Browse:Van-Van (Volume 1, entries 2368–2717)/Part 4
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 2608
If dey don't want dem dere, yo' jes' sprinkle salt in de chair where he sit an' right from de chair on down de steps, an' say three bad words behin' him, an' tell him, '"Go, ah don't want chew tuh come back any mo'." Dat'll cer'inly keep 'im 'way from dere.
(You put the salt in the chair you say?)
Yes sir, in de chair an' sweep it on away.
(Sweep it off the seat?)
Off de chair, down de seat, right on down de walk, down de steps, an' say de bad words when yo' git to de gate.
Entry 2609
Ah got a boy, mah youngest boy. Ah cain't stan' de p'lice no how: Of co'se dey ain't doin' no hahm [harm] - jis' sometime, yuh know, people cain't har'ly stan' 'em. An' dis boy of mine would always be in trouble. Well, a ole white lady tole me to go an' git a box of salt, cut it half in tah [two]. She said [next time a policeman comes] po' it right down an' sweep it on out do' an' tell'im to, "Go, you ain't none of mah frien'." An' ah did it. An' 'at been fo' yeah nearly; ain't nevah been back to mah house since.
The informant reports advice to obtain salt and says the action was carried out. The nearly four-year nonreturn is not independently verified or shown to be caused by salt.
Entry 2610
Yo' have dat salt watah in heah, an' they come to their house an' they go out, well, they'll take that broom an' dip it in that salt watah an' jes' sweep it right out behin' 'em jes' lak dat.
(That keeps them away?)
Yes.
Entry 2611
If yo' wanta run somebody away - well, if yo' didn't want 'em dere, yo' could take red peppah [small piece], table salt an' cayenne peppah [powdered] an' take it when dey go out de do', throw it in dere steps an' take yore broom an' sweep it from yo', lak that [demonstrates], an' make yore wish, "Ah wish yo'd nevah return back heah no mo'," an' sweep it on out.
Entry 2612
Git peppah an' salt, if a person constantly comes to yore house an' prob'bly it a person dat chew don't lak an' yo' don't wanta insult dem or wants dem tuh stay away. Ah've heard dat chew take salt an' peppah an' sweep behin' dem an' yo' burn bluestone an' sulphur in de do' dat dey came heah. An' don't let 'em go out dat do' when dey leaves - send 'em out through anothah do', dat's in order dat dey go in 'cross yore house. An' yo' burn de sulphur an' bluestone in de do' dat dey came through an' yo' sweep an' yo' sprinkle salt an' peppah; whereas when dey go out down behin' 'em, sweep it out that way.
Entry 2613
Yo' take a snail - if he crawlin' along, yo' picks him up - jes' lak he crawlin' dis way, yo' pick him up an' carry him back. All right yo' take dis snail an' yo' carry him home, an' yo' put dis snail in a jar an' let him git good an' dry, an' yo' goes to someone house, or either is someone come tuh yore house an' yo' don't want 'em roun' yore house. Yo' take dis snail an' jes' a little bit dis salt when dey goes back out, an' sprinkle it from where dey wus settin out to de do' - sweep it on out. Dey can't come back dere no mo'.
(What do you do with that snail?)
De snail - yo' take de snail an' put him in a jar an' let him stay in it till he git dry up - see. Den yo' take de whole shell, hull an' all an' beat it up fine. Take de salt an' put in dere wit it, an' right where dey's settin', yo' jes' sprinkle from dere right on out de steps, an' yo' sweeps right on behin'. Dey cain't come back dere no mo' den. [Snail slows up unwelcome visitor's return - see Snail, p.648.]
Entry 2614
You take yer graveyard dirt in the morning - like a person you're dis- satisfied with or a man wan'a leave there, an' as these people come in, you take an' sprinkle it down behind 'em. An' then you take urinate water an' pepper or salt an' sweep. That's whut they call sweepin' behin' 'em. An' that person Wouldn't come roun' you no more. If you do that as much as three times, they'll never come roun' you no more.
