The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1933-06-29
By PAUL HARRISON


New York.-In SPRAYING, faw-
drv Harlem there are more night
clubs than there are in Montmarte,
more speakeasies than in Manhat-
tan's fabulous Fifties, more fried
chicken than there Is In Maryland,
more jazz music than in Bedlam,
and more negroes than in any
other city in the world.
But whatever the impression
made on visiting summers. Har-
| lem isn't all vo-de-o-do. There's
yoo-doo, too, and black magic asI
eerie and primitive as ever was
practiced in matched jungle huts-
For here in Harlem meet and
mingle all the Negroid races
black Mohammedans from the Far
East, dusky folks few genera
tions removed from Africa. ma
tives OF the Indies, Cuba, Jamaica.
Central America. There are mel
groes who speak only French. or
Portuguese or Spanish; negrcesI
who wouldn't look twice at a wa
ltermelon or a succulent 'possum.
yucas, sabadillas and the like.
Name Your Powder
So here, too, superstitions meet
and blend, until now you'll find a
man from Haiti carrying the FOOT
of rabbit which once scamperedI
across an Alabama graveyard at
midnight. And an American negrDf
pinning his faith on the charmsI
cast by some foreign sorcerer. The
police can tell you of these things.
for frequently, as they did theH
other day, they burst in upon some
witch-doctor's den, or even the or
dinary-looking shop of an apothe-
cary, and seize q store of mysticI
powders and potions.
YARDS (herbs, If you like) are
the commonest compounds of
Har1em's black magic. These.
with oils, ground bones and hairs.
are prepared with impressive rit-
uals, sold at impressive prices. and
guaranteed to do great good or
wreak awful evil. as desired.
Some of them are Bring EN-
Back Powder. Sprinkling Powder.
Black Cat Ankle Dust. Love Me
Quick Powder. Boss Fix Powder
and female), Go Away Powder.
Commander Oil Green. Ruling
Hand Bone. Buzzard Wishbone
Powder-and so on and on. An
ounce of Keep EN- Powder. dctN
signed to hold a wavering lover.
costs IS. Adam and Eve Powder.
scattered around the house. keeps
away thieves, lightning, fire. sick
ness, insects and perhaps unwei-
come in-laws. Boss Fix PowderI
will keep a boy from losing hij
job; and Boss Fix No. Q (doubleI
strength) may be counted on 4.
win a raise in wages.
Go Away Powder (s10 the viaDI
will rid a maiden of unwelcomd
sutton. or rid one sutton Of I'M
welcome competition. Guffer Dust
sprinkled three times on a per-
son, or even on his dog or his
doorstep. will place him or he'd
under the sprinkler's spell. R,,ld
ing Hand Bone. ground from theX
skulls of fierce dogs, seems to lend
| assure nee and courare to hen
pecked husbands. Only s; will
buy enough to wear in little BAD
around the neck.
High Jinx
Deadly charms come higher,
especially since they're smugglcd
in ("richt off the boat") from tho
West Indies. Thus 1t is possible
to pay $50 or more for so potent Il
jinx as John the Commanders.
thrice-cursed twig of certaiiI
shrub. One need only chew this
it's said. while looking malevolentj
~ at an enemy. to bring him I'd
certain disaster before the next full
moon.
Many Harlem witch -doctcfX
has made tidy fortune with sucli
nostrums. And one of them, IN
"Dr Alonzo Jones. CA even
sold $4,000 worth of Bring 'Eni
Back Powder through. the mails
before federal authorities stopped
him. Asked what the "C.A." aftefJ
his name stood for. he replied sim.
ply: why, Colored American. Of
co'se."