Browse:Van-Van (Volume 1, entries 2368–2717)/Part 3
Van-Van
Volume 1, entries 2368–2717. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS. Entries listed under this heading in the source volume.
Entries
Entry 2528
Some use dragon's blood an' put it under de steps an' ovahhead of de facin' of de do' wheres yo' come in, an' dey won't come in yore place.
(To keep the law away?)
Yes sir.
Entry 2529
I understand that you get this high-graded incense. You use that, you smokes that up over your door. Course he'd come around, but he wouldn't never come for no kind of trouble. You understand? It keeps him quiet.
(I see. That's all you do - use that incense?)
That high-graded incense.
Entry 2530
Ah tell yo' whut ah does: Ah've been usin' few things round mah house since - see, nobody would patronize me. Yo' understand whut ah said? Nobody patronize me. Ah goes tuh work an' ah got me some of dis thing whut chew call de incense. Ah burns some incense an' some sulphur. Now [at present time], ah burns sulphur right on, an' ah've got all de friends - ah don't keep a thing. Ah used tuh use sech as kerosene an' soap an' all lak dat. Why ah had jes' a regular ole common 'fair [commissary?] an' ah can't keep none of it - dey runs in jes' buyin', jes' as fast as ah kin [restock], an' when ah first got it, why nobody 'tended me. Dey said ah wus independent an' all lak dat. But after ah used dat - ah burns me some sulphur. Right now ah put de pile in a plate in de flo' an' ah burns dat, an' befo' it kin git through burnin' de people is ies runnin' in, Yo got any soap - yo got any kerosene - yo got any this - here is yo' money - yo' got any sech-an'-sech-a thing?' Goes off lak dat.
Entry 2531
The grains [qrins?] of Job - you may hear'd of 'em. You ever seed 'em?
(They say there are Job's tears. Are they something like Job's tears?)
Well, it's a smaller size, but it looks just like a little fish-eye. You ever see a fish-eye? (Yes.) [If the eye of a fish is meant.]. About the color, but they weren't that - they are known to be the grains of Job. The grains of Job was used in the particular way of burning the oriental incense - any incense from Asiar - that's what they call clairvoyant incense. You burn two of them together and you take the ashes of the two what you burn ever' other morning and plant 'em around your place in the earth right outside - any place in the yard or around your place. You may repeat, as lots of 'em repeat, you know, "As I pray the prayer the Eastmen do, may sweet, etc. etc." You will not have to speak, you know, like they do in Asiar, but you kin say a very short part of it: 'In the Name of the Father, of the Son and Holy Ghost, there will be no one be coming to this home - officer or no one into my place of business." Either way that will take care of it and no one will ever bother your place.
(Never bother you.)
"In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, as no one will come near here to harm me - officers, or revenuers, or no deputies."
Entry 2532
Burn incense - rosgum [rosegum?] incense. Mix it wit de black incense.
(What kind of incense?)
Rosgum incense - the kind they call rosgum incense. Well, dey take dat and dey take de btack mans [black men] dey call incense, and cut dis black man up and put it all in de same top what you goin' to burn it in, and burn it and make your wish. And he won't come back.
(That keeps the law away.)
Entry 2533
Dey gits a powder called de incense an' burn it - it's not a powder but blocks 'bout lak dat. An' dey burn it in dey home. Say - dey claim it keeps de men - dey have customers. Ah have gone in houses an' dey says nobody has been in dere all day an' de time dey light one or two, dere comes two or three customers in.
Entry 2534
Dey tell me that chew could use de incense. When yo' runnin' any kind of a business an' yo' use incense, yo' jes' take an' light chew one an' sets it up on de table or anywheres on de floor an' makes yore wishes dat chure place will be crowded an' that yore place will be successful or anything lak that.
Entry 2535
Well, you will have to get some incense, lueky incense and brown sugar, and mix all that together and take - scrub the house out in the four corners and you burn your incense in the four corners in each room. You burn the incense in each room and then you wash your house out with oil of cinnamon and brown sugar and you scrub it out with that. Don't put no washing powders or nothing in it - just scrub it out with the clear water.
(What will that do then?)
That will give you luck to get your house rented.
Entry 2536
(When do you make your wish for roomers?)
When yore incense is burnin' yo' make yore wish lak that. Now yore incense need tuh be in all business places dat dere are - most in Memphis [use incense]. An' yo' burn that at six a'clock in de mawnin' in de business place. Well, yo' put a little dragon [dragon's blood] in there - a teaspoonfulla incense an' maybe halfa teaspoon of dragon aftah yo' scrubbin', an' at six 'clock make yore burnin' an' den call yore customers [by wishing].
Entry 2537
Well, yo' goes to de drug store an' buy yo' some of dis lucky incense an' burn it fo' de sunrise in de morning an' walk to yore do' an' throw de ashes de way de sunrise. That will keep 'em away.
(Keep the law away from your place if you're gambling or anything like that?)
Yes - keep 'em away.
Entry 2538
Burn garlic an' onion leaves an' incense, dis lucky incense. Lak it's goin' be a big dance or somepin close aroun', an' yo' wanta git in a lotta tran- sients, yo' know, why yo' burn dat stuff hard all dat week on yore stove. An' keep dat garlic layin' roun' an' draw in a lotta customers, transient customers.
Entry 2539
Burn candles - they's fer luck too. See, then you kin burn incense too. See, some burns these little incense they calls Black Men and some burns red and some burns de orange blossom - diff'rent kinds. But if they have perfume in 'em those incense is very good.
