Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-05
ODD sUPERsTITIoNs.

/
assail.-Portland Oregonian.
ODD sUPERsTITIoNs.
Many Customs In Tennessee Came
From England.
washington Irving would have de-
lighted in the dreamy supernatural OF
the southern mountains If lovers OF
the legends of Sleepy Hollow could
find the counterpart Of that region
down in Tennessee. The supernatural
is in the atmosphere. The inhabitants
of the mountains live it, not i'll slavish
fear, but as a part of their lives from
which they would not be separated.
Every act of life has its significance
Every hollow its ghost or its charm
The moon, the trees are all intermed1-
ary between them and the unseen
world Of spirits and warn them Of dis
aster, bring good luck or bad, as 1t
may be, or tell them of death.
1t Is probably only in the deepness OF
the little explored Tennessee noun
tains that one will find the simple
blact art practised in its original pur-
ity. They pin their faith to "hants''
and spells and charms. They do not
talk about them any more than they
would relate their private affairs to a
stranger. But If you doubt their aw-
full power they will in a roundabout
manner relate to you that experience
of Jake Long which happened down
in the valley last fall Down in the
valley" is the polite way Of intimat-
ing that a man lives in one Of the nu-
merous coves. The term "covite' for
some reason or other is considered one
Of opprobrium to be resented.
Probably the most astonishing su-
persitition which fiourishes in the
wilds Of the Tennessee mountains Is
that with regard to vaccination. When
smallpox was travelling this way pre-
vention was suggested. But 1t wouldn't
pass here. The mountaineers stoutly
refused to allow themselves or their
families to be inoculated. When press
ed for a reason they at last explained
that it was we'll known that the first
time a man used his arm after vacci-
nation it would drop off at the shoul-
der. No illustration was given, but
neither has any Tennesseean in this
part Of the state ever been vaccinated.
They have no extra arms to lose on
experiments.
Every locality has it's weather signs,
but here is one not generally known.
Perhaps it doesn't work elsewhere.
If it thunders in February there will
be frost on the corresponding day in
May. 1t thundered on last February
IL and 13. Well, it didn't frost In
May, but there was a nippy cold spell
on that date.
AS for the many minor superstitions,
"Br'er" Babbit has rival in the shape
of a small bone found in the crawfish,
the lucky owner Of which will always
be able to find things he has lost and
will be successful in all he undertakes.
If you kill the first snake you see in
the spring you at the same time kill
your enemy. If a bird lights on your
head you will speedily hear Of your
own death or the death Of some one
else. In weaving a colt 1t is absolute
ly necessary that you be up in the
signs Of the zodiac, for If you should
start the process when the sign is in
the head the colt will calmly continue
sucker for two years, while If you
do it in the sign of the knees the job
will be finished in two weeks.
A peculiar kind Of cloud Is called
rain Seeds" and when seen in the sky
any native knows it is going to rain.
One of the most foolish things a man
can do is to allow the beautiful dog
wood blossoms to be taken into his
cabin. They will surely bring bad
luck Any one who has lived in the
mountains for many years can tell you
when to expect the dogwood, the
blackberry and the whippoorwill win
ters Spring may seem to have come
to stay, but the Tennesseean will not
plant his crops until these successive
winters" have passed.
Many of the superstitions can be
traced back to old England, from which
these people emigrated couple Of
centuries ago-in fact, many Of their
strange idioms of speech are obsolete
English. The ancient mode Of deter
mining a childs future by the article
it first notices is gone one better in
mountain lore. Here the prognostica-
tion is made by the first woodtick
which fastens itself upon the baby,
and the parents have d say as to their
progeny's future. The tick is taken
out and killed on an axe If the parents
wish the child to be cleverworkman;
on some clear, ringing article If he is
to be a singer; on book If he Is de-
signed for a preacher
But one of the most noteworthy OBJ
servances is that Of keeping the Sab
bath. Men do not care much for work
down here. Few will put in over three
days week, even when work is press
ing, but they will work hard and make
their families work hard to finish up
a job before Sunday. No matter how
low or shiftless man, he has a lower
depth into which to sink-to let it be
known that he has worked on Sunday
That is the. worst that can be said
about the lowest and worst.-Omaha
World Herald.
Perfect Old AEGEAN Illinois nom
ogenarian, who proposes to live to be
at least 100, has framed up this plat
form for the benefit of the B. c. Harts