The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-06-12
DOOR KEYS IN SWEDEN
Curious Custom Of Hanging Them
Outside the Doors.
HOUSES LOCKED, YET OPEN.
The Dangling Key Informs You the
Tenants Are Out. but Friends Who
Call Are at Liberty to Unlock the
Door and Enter and Rest.

Door ana Enter ana htst'
When the Swcdes 20 calling they
lock up aud then hang the door bcy ou
the bell or the doorkuob or sumc other
conspicuous place when they gu visit
Ing for few weeks. bolts aud bars are
slid into place, and then out goes the
key. II the house IL shut up for am cn
tire season or full year, the pny,y
swinging door key says "Not at home
TO passersby.
There Is no kicking your heels on the
doormat I'm Sweden while the bell or
knocker awakes the echoes IN an emp
ty house. Agents, peddlcrs. friends
and relatives all know this message ct
the door key and seeing 1t out pass 10y
As can be readily imagined this
strange custom has been put to good
use In many Instances when visitors
were not wanted. Instead OF tellin-
the maid 10 inform callers that Mrs.
Jones Is not at home the mistress says
to Jennie: Hang out the door key at .
o'clock this afternoon and bring 1t In
at .. | don't wish to see any one for
| few hours"
About the first of the month in Ger
tain districts door keys swing tn the
breezes in great numbers, and collect
ors. knowing tie custom and also il,
misuse. scratch their heads in pcrplcN.
| ity at this not at home signal.
Many amusing stories are told OF
creditors sitting down TO await the re
turn of their man while the debtor sal
on the other side of the locked door
and chuckled. There have been I'm
| stances where collector has taken
the key, unlocked the door and entcrc
! the house to be met by the owner, who
| calmly laughed over his rusc. Again 81
| creditor has entered house In which
| he supposes the owner TO be hiding on
| ly TO lind II vacant and 10 bc caught %.
the irate master, arrested and made tr
pay fine. while the debtor got an ex
tension of time on his bill.
| These illegitimate uses OF this very
old custom of not only leaving the
latchstrlng out, but also putting the
door key ut the disposal of all who
| pass, are not discovered at first glance
and they are really very much in the
minority. for Sweden is pre-eminently
an honest land. In and around about
Stockholm there is very little need Of
| policemen or strong boxes, for every
man. however low down In tine social
scale, seems TO have due respect foI
another's property.
| Although n few OF the more susp
cious. or the foreigners who have not
been brought up In this strange Gus
tom of leaving the door key out. MAY
lock up with bolts from the inside and
use another door for exit when they
leave home for an extended visit. the
old residents actually leave their homes
at the disposal of any who may care to
enter.
Friends who call and fird the key
out feel al perfect liberty TO unlock the
door, enter and rest bit before pass
ing on. Strangers seldom misuse the
confidence.
The custom started ages ago when II
was the usual thing for "holy men" or
priests TO travel through Swedish vii
lagos, stopping to leave their blessing
on the households OF the nelghborhood.
These visits were looked forward to
with eagerness by the plous Swedes,
and II was considered an act OF gross
est dlscourtesy TO bar the door, for
whatever reason, against holy man.
Consequently If family left home the
key was always put out against the ar.
rival OF the priest Meat and drink
were left, and should the holy man
stop at vacant house he entered. re
frcshed himself, left his blessing IN the
form OF candle or n bottle Of holy
water or bit of consecratcd green and
passed. Thus the custom originated.
and, although these quaint villages
have become towns and travelling
| priests have passed away and the in
| tiux of other nations has modernlZed
Sweden and brought the evil of theft
with II, the door keys still hang out as
evidence OF trust and open doored hos
pltalty.
A thief seldom takes down one or
the keys and enters, for there Is the
uncertainty about the absence Of the
residents spoken of 10 hold him back.
and ,he knowledge that an exposed
door key may merely mean that the
owner has stepped across 10 the store
and will return any minute makes
tamperlng with property risky busi.
hess.
These facts, together with the big
one that Swedes are one OF the most
honest people on the face of the globe.
make a custom safe there which would
be foolhardy tempting OF misfortune
In our "land OF the free"-Los An.
geles Times.