Entry 2540
Ah have heard of that. Yo' kin buy these Lucky Hearts an' burn them at nine a'clock, twelve a'clock an' three a'clock in de evenin'. An' de incense [Lucky Hearts] yo' burn dat at nine, twelve an' three hours lak dat on Tuesdays, Thursdays an' Saturdays. If yo' got any kinda trade or anything lak dat, dat will draw yo' know de customers to yo'.
Entry 2541
Jes' lak yo' got a place an' yore business is dull. In de mornin when yo' open up yore store, sweep de sto' from de front do' to de back - sweep yore trash out de back: An' about every night a little befo' yo' close up yo' burn a Lucky Star. Yo' kin go down to de drug sto' an' git 'em. Ah think yo' git about six fo' a dime. An' yo' put it on a little tray an' set it in yore store an' burn it. It smells kinda like perfume. Dat give yo' all de luck dat chew want.
(For bringing in customers.)
Yessuh. [See Lucky Star, p.607.]
Entry 2542
If yo' got a roomin' house an' yo' haven't no roomers an' cain't make no success, yo' git up befo' day in de mawnin' an' yo' scrub roun' in yore house an' den yo' scrub yore po'ch. Yo' scrub it with urinate, Hearts Cologne, oil of cinnamon - jes' diff'rent things lak dat. Den yo' make a wish. An' aftah that when yo' git through, den yo' come in an' yo' burn sandalwood incense or either dis Lucky Star - jes' anything yo' prefer burnin'.
Entry 2543
Ah use tah burn de Lucky Stahs. An' some of these things, understan', ah would burn de Lucky Stahs fo' diff'runt [times]. An' ah would burn five fo gamblin' an' ah would burn 'em befo' twelve a'clock - any uneven numbah, becus ah found fo' mahself that uneven numbahs wus luckier fo' me then even numbahs. If ah would burn 'em aftah noon ah would burn 'em at a unlucky [even] hour, an' it use tah bring me lotsa good luck.
(For gambling?)
Dat's it.
Entry 2544
First is incense powder. Dey takes dat and dey burn it and den dey takes - ah don't know where dey git dat, but dey takes a Lucky Star. What dey call a Lucky Star. Dey split dat star in half and dey takes a little birthday candle - little bita birthday candles, den they puts it on each part of this star and let chew burn dat in dey home. Dat's to keep de police away. Now I hear'd several people say it worked very good, but still de police don't [stop]. (But now that burning the incense and the star. There are two different ways of doing that?) Yes, dere's two diff'rent ways of doing it, but de Lucky Star supposed to be de best.
(What is the Lucky Star?)
Det git de Lucky Star at Savannah, Georgia - back in dat time from a woman on Miner Street. Dey called her Lizzie H. Yes, Mrs. H. Ah think she gets de Lucky Stars somewheres around Cincinnati, if I understood it.
(What did they look like?)
Jest looked like a little round something but they had four [five?] corners - which dey called Lucky Stars.
(Well, were they made out of metal or cardboard or what?)
No, it gots a something like a powder but it's hard, see - it was diff'rent from de incense powder. Twas a powder too, but it was diff'rent from the incense and then it smelled diff'rent. It smelled kinda sweet.
Entry 2545
Ah have run a rooming house an' ah didn't have no roomers. An' dere was a powder dey call de Sen-Sen Powders. An' yo' take that an' yo' burn it in yore house nine mornings an' nights, an' yore house will become full of roomers. Ah have tried dat.
(What time in the morning and the night do you burn that?)
Burn it about six 'clock in de morning an' about eight 'clock at night.
Entry 2546
Heard of that. Well, now, pract'lly ah noticed - ah learnt all dat since ah been heah. Ah notice dat dese fellows, dey git dis Hearts Cologne, yes sir, an' den dey use dis sen-sen whut dey burn. Dey say it's fo' luck. Dey take dat sen-sen an' put it in dere pocket an' saturate dis round dere chest an' dey hat wit dis Hearts Cologne.
(When they go for a job?)
Yes sir.
Entry 2547
Yo' git chew some spiritual incense, burn dat in yore place. Burn dat on Friday. On Tuesday burn sulphur. Now, dat'll bring people to yore place.
Entry 2548
Yo' take sulphah an' sugah tuh draw luck to yo'. Yo' take sulphah an' sugah an' burn it on de stove, see, or somethin' hot. Jis' sulphah an' sugah an' mix it up an' burn it an' it will draw luck to yo'. An' when yo' wants a quick way tuh git a small piece of money, yo' lights yo' a - ah cain't think of the name of it. Anything will do jis' since it's incense. Light de incense an' put it on yore bed - place it on yore bed, "In de Name of de Father, Son an' Holy Ghost," an' put it in a white saucer. An' in less time den three hours somebody will give yo' a piece of money if it's nuthin but a nickel or somepin othah lak dat - a nickel or a dime.
Entry 2549
It's kind of like a stick that they made or something like that. Well, they has a little concern like - like where he cut - it just about a little cup - just sits there just like a finger I hold up.
(I see.)
Well, you set that [stick] in here and burn it and the smoke goes up and after the house is full of smoke, why, they puts that out and let that smoke settle in the corners. That's the way they does that.
(What do they do that for?)
Do's that for luck.
(For luck? What kind of candles do they burn?)
Yes - they call it the lucky candle.
(What color is it?)
It just about the color of that cigar [I am smoking].
(Sort of a brown color?)
Yes, sir.
(I see. Luck for what? What kind of luck?)
Luck for your home - you know, to keep, to make friends come to your home. [Informant is describing what some persons call a lucky candle, a stick of incense or joss stick which stands in a holder "like a finger I hold up" with "a little cup."]
