. An exact number
Of flowers is always used, as the fish
ermen believe that IL an odd number
were employed the bait would have no
power. -
Many Of the English fishermen will
not put to sea il any one mentions a
pig while they are batting their lines.
Should they meet a hare IN the way to
their boats they will give up fishing for
the day. In Scotland the salmon Is
equally unmentaonable and ID alluded