Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1912-04-12
WERE SLAVES TO SUPERSTITION.
Ignorant of Natural Phenomena, Ancients
Were Guided by OmenS.


But to clinch the argument in favo
Of good luck in old footwear: Suppos
one purchases a new pair Of shoe
and goes stumping about all day II
them, on shopping expedition. HI
comes limping, wincing, mincing ant
pigeon-toeing home at night, stagger
to his room, slowly and with man!
grimaces draws off the offending
leather, then reaches under the bet
for those old, soft, worn shoes Oh
Ihow cooling and restful! How the!
caress the poor, sore feet, and theil
Supernatural influences travel up th'
limbs and back, taking kinks out o.
the tired muscles. and at last smooth
the pain wrinkles out of the subject!
brow, leaving a state Of restful relax
alton. Could any one deny that ole
shoes were lucky after such an expe'
rience? No-not even the rankes
pessimist.
Astrology is about the oldest busi'
ness in the world, and a very goot
business yet, and you can't tell by
scanning the personal columns OF
some newspapers and taking note oi
the many astrologers who are willing
to line you up with few stars, give
inside information about yourself
family and friends for years to come
with a lot Of gossip thrown in, all fol
the small price of fifty cents. Many
people do not dare make move with
out asking Mars, Jupiter or Saturn
about 1t first, and you can easily tel
there is something uncanny about
stars by the way they wink at you or
clear night, though 1t may be sense
Of humor which prompts them to dc
this. There are those who claim tc
have been born under lucky star
but, considering how many millions OF
planets there are, and clustered ir
such confusing punches at that, this /:
a state of accuracy which we hardly
believe possible to exist.
| Crystal gazing Is very popular now
and as far back as any one know:
people have been gazing into pools OF
water, blocks of ice, new tin pans
mirrors, nickel-plated hardware Of al
sorts, and seeing things with more ol
less success.
1t is an absolute fact that people OF
today who gaze too repeatedly into
vessels Of spirits frument see more
things in heaven and earth than they
ever dreamed of in their philosophy
Horatio. The American Indians gazet
into the future via q bowl Of water
but undoubtedly it was not a wash
bowl. Had they performed the opera
ton with a cake of soap in one hanC
and a wash rag in the other the re-
suits would have been more apparent
If not poetic.
| But modern manufacture ha:
brought to the crystal an apparatus II
the shape of a highly polished ball Of
crystal, in which, IL directions are fol
lowed carefully, a great many divert
ling and sometimes hair-raising pic
ing and sometimes hair-raising pic
lures may be seen, according, o.
course, to the "scryers' imaginative
ability. 1t is said that perfectly nor
NAL and healthy people, no mattel
hod hard they stare, are apt to dis
cover nothing but an overgrown mar
BILE and that to be really successful
one should be slightly touched, or a
least of very nervous and fidgety tenn
permanent.
Amulets, charms and talisman!
come under the same heading and art
usually small objects tethered with 6
dirty string or golden chain, according
to the means Of the owner, and worr
or carried almost anywhere on tht
person to ward off rheumatism, fits
toothache, blind staggers and W.
might 60 on and name as many things
as are found on a patent medicine
bottle, but space forbids. Not only a.
a preventive of physical ailments d'
these objects shine, but they bring th'
wearer good fortune. prevent acci
dents, etc.
Great care should be taken will
large metal talismans worn next t
the skin in cold weather. If these
safeguards are donned in the morning
without having been first warmed
their powers are apt to work back
ward and give the wearer such a chill
as to cause pneumonia. The onl!
amulet that can conscientiously b.
recommended to ward off winter all
ments is red flannel worn next to th'
skin in shape of a shirt. To be effec
tive it is necessary to have a change o
these charms. so while one is in th'
wash the owner need not be exposed
to local cold demons while waiting
for it.
Palmistry is another practice which
seems to have a very strong hold OIL
u.s. Go to almost any church bazaa
or social and you will find fortune
telling booth which conceals a mos
attractive witch, willing to interpre
Tie youI oitSi w"
fair palm has been crossed with sill
yer. To note the superstitious youni
men impatiently crowding aroun'
these booths to have their palms hell
and read backs up the fact that ther
is not much difference in the makeul
of men from Adams day to this.
:; A whole book might be written ol
cardplaying superstitions.
:. To break a looking glass is abou
the worst thing that can happen Il
the superstitious calendar. Some sa
you will have i'll fortune for seve
/. years afterward. and others that
presages the loss of your best friend
The last explanation seems most plaus
; ible, especially If the looking glass
, an expenive one and belongs to you
!, best friend.
The falling of pictures from tn
, walls is a sign not to be Sneezed at b
, any means, and the amount of i'll for
tune that can be heaped up by an oc
currence like this is astonishing, as tn
following incident plainly shows: !
man once had a portrait of an ances