Entry 2550
They burns a - they got something - sweeps your house in de morning. Just like you done business in here, you sweeps your place out - sweep all your dirt, all your trash one way. You mop it, you mop it all one way and then you got some little old incense candles. You burn one in that corner and one in that corner, one in that corner and one in that corner, and one on your cash register.
[Here five candles form an approximate quincunx - see p.710.]
(I see. And how do you mean by sweeping this dirt one Way?)
All one way - don't never sweep nothing back thataway, sweep it all one way. Just like you going thisaway with it, sweep it all that Way and mop it the same way.
(I see. And what do you do with that stuff after you get it swept up?)
Sweep it right on out de door. (Sweep it outside the door? Do you sweep it to the front of the house or to the back of the house?) Right on out de front. (Out the front, I see. And you burn these incense candles in each of the four corners of the room where you are doing business and put one on cash register?) One right on the register.
(And that is supposed to bring in trade?)
Bring in trade.
Entry 2551
(Candle is used for what?)
Lucky fo' yore house, tuh bring peoples in yore home. Yo' burn it at seven a'clock, 'leven a'clock an' seven at night. Dat's de way yo' burn dem. Yo' burn two. If yo' want a big crowd, yo' burn seven an' yo' have 'em in a row right there. Yo' have 'em in a thing tuh burn 'em on. An' it's 'cordin' to how many yo' want, yo' burn dem many candles. Ah don't mean de candles, burn dem many incense [sticks].
Entry 2552
Scrub with Red Seal Iye, table salt an' sugah, bluein'. Take about a teaspoon of bluein' and de mo' sugah, have it white sugah, pure sugah - half a cup, teacup of sugah. Burn a little incense an' call 'em three time while it's burnin'.
(What do you call?)
Call yore wish - if yo' wanta make a call an' wanta make yore wish an' den call. Yo' kin call a special person or yo' kin call, "Send me a man." But chew make dat wish three times.
(Out loud.)
Whilst it's burnin' - not let it go out. Wait until it's burnin' an' make it three times on there. [This is a rite for roomers.]
Entry 2553
On bootleggin' it you have to - all bootleggers scrubs at four o'clock in the mornin' before de law's walkin'.
(Before the Lord's walking?) Yes, sir. (Before the Lord is walking?)
Before the lawr - like detectives - is walking.
(Oh, before the law is walking.)
Jis' like on your beat, dey scrubs so they'll pass up [police will pass by not bothering you]. You git dat cinnamon an' sugah, an' you git Jockey Club an' you put dat in an' scrub it - scrub your banquette, an' wash your banquette, an' you won't never be bother. Ah bootleggin's fo' fo' years an' never been caught. [This is banquette scrubbing, separate from house scrubbing.] [New Orleans, La.,
(790).1102:2.]
Entry 2554
Dere's a root dey call de king of roots. If yo' have a business, yo' kin take dat root an' bring it in heah, yo' know where yo' business at, if it's dull, why yo' kin have mo' customers den yo' kin handle. (Has that root any other name? Or just called King of Roots?) King of Roots. It grows an' it has three little prongs - leaves. It grows straight up like a okra blossom. It has three little okra blossoms on it, three little okras yo' see. Yeah, it look like okra - pod of okra.
(Like the green okra - like a vegetable?) [This is not okra.]
Yo' kin dig one dem little roots - Jest have room all de way round, yo' kin dig 'em. Some of 'em is big as mah wrist. An' yo' kin jest take a small piece like that an' put it in yore place of business where yo' work at an' yo'd have mo' people heah den yo' kin handle.
Entry 2555
Yo' take a white man and he like a king snake, an' yo' take a nigger an' he like a blacksnake. All right, den. Now ah want show you. Now yo' take dat - you kin git dust. You don't have to git nuthin but that graveyard dust and carry dat and throw it down all by yo' [his] doorstep where he gotta come in at. And suh, if he come in dere, ah pray to die - jes' as soon as he walk up dere his mind will change. Ah don't kere if somebody son [God's Son?] in dere. [Penciled note on original transcription reads "to keep law away."]
Entry 2556
Dere lucky, so ah heah de womens say. Ah wouldn't nevah fool wit 'em, but ah've seed women buy 'em. Ah've see 'em pay high as a $1.50 apiece fo' dem. [They were cheaper 50 years earlier - see No. 2417, p.672.]
(What kind of crabs?)
Dey call 'em a he an' a she.
(What are they body crabs or head crabs?)
Yes, crabs off of 'em.
(From the body. What do they do with them?)
Put 'em on 'em. Dey say dey gives 'em luck - dat makes 'em lucky if dey keep dem on 'em. But ah've nevah used none of those. Ah always try tuh git rid of all dat git on me.
Entry 2557
Yo' kin git crabs - de crab dat be's on people in de haid - an' take dem crabs an' keep 'em an' yo' kin win every game.
(Where do you keep them?)
Keep 'em in yore pocket.
Entry 2558
[Lye, a protection against evil (p.459f.), is used by itself and in many combinations.] If yo' got a enemy anywhere roun', yo' gits a box of potash - jis' lak if ah wus fixin' it up fo' someone, ah have them tuh bring me a box of potash. If they thought they had a enemy round wus goin' do 'em any harm, anything, ah would have yo' bring me a box of potash an' ah would take this potash an' fix it up in a liquid an' den put so much of it in a bottle an' give it to yo'. Yo' would take dis home an' git up in de mawnin' befo' de sunrise an' yo' would sweep yore steps wit it - sweep yore steps an' repeat de Psalms about de Lord makin' me lie on green pastures. De mawnin' yo' git up an' sweep yore steps wit dis lye- Water, yo' put a little bit in a basin or somepin an' jes' dip yore broom in it an' sweep it an' say de Psalms. An' dat will keep anybody from doin' any harm to yo' - keep yo' havin'" good luck.
