Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-09-16
anti BELLUM south
Old Timers Had Some Strange
! SuperStliiOnS.
BELIEVED IN GHOSTS And SIGNS
Superstitions Of the Whites Supposed
to Have Been Imbibed from Negro
SIavers Who Brought Them From
Their Native Lands.
BY T. Larry CAN'T.

BY T. Larry CAN'T.
A short time since l started on 4
trip with a friend. My companion was
n large ard successful farmer and a
man of education and unusual intel
.ligcncc. We had gone only a short
distance from his home when, he stop
ped his horse, asked me to hold the
lines, and getting out made cross
mark in the road, spit on it and then
turning his vehicle around drove back
to his house. l asked him what he
meant by all of that rigamarole. He
stated that he had forgotten to leave
his barn keys, and 10 prevent any mis-
hap or i'll luck on retracing his steps
he always made cross mark ard spat
on it. On conversing with my friend.
| found him full Of superstition as an
egg is full of meat. He told me that
he had frequently noticed that if you
did not pursue this practice some Ill
fortune was certain 10 overtake you
before your return. He Glso believed
in spiritual manifestations, and spoke
of n haunted spot in the road near his
home. where during the Revolutionary
war several Tories were killed in 4
skirnish with Colonial troops. He
said at certain times in passing this
spot, he heard tramping Of horses and
the rafting and clashing Of swords.
On my expressing doubts about the
truth of his story, he introduced me to
several highly respected and intelli-
gent men and women Of the settle
ment, all of whom 1 found strong be-
levers in the haunted road.
There is a streak Of superstition in
all Southern whites raised during
slavery times, and which they imbibed
from tie negroes. Remove from our
blacks the restraining hand Of the
white man and the influences of Chris
tianity, and in a few generations they
would relapse into barbarism and be-
come converts to voudouism, witch
craft and other superstitions charac-
tcrfstic of their African ancestry, as
for instance in st. Domingo and other
West Indian Isles, when the blacks
are in control and an overpowering
majority.
Even John C. Calhoun, the great
South Carolina statesman, had
broad vein of superstition running
through him, and believed in .piritual
manifestations. Mr. Calhoun was Of
ten a visitor at the home Of my great
grandfather, Judge CAN'T, of Green
vile. S. c. Ny father told me he has
often heard Mr.. Calhoun narrate
ghost stories and he told of his own
experiences. He sal while member
OF the U. S. senate, before the days OF
railroads and when travellers made
long journeys on horseback, he was
en- route TO Washington and spent the
night with large planter and intl-
mate friend in Virginia. On retiring
at night, Mr.. Calhoun was consigned
TO a room and bed with another gen.
tleman who was also a guest for the
night. On conducting them to the
chamber the host remarked that II
they heard any commotion during the
night not to be disturbed. He had haa
information that his elder son had
landed from vessel, having attended
Oxford college in England, and he eX-
nected him at any hour, having sent
a horse to Washington for him to ride,
home on.
After being asleep for some time
Mr.. Calhoun says &c awoke by being
shaken by his bed-fellow who remark
ed:
Great God, Mr. Calhoun! Just look
in the window, for there stands young
Blank (son of their hosD, with his
throat cut from ear to ear and ms
blood is dripping all over the window
sill"
Mr.. Calhoun said he looked at the
window but could see nothing save
the stars shining in the sky. but his
companion insisted that he plainly
saw the bleeding young man.
Mr.. Calhoun said at that hour
clock struck and he knew the exact
time that the apparition appeared.
His bcd-fellow was very such eXcit-
ed. but Mr.. Calhoun told him that
what he saw was purely imaginary,
and cautioned him not to say anything
and go to sleep, but his companion
was so excited that he did not sleep
again that night.
At breakfast they found that the
Young man had not returned, and az
ter bidding the family goodbye they
mounted their horses to continue their
tourney. Just before starting, man
dashed up to the door on horseback
with the horrifyng news that the
Young man had stopped at bar-room
on the road, and got into an alterca-
ton with some drunken rowdy, and
the trouble ended in his having his
throat cut exactly as seen by the bed
fellow of Mr.. Calhoun and it was also
disclosed that the killing occurred eX-
actly at the hour the spectre appear
cd at his fathers house to visitor.
In ante -bellum days, nearly every
settlement, had it's haunted house or