Entry 2615
You git up in de morning at six o'clock and you go out front of yore door and sweep jest a little, go to de front and sweep de dirt to yuh - de dirt into de house, in. Take it up. When you sweeping, you says, "Ah'm sweeping - ah'm sweeping in de Name of Jesus - ah'm sweeping in success - ah'm sweeping in money." And you take dis dirt up and you wrap it up and put it in your business place and people dat nevah has come will come. Ah know dat from experience cus ah've done dat. When you sweep, you are sweeping in your luxuries, you are sweeping in trea- sures; and when you take de dirt you place it in your mind dat you are sweeping in money, you are sweeping in success. And when Deborah had lost her fortune, dat's de way ah think it was God prob'bly spoke to her and told her to go out and sweep. And when she went out and sweep, things were at 4 o'clock - poor like. When she went out and was sweeping she found her luxuries and found a fortune and den she called de people from de neighborhood to come in and rejoice over de fortune dat she had found sweeping [Luke 15:8-9], and dat's de meaning of what it will do by sweeping at six 'clock in de morning.
Entry 2616
Jis' lak if yo' bring in trade an' de jinx would git on yo'. Yo' take a dime an' git chew a box of saltpeter an' take yo' a bath in it - wash down good in it. All right, fo' two or three evenings. Den yo' see how yore luck, yo' know, changes - understan' [see No. 1492, p.480]. An' den take yore chamber lye yo' understand an' ever' night 'fore yo', yo' know, go tuh bed, yo' take yore mop - an' don't take nobody's chamber lye an jis' yore own chamber lye - an' take an' always mop it back in yore house. Don't evah mop it out. Mop it in - jis' lak if yo' stay upstairs, start tuh mopping down when ever'body got tuh sleep, plumb on up wit dat chamber lye. Dat'll bring it in. Don't evah mop it out though. Dat'll bring luck to yo'. [Here, first proprietor and then business is purified.]
Entry 2617
For hustlin' women - jis' like women hustlin' - well, you gits some chamber lye wit granulated sugar an' saltpeter an' put it [together]. In mornin' 'fore sunrise in de mornin' you git up, let chore right foot be de first one to hit de floor, an' go in de eas' cornah, de wes' cornah, an' nort' cornah an sout' cornah, an' sprinkle dat, you know, wit dat luck you done make up: An' go to de sun jis' 'fore it rise an' make yore wish. Well, ever'thing will go yore way dat day. You'll make nice money dat day.
Entry 2618
(What would you do to keep the law away?)
Well, then ah'd get me a can of - two of these five-cent metal cans [new cans must be used]. Ah put 'em both full of chamber lye and put one to de right and one to de left corner - ah'd put one in de front door, behind it, and put one in behind de back door. Then ah would get me some saltpeter and jes' go to de sun- rise [face east]. Ah'd take mah saltpeter and ah'd scatter it across de yard an' ah would say, "O, St. Peter - yo' hear me, St. Peter - yo' hears a sinner calling an' ah knows, St. Peter, you hears me. Well, ah wants to tell mah thoughts to yuh, cross mah yard both ways." Well, then ah won't be worried no more. Dat's 'fore de sunrise...ah'd set-up a five-cent metal can to mah front door full of chamber lye and ah'd set one to mah back do' full of chamber lye. Well, when de law comes dey won't touch mah house. Dey might touch next do'. Dey will talk to me and speak to me. Ah nevah be worried one bit.
Entry 2619
That's to draw in.
(In? You mean your rooming house?)
My rooming house.
(You mean to draw people?)
Yes, to draw.
(What do you use?)
Well, it's in the drug store here. There's a drug store here they call the Crackerjack. He has he and she saltpeter. See. You get those two together and you mix 'um and beat 'um together. Beat 'um up fine and you sprinkle 'um from - like you'd come this way and sprinkle it up - go up yore steps. Before you go up yore steps you sprinkle this way - back to yore door. And then you goes this way and come back to yore door and go all the way upstairs. Well, that's supposed to draw men and women to yore business. And that's the one thing I've ever used really to do my house any good. And hit's been successful with me and that's all I use. Lot of people say, "Well, I've had other junk, you know, but that's the one thing that's been successful with me."
(Just for renting rooms?)