Entry 2559
To keep the law away, ah would get me some of van-van, get me some lye, some blueing water, and ah would go to mah banquette and ah would scrub it ev'r - just wherever around mah door, I would keep it - white - white - white - white as snow. And keep it - scrubbed - scrubbed - scrubbed - and they never come across the door. Any time he come there, throw your water each way ev'ry morning for nine mornings - throw your water thisaway - bucket of water this way - and that way - and he never come in your place.
(How - which way do you throw the water now?)
Right - if you living and your front door thisaway, you throw one this way, and you throw one that way, and one this way.
(You throw one out the front door, one to the right, and one to the left?)
That's right - for nine mornings. You keep it up.
(For nine mornings.)
(Just plain water?)
Just plain Water.
(Or just scrub water?)
Plain water.
(Just three buckets?)
Three buckets - thisaway and this way and.
(You just scrub with the other stuff?)
That's right - scrub with the other stuff.
(I see.)
Entry 2560
If yo' don't want de law tuh come to yore house, yo' use dis concen- trated lye an' burn incense. Dat concentrated lye goin' keep'away all evils - all kinda dirty acts an' doin's, jes' lak if somebody intendin' tuh sprinkle somepin fo' yo'. Why, if yo' don't want it done, or yo' heard tell of nobody do it, yo' scrubs yore house wit lye, or if yo' mop de front of yore po'ch wit lye, ain't no law comin' dere. Pract'lly, ain't nobody goin' do no harm because that lye drives away all evil things.
Entry 2561
Fo' luck aroun' mah home lak that, tuh keep the laws or anything lak that from botherin' me, if ah wus a-hustlin' or bootleggin', ah would take an git me some lye an' git me some sugah an' lay it undah mah do'step an' sprinkle it all roun' de house an' on de inside an' dat will keep de laws away.
Entry 2562
Keep that place scrubbed with that sugah, Red Seal Lye above all - a cup of sugah an' Red Seal Lye [and] don't evah let soap touch de flo' fo' cus- tomers. [Why? They could or would slip away.]
(If you want to get roomers you do the same thing?)
Yessuh, an' keep soap away.
Entry 2563
Like this [business] burns [flourishes] here and that one over there [burns] - well, if that burns out and the trade here - he ain't got no trade here. And I'll tell you I always seen it did, and I've did it myself during Prohibition. I'd scrub my place out - you see, sweep it out good. and scrub it. But as I said before [in another statement], I'd sweep in all the time, though - never sweep out. Sweep in. When you sweep, you take and get you nine buckets of water. You get you a box of lye, get a bottle of ammonia - get you a bottle of ammonia and a box of lye and use nine buckets of water. You put your lye - you take lye and you sprinkle it all around your floor first. See. You throw a bucket of water to your right, one to your left, but always throw it inside. Stand at your door and throw your water. Don't never let your water go out your door - throw that in your door, see. And when you starts scrubbing your place, you scrub to the back. Start right at the front of your door but be backing up all the time. Don't never walk - back up, see. As you scrubbin', back up. When you start sweepin', then you face your place - going in all the time, but don't use over nine buckets of water. And after you scrub your place good and you get it dried out, you puts you some cinnamon and sugar down. You get you - I think it costs ten or fifteen cents for a box of it, you get you some of that incense and you light that and you burn that in your place. Now, after you got all the inside of your place straightened out and scrubbed clean, you come to your banquette [sidewalk]. You get on the outside and you use nine more buckets of water on the outside. Now, vou sweep both ways there. All the time sweep to your door, you see. You sweep thisaway [to the right], you sweep to your door; you sweep thisaway [to the left], you sweep to your door. See. Now, sweep your water to your door - don't sweep it in the place, but sweep it to your door and let it run down to the ditch itself. And then you sprinkle your cinnamon and your sugar again. See. But you sprinkle it to your door and throw it from your door - throw it in, see. Well, that make that trade come across over there to here. And that'll make - you'll get all the business over here. And, if you see where you can't do no good there, just go over there and sprinkle you some salt after you done scrubbed your place - but you have to pay somebody [to do it]. Get them to go over there and throw some salt down, and it'll cause a big row over there. See, when they start to rumpus over there, everybody will run over here to this place here.
Entry 2564
To draw in customer, yo' git chew - lak dat chure front do' dere, yo' git chew a can of [Red] Devil Lye, potash, an' yo' git chew a handful of table salt an' put it right on top of dat can, an' yo' take a ice pick or somepin an' chunk hole all in de top of de can, an' jes' lay dat right on top, at twelve a'clock, an' bury it right in front under yore step or right in front of yore gate. An' one tuh de back. Dey'll be comin' in. Tell yo' whut chew do wit dat. Yo' take dat same potash an' yo' take three Cans - three cans. Take de cans an' open it an' put it in a boilin' pot of watah an' jes' boil it in dat watah an' jes' go all roun' yore house an' sprinkle it all roun' yore house - all in de dirt, all out in de front of yore do', right dere in de front of yore do'. An' yo' git chew a box of spice an' yo' git chew a package of sulphur an' yo' mix all that together an' table salt; an' ev'ry mawnin' befo' sunrise yo' jes' go on an' sprinkle it right out chure gate dere - throw it out dere, turn yore back an' don't look back an' walk on back in yore house. Dey'll nevah - dey'll come an' jes' be passin' by all de time.
(That is to keep the law away?)
Yes sir - keep de law away.
