The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1926-10-14
sUPERsrlTioNs.

Washington Irving would have de-
lighted In the dreamy supernatural OF
the Southern mountains, and lovers Of
the legends Of Sleepy Hollow could
find the. counterpart Of that region
down in Tennessee. The supernatu-
raj is in the atmosphere. The inhabit-
ants of the mountains live in 1t. not in
slaYish fear, but as part Of their
lives, from which they would not be
separated.
But they are very CHAR Of their
condolences in this respect with
strangers. You may ask one of them
about a charm, or liant" or GUS
tom which he has religiously believed
in all his life, and the only reply you
will get will be noncommittal They
say" OF Some people believe it." but
never word of acknowledgment that
he pins his faith to it or has just
come from practicing the quaint Gus
tom you are curious about. 1t is only
after you have proven yourself that
the mountaineer win talk freely with
you concerning those things which
are very part of his life.
Who could help being superstitious
when touched by the solemn stiffness
of the mountains? For the spell of the
everlasting hills is upon them They
have been mystics from their cradles.
They believe in the old Bible literally
as it is read to them; not as modern
critics explain it away.
r1Vf.z - kA tot
leads them to think of and dwell upon
the spirit world and the great DEGREES
of Providence more than people do
in the cities. All their lives and the
lives of their forefathers have been
passed in these rocky wilds; the great
world outside the mountain Businesses
is nothing to them; their minds must
dwell upon something beyond the
humdrum of their limited existence
and naturally it seeks to peer into the
mysterious unseen, just as their bet
ter educated brothers of the city seek
to delve into the mysterious unknown
of art or science. 1t is the romance
of their lives-the one bit of senti-
ment in dreary round of duties. So
they grasp at it, develop 1t, weave it
in and out of their lives until 1t be-
comes part of them.
1t is probably only in the deepness
of the little explored Tennessee noun
tains that one will find the simple
black art practiced 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 roundabout
manner, relate toSyou that experience
of Jake Long which happened down
in the valley" not long ago. Down
in the valley is the polite way OF in
timating that man lives in one OF
the numerous coves. The term "cOV-
lite" for some reason or other is con-
sidered one of opprobium to be re-
scented, although Uncle Sam thus. off,
cially designates them.
Jakes COW got bewitched, would not
come home at night to be MIXED, and
when hunted up and driven home
would not give down" her milk. or
course, the whole valley knew what
the trouble was and who was to
blame. For had not Ike Gibbs public
ly declared that he would "get even"
with Jake on account of some real or
fancied grievance? 1t was patent to
all that Jake had bewitched the ami
NAL.
So Jake and his boys between them
drew a rough sketch of man, by
strong faith supposed to be the like
ness of Ike. with charcoal on a pine
shingle. This they took into the
woods and tackled up on tree in front
of the cow and shot it to pieces with
their guns. After that the erring COW
came home regularly and gave down
her milk willingly.