For renting rooms - yes, sir. The he and the she saltpeter - one's long and one's round like a nutmeg [the usual he and she symbolism]. And you beat them together, mix them together, you know, and sprinkle them from the posts of your door up the stairway - if you live upstairs, or either around the house. Which I proves - proves very successful.
Entry 2620
You can take an' go to the drug store and you get this rock incent [incense], you get wintergreen and rose watah. And you mix it up all together in a bucket with rivah watah, [the amount] accordin' to how big the place is, and you wash it down with that and it'll draw customers. And then aftah that, go to the drug sto' and get you some he and she saltpeter, break it up in little pieces and sprinkle it all around the place.
Entry 2621
You can get High John de Conker or Eve-and-Adam [Adam- and-Eve] or Sampson snakeroot and keep chewing it and spit- ting round and make de wishes and they say that'll keep de law from them. [See No.1494, p.480.]
Entry 2622
Yo' take lak if yo' have a scissors layin' down there an' lak if yo' have a nice business, an' ah wanta stop yo' from havin' it, why ah steal yore scissors or yore fingernail file. An' ah'll take those right to mah home an' ah'll put - as ah told yo', take that there perfume an' ah'll put mah 'gredients in there which is the sulphur an' nine grains of red peppah seeds. Put that in there an' ah'll put de scissors lak if ah got dem fo' nine mawnin's an' ah take 'em an' junk 'em down in de ground. All yore luck is cut, yo' haven't got any mo' business.
(You use perfume you say?)
Yessuh, Heamt's Perfume.
Entry 2623
Yo' use dat urinate tuh dress a house with - it's fine fo' dressin' a house. An' if you're bootleggin' an' wan'a dress a house an' wan'a bring in yore trade, yo' have to use sea salt an' urinate. (Sea salt?) Dat's de stuff yo' take a bath with, sea salt. Sho' yo' bathe with it. Whut chew do, yo' urinate - only use yore urinate. Well, yo' take that sea salt - yo' have tuh heat dat urinate good, an' den when it gits cold yo' put dat in dat. See, dat resolves [dissolves those] little balls [crystals] in dere, aftah yo' heat it. Dat's de reason yo' have tuh heat it. An' den yo' jis' clean all roun' yore house with it. [Sea salt is bath salts, perhaps a local trade name. It should consist of crystals of sea salt, probably borax to soften the water, and aromatic substances for a pleasant odor.]
Entry 2624
If you wants to take a bath in water for success, you see, you put sea salt in there and oil of geranium - any kind of that you prefer for perfume you see - in that water. Sea salt. Wash yourself down and throw it at [toward] sun- rise. Well, that'll keep you in good luck.
Entry 2625
People they take a dime and some white lodestone and a needle broken in three parts and you know these little miniature dice - you want to gamble with dice - those little minature dice and sew it up in a little flannel bag. And you get that Seven-Eleven Perfume, there is a perfume Seven-Eleven, and you wet that little bag with that Seven-Eleven Perfume and you're supposed to throw mostly sevens and elevens with dice. And of course with cards you cut a diamond out of a card and put it in instead of the dice if you want to be lucky with cards.
Entry 2627
You use Seven-Eleven Holy Oil, ah guess.
(What would you do with that?)
You just sprinkle it around - dat keep de law away.
Entry 2628
That's Seven-Eleven.
(How would you handle that?)
You puts two drops behind each ear and five drops right chere in each shoe.
(In each shoe or just one shoe?)
Just one shoe.
(Which shoe do you put it in?)
Your right foot. But you put two drops behind each ear.
(What do you use that oil for?)
For luck.
(What kind of luck?)
Well just, you know - just like you selling something and you wan'a be suc- cessful with it. Whatever business you into.
(I see. That's all you have to do?)
Yes - just use Seven-Eleven.
Entry 2629
(What do you do to bring in customers? For bootlegging or something? Have you heard what they do to bring in the trade?) Certainly. (All right.) You'd take that place. For instance, this was the place right here. All right. You come to me and you say, "Well, my business is full and everybody pass and go to the next fellow." All right. You say, "Now, I wants you to straighten this place out for me so the people would come in, so I could draw customers." Well, the first thing is to do - is to go there before the sun- rise. Scrub that place out from the front to the back, 'cause you want luck to come in. Scrub it out with soap powder and