Entry 2565
Ah'm a bottlegger mahself - dat's how come I mos'ly knows some of them things. Yo' don't need nuthin but take yo' a can of potash an' a box of red pepper and digs yo' a hole right befo' yore steps - round hole jest enough to fit de can. And take it and take de red pepper and set it right on de lid of dat can, and set it down and bury it right dere befo' yore steps.
(You set this can of what?)
Potash.
(Up - upwards?)
Dat's it.
(And you take the red pepper and do what?)
Put it upside down on dat can.
(And cover it up. That keeps the law away.)
Entry 2566
Dey would git two cans of lye an' about midnight in de night, nobody sees yo', yo' digs a hole underneath each one of yo' steps an' put de can dere. But don't stop de can tight, let it be slant, an' yo' cover it up kinda lightly - you know, where dat scent and dat strength kin come out. An' dey tell me if dey'd come dere and start, dey wouldn't come no farther than that do'.
(That keeps the law away.)
An' he'll ask yo' questions.
Entry 2567
You take cinnamon, parsley and you get you some sugar, Jockey Club, Mary Garden perfume and oil of geranium, you put that in there too, and you put all that together and you put it over in the east side of the corner in two cups, and you mix all that up - together, chop it up and put it in a cup and set it in a corner, and they [law] ain't going to bother you."
Entry 2568
Your business get kinda dull, just open your half pint of whiskey or pint, or quart or whatever you want, and take some of your monthlies, clear it, and put two or three teaspoonfuls in it and whensomever they come in give 'em a drink and that'll draw your trade in.
Entry 2569
Ah heard 'em tell if yo' want people tuh come back to buy whiskey from yo' - if dey come dere tuh drink some whiskey, jes' befo', take an' put chew some urinate in dat whiskey, yo' understand, or either some of yore monthly discharge. If yo's a man, put some urinate; if yo's a woman, put some ministration in dere an' when dey come in dere drinkin', dey 11 come back. Dey jes' hang anto yo dey can't go nowhere else seem lak. Dey jes' come to yore place of business.
Entry 2570
Dey take dere monthly sickness an' put nine drops in some whiskey an' keep it saved back an' whenevah yo' sweetheart come or somepin lak dat yo' go out lak yo' goin' after de whiskey, an' yo' add some of that whut chew got - put in that fo' him.
(That's for love.)
Entry 2571
The seed of paradise. [See margin-title Paradise Seed.] Then you kin get codfish balls. That's what you get - dried codfish, that's right dried cod- fish. You put the seed of paradise and the codfish tdgether and that fast luck together, cinnamon and sugar. And yoù must get 15c of sugar, you must get 15c of codfish, and you - everything you buy you must get 15c. And you boil that. Then you take - you must scrub before six o'clock in the morning. What I mean by six, I don't mean that you go at three o'clock in the morning. I mean two or three minutes before six - and the bell be ringing, you be scrubbing there.
(I see.)
And you scrub and go out of your door. You take and you get you some whole grain rice and take and be walking there throwing, throwing it there any place like - in all four of your corners.
(How do you throw that rice?)
Just take it in your hand [demonstrates].
(Yes?)
You sprinkle it on the sidewalk and when you be coming in, you walks along - Walk backwards like this, and then you walks over in this corner and you take it and throw it over your left shoulder.
(You throw it over your left shoulder. Yes?)
And go in this corner and you throw it over this left shoulder, and throw it here over your left shoulder.
(You throw it in all four corners. I see.)
That's right. And once in a while - you know when you be cleaning up some of it going to come out, but you make sure the first morning, and the next morning put some more there.
(I see. What did you say about when you do this?)
It must be done before six o'clock in morning when some of the bells ring.
(All right. What then? When? What day?)
What day that must be done? On the first Monday in the month.
Entry 2572
The best thing you can do to keep the law away from your place - you sees what they call nutmeg. You use dry nutmeg after you scrub your place good: scrub it thoroughly, clean - and walk. Take you two whole balls of nutmeg and grind them and when you walk out of your place, sprinkle that stuff yourself; sprinkle one on the right side of the door and one on the left side of your door - out with nutmeg, out the door. After that is stayed down there all day, that night scrub; scrub out your building outside, scrub it outward. Don't scrub it in, scrub it out, and you'll have no trouble with no law. But if, if ever an officer come to your place - he ever come to your place that they - when they going to make that visit, take that nutmeg that you ground and sprinkle that behind him after he go out. Sprinkle it behind him and let that just be down there 'till morning. And scrub your building, but scrub it out - don't ever sweep it in.
Entry 2573
You are bootlegging and want customers. You go, you git some good - some sugar. Git you some cinnamon powder and you git you some luck - some van- van. See. You take it and put it in a bottle and you boil it - see, parsley. (Yes.) You take some parsley and you take all that [other ingredients] and you put it down in a pot and you boil it - let it boil about a solid hour before you take it out. And you take it out, you take you a whole quart - boil it first, boil it down to a quart. Then you take and you go to the alley gate - see, go to your gate or whatever it is and when you git there you start to sprinkle it backwards, you know, coming back to the house. See, just like you walking and you walk back [backwards]. Just have your mind on what you want and sprinkle it down, and you go right on the inside and you puts your bottle down. The next few minutes you see customers startin' comin' in.
Entry 2574
When I was in Washington [D. C.] about 1900, I played at a fast-house, I played a pyana [pie-ana] in de redlight district. Every morning the girls Would go to work and dump their ur-een together, you see, in one pot, and go to work and take it and wash de front [entrance] off real good every morning. And I use to ask them what dey do it fer and dey said dat was to draw trade. Well, I think it did, becus dag-gone-it dey crowded in there - senators.
(Was it a white fast-house?)
Yes sir. And in dem fast-houses dey wouldn't let you bring no peanuts in there. Not a peanut. No sir!
Entry 2575
Then you scrub your place. But you go to, say to a drug store, and the first thing you get - there's something that is commonly used that everybody know but very few use it. You see, the thing that we use is peroxide - that regular form of peroxide. Well, when it be's in a powder first from the salt [oxide], you take you a teaspoonful of peroxide in a bucket of water. You take a half tablespoonful of salt and a whole tablespoonful of sugar. [Three ingredients.] Mix that and dissolve it good and scrub all your place. But sweep inside - don't never sweep nothing out chure door. But get fresh water. Don't get no water that is - try to catch water that's rain water, don't get no water from the hydrant. Get you fresh rain water in that bucket and at night you scrub that place. Scrub it at night, don't scrub it in the day. Scrub it after sundown and scrub it inward in your building and sweep that water right on back through your building. And then if you got any mop, mop up after that dry. Then clear out your place, mop up - sweep with any other water you Wanta after that. But scrub that over and let that dry in your building. You take just a half a tablespoonful of salt and a tablespoonful of sugar and a half a teaspoonful of ordinary peroxide that you use from the drug store on the sore. And scrub in your building - not out chure building, in your building. That's the way you increase your business.
Entry 2576
Take some salt, a little pinch of salt, an' a drop of turpentine an' put it in each corner of de house an' put a drop of turpentine right in de middle of de flo'. [This of course is a quincunx - here a magic one.] Dat Will make de house lucky fo' yo' for anything yo' wanta do mos'. (If you want to sell anything?) Yes. [For quincunx, see No. 2550, p.704.]
Entry 2577
I tell you what you get. You get this yere - you get - you get some - you see that red, pure red, red brick. You got to go to the drug store to get that. It's powdered brick. Well, you get that pure red, red brick. (That's called redding?) Yeah. (All right.) You get that pure, red, red brick. You get you a bottle of essence of cinnamon from - from Crackerjack Drug Store. After you get that essence of cinnamon, you turn round and you get you a box of love powder and you. mix that with that, and you gets this here - what do they call that stuff? There's another powder you get too. It's van-van.
(Is it a powder?)
No, it's a liquid. Van-van is a liquid. You mix that together and you take nine buckets of water and you wash that place where your place of business at. And when you wash that place of business wash it with nine buckets of water, and then after you wash that place with nine buckets of water, don't say nothing to nobody when you wash that - don't even tell nobody good morning atall when you washing that place, and it going to smell very nice when you wash it, and people going just pouring in.
(You put this mixture in the water?)
In the water and wash it - wash that place with that. [See Red Brick Powder, p.470.]
Entry 2578
Well now, the way yuh have to do. You git de cap'un [captain of the police] of the presint [precinct] name, then you'll burn his name in this same stuff - honey an' cinamint [cinnamon]. Then you'll take honey, cinamint, an you'll scrub wit dat. An' when you git through, you'll take jis' plain cinamint- water wit dat, an' you sprinkle roun' your front doah wit it. You take you some brick - red brick - beat up fine. You done put verbena-water wit dat brick - red brick - an' sprinkle it aroun' your doah wit sugar, brown sugar. The law won't come.
Entry 2579
You is bootlegging or anything like that and you want customers. You get you some [sounds like red'nin' = reddening].
(Red ink?)
Looks red like grapes. You get you some red'nin' [reddening] and you get you some lucky perfume and you get you some van-van and scrub your house Wednesdays and Mondays and Fridays - three times a week, and you throw the water in the street. And you see by.you got all that in your water scrubbing with, that draw the crowd right into you. I've seen that did.
Entry 2580
Take cinnamon, brown sugah, reddenin' - it's jis' lak a powder but it's red, an' yo' scrubs with that. Yo' scrub with dat powders an' dat brings yo' luck. [Three ingredients.]
Entry 2581
Ah heard yo' burn red peppah in yore stove. (What would that do?) Say dat would keep de police away...when yo' doin' anything, burn it in de house dere an' let de smoke out in de street dere - keep de poleece 'way from yo'. Yassuh, if yo' sellin' anything. [See Red Pepper, p.470f., and red pepper in Salt and Combinations, p.473f.]
Entry 2582
Yo' kin dress de house, 'sposed tuh be wit rice - raw rice. House kin be dressed wit raw rice - whole grain rice, no breaked rice. Yo' kin go tuh work an' yo' kin take a teaspoonful of raw rice an' put it in each one of yore shoes an' wear it in dere 72 hours an' then yo' kin take an' sprinkle it all ovah yore flo'. Dat's one of de highest luck things dat ah evah used, an' ah'm goin' on 50 yeahs in it. (That's to bring in customers. Well, do you use that with this water or use it separately?) Well, dat's separately.
(That water is one way of bringing them in? And the rice is another way?)
Rice is one of de highest. Ah don't reckon yo' heard 'bout dat.
Entry 2583
Yo' take table salt an' yo' start with de right han' corner of yore house an' yo' put jes' a little pinch in each corner. An' if yo' tell - yo' say whut chew want to be done when yo' go roun' wit dis. Yo' go right on roun' an' keep to de right all de time. Everything will be all right.
(That will bring in trade if you are bootlegging?)
Yes. [Right-hand corner as you face the front of the house. This is a rever- sing rite - anti-clockwise circumambulation - reversing known bad luck or unknown spell cast upon house or business.]
Entry 2584
Wal, dey said dey - early in de mornin' befo' sunrise dey get a package of salt and dey'd go to de front do' and make a cross mark; one mark straight and 'nother acrost it, an' throw de salt in dose lines. And by doing dat why dey keep de law away. If de law come, why he'd come smiling and it won't be anything to it - won't 'res' 'im an' won't car' 'em down [to jail]. [For cross of salt, see No.1472, p.477; No. 2602, p.714.]
Entry 2585
An' if yo' sellin' likker, it's a simple thing an' it don't cost but a nickel - spill salt. Git chew a box of salt - S-A-L-T. An' yo' sprinkle from de corner of yore house or yore fence lak dat, chew know, round dat way an' cuss em - yo' know, call dem by dere names an' curse them out an' they cannot enter yore premises. Dey can't come dere.
(You begin to sprinkle that salt down where?)
Jes' lak, yo' see, where did lot run. Yo' sprinkle it from right in front of yore do' right straight on 'cross.
(Just in front of your property?)
An' cuss 'em out. Turn roun' lak dis yo' see [demonstrates], cuss 'em, "Don't come in mah house." Cuss 'em out - talk nasty to 'em. Jes' lak dat an' turn yore back an' don't look back. Keep talkin' to 'em, "An' don't come back. Don't come tuh mah house. ". See. An' dat's easy tuh be done.
Entry 2586
Yo' use salt an' sugah an' yo' mix that together. Dis heah ole-timey salt is de best salt - dis Bluebird Salt. An' yo' jis' throw it [salt and sugar] roun' yore house - jis' throw it out, all roun' yore house. A man dat used tuh live nex' do' tuh me he sold whiskey all de time an' dat's all he use.
Entry 2587
Now de way yo' do dat - yo' jest git chew some table salt an' stroll round yore do'steps an' mix it wit a little ashes an' strew it all round yore do'step. An' yo' git chew some saltpeter an' use yore chamber lye all round dat house. An' den yo' read - read de 23rd Psalms an' den yo' won't have no trouble. (You won't have any trouble with the law? And anybody can't do you harm if you are in business?) Shore - no, no. An' use dat stuff in yore shoes - dat pepper an' salt.
Entry 2588
Tuh make people tuh buy from yo' - yo' has a sto', yo' know, an' yo' want 'em tuh buy. Yo' kin jes' take an' use de same things, jes' around - yo' know in yore store, de same things. Take some salt. Salt is a man. Take some salt an' sulphah an' peppah [three ingredients] - that's whut chew goin' take an' just sprinkle dat round, den people jes' flock in.
(You said that salt is a man?)
Yessuh, ah did - is somethin', salt is somethin'.
(It's strong, powerful?)
Yes.
Entry 2589
(What did you do?)
For me to have customers when I was bootlegging? I didn't do nothing but something simple. I got me a quart jar and I made me up a jar of salt and sugar water.
(What kind of water?)
Jest table salt and pure sugar.
(You just take salt and sugar together?)
Yes, in that jar. And you take and you sprinkle it from ever what entrance they come in at, clean on into the other entrance, and back on and you say a verse. You say, "In the Name of the Father, of the Son and the Holy Ghost, give me luck, success and money." And anything that I call for I'll get it, and you be sprinkling that and saying that verse all the time. Well, you get plenty of customers when you do that. When I was bootlegging, when I would do that, I would have plenty of customers. That worked for me - yes, sir, that truly worked for me.
Entry 2590
If yo' wanta sell likker or do anything lak dat an' didn't want de police or sheriff or nuthin coming to yore house, git some table salt an' some sulphur an' mix it together an' throw it out chure back do' an' [or] throw it out chure front do' - whichevah do' dey'd come in yo' know. Jest do dat regular fo' about nine mornings. Whenevah dey come dere, if dey was lookin' fo' likker, dey wouldn't come no further den de do' an' talk to yo' an' turn round an' go on back. Dey would nevah search yore house.
Entry 2591
(So nobody will rent this house?)
Well, now, see tuh do that yo' use salt, ordinary table salt. Yo' know whut Epsom salts is, doesn't yo'? Well, yo' mix that together yo' see an' boil that jis' about two hours into jis' 'bout a quart of watah don't chew know. An' if yo' could git there, why yo'd sprinkle that jis' right aroun' the do'step, don't yo' see - jis' throw it roun' ord'nary, yo' understand.
(What do you put that on the steps for?)
Well, yo' said, "If yo' wanted git 'em 'way." Didn't that whut yo' said?
(Who away?)
The owner of the place.
(You mean that's to keep the landlord away?)
Yeah - keep de landlord away.
Entry 2592
Well, yo' kin git a box of salt, table salt - yo' kin git two boxes of hit an' yo' kin dig a hole up undah yore - yo' have to put de whole box in - yo' ain't gotta open it, see - jes' put de whole box of salt, table salt. Dig about three foot down up undah yore [front] step an' three foot down, yo' know, round de back [step] an' yo' bury dis salt, see. An' then hit stay there contin'lly because it's strong - dey say dat's strong, de salt yo' know. Say dat'll keep de law away from dere, an' dat'll keep customers in yore place.
The informant says one can dig a hole for the boxed salt. Depth, placement and the law/customer results remain source directions and claims.
Entry 2593
(What do you do to keep the law away?)
Use salt like you dig.
(Dig salt?)
Uh huh - bury a sack of salt at the gate on one side and lye on the other side, and they'll stay away.
(Who will stay away?)
The law.
(That's for bootlegging? That will keep them away?)
Uh huh. I was selling on Dry Street 'fore this good whiskey came out [after Prohibition]. I used to sell it and I kept 'em away.
Entry 2594
This man told me if I'd ever get in any trouble and wanta skit and get away from de law, he told me to take some salt and spice and black pepper and cayenne pepper, and mix it all together in a tin can, and take and put some under my doorsteps for nine morning, de back door and front door. Dey say regardless of how much sand you raise in your house or what choo take in your house, if any- body try to send de law to your house, dat dey wouldn't come no farther then de front steps.
Entry 2595
Yo' kin take salt an' throw it in de fire if anybody come in de house; yo'll run 'em if dey come dere fo' money.
Entry 2596
Ah'm goin' tell yo' right quick now what ah did. Ah was bootleggin' down in Taylor County [Florida] and de sheriff was comin' on me - and ah'd taken some salt, jes' table salt, and dis here same cayenne pepper - jes' wropped it up in something, you know, and put it back of de heater - in a little ole heater stove - right back in dere where it couldn't burn up right quick - [in a place where I] jes' stored de wood - it was in de wintertime enyway - and den made de fire upon it and den when it go to burn, it would burn slow and den the ashes from dat - de smoke of dat goes out, chew see, and den as dat goes out it accumu- lates in de air and nobody dat comes dere do yo' no harm - do yo' no harm. If dey come dere, dey'll come dere, shake hands with yuh. "How do yuh do, Ed." "Jest fine. How a'yo'?"
Entry 2597
Hit wus like burnin' sulphur and salt, and yo' do that - burn a little sulphur and sprinkle a little salt roun' de place, an' de law won't nevah come around. I know of places right chere in Jacksonville and I been knowin' dey's been bootleggin' fer a numbah of - don't know how long and de man hasn't nevah been dere. It's right what yo' might say on de highway an' de man have nevah been dere. [Jacksonville, Fla., (597), 769:7.] [Similarly].... Ev'ry mornin] when he'd get up he'd throw sulphur an' salt on his floor [to keep the law away].
[Jacksonville, Fla., (586), 752:1.]
Entry 2598
I've heard say then, you could take a salt when the law comes in your house. You kin take salt when he starts out an' throw it out behind him, an' they say he won't hardly come back to your house no more. They say if he comes back in, why he won't hardly arrest you for no whiskey. [Wilmington, N. Car., (298), 224:4&85.1
Entry 2599
Now say dis foot track - yo' could take a person if dey come to yore house an' yo' do not wants 'em no mo', take some of dat footsteps [foot tracks]. Well, yo' could take some salt an' pitch it behin' 'em an' curse 'em, wishin' 'em tuh stay away from yore home. Well, dey'll nevah return back any mo'...
[I was too quick turning off machine.]
(What is that?)
Hot footstep - immediately dey walk out. [Usually this is called hotfoot, a hotfoot powder being made for this purpose - see p.590.]
Entry 2600
Well, ah heard dat chew could take some table salt an' jest lak if dey could come heah, yo' be fixin' tuh go out an' dey go behin' yo' an' sprinkle dat salt behin' yo' till yo' git to de do' an' tell yo' tuh, "Go, God damn yo'." Yo'll go.
(That will make you move out of the house?)
Well, yo' can't stay.
(They would do that after you leave the house?)
No, sir, when yo'd be walkin' out jes' lak dey'd be talkin' to yo' an' yo'd on tuh de do', yo' see dat's de way dey do.
Entry 2601
Take a box of table salt an' don' let nobody use it, an' ever' time dat he come to her house, she take dat salt an' throw it behin' him, an' be shure when she throw it behin' him, that ever' time she throw it, she throw it in at least one of his tracks, right or de left, fo' nine times. An' after nine times, he wouldn't even wanta look after her. Dat's what she wanta stop. [To keep any- one away for any purpose.]
Entry 2602
Now, to keep the policeman away from your place, it's another thing. The first one come in to inspect your place, it doesn't mean any harm or nothing at all. Well, you do - they wants to see just how that place goes along. You didn't take nothing but salt after he gone - you knows, quite natural, you's the boss of the house, but you gotta represent yourself to him when he comes to talk with you. You just take salt - you go up to him and talk to him very nice and as soon as he turn his back, you just throw it at his back. Don't ever let him see it- - throw that salt three times behind him. Then at the door vou put that salt crossways right where he has been standing: [ For cross of salt, see No. 1472, p.477; No.2584, p.712.]
(You make a cross right there.)
You ain't going to see him at that place, I guarantee you, any more.
(I see, that will keep the law away.)
Yes.
Entry 2603
When the law officer come in yore house one time - when he come in there that one time, as he goes out of there, yo' mixes yo' some table salt, jest put yo' de least bit of black pepper in there, and yo' walk right on behind him to de door and when he walks out de door yo' throw that right in behin' him and turn an' don't nevah look back at him and tell him, say, "Yo' go, yo' scamp, yo' ain't got no business in heah no mo'." And dey say that he will nevah come back dere.
Entry 2604
If someone came to yore house an' yo' don't like fo' dem to be dere, whenevah dey leave, yo' jest git up behin' 'em, an' yo' kin either have yore salt an' peppah where dey can't see it. When dey walk out yo' jest throw it all 'long where dey walked at an' then chunk it towards 'em an' tell 'em, "Don't come back any mo'." Course dey don't have tuh hear yo'. Yo' won't be bothered with 'em.
Entry 2605
Dey say dat chew kin take table salt an' black pepper an' jest sprinkle it round in yore house an' jes', every time dey come dere, sprinkle it round in dere house an' in dere tracks, an' it'll git it so dat dey couldn't even stand when dey go by dere - dey come to hate de place.
(That keeps them away.)
Entry 2606
Now, if this person comes to your house and you don't want 'em to come no more, why you just take a little piece of rock salt and put it in your mouth; and if you get a chance, spit on her dress tail or on his coat tail and he'll leave and he won't come back no more.
Entry 2607
If they [unwelcome visitor] leave a handkerchief, put it in a cold tub of water with salt and that'll make them stay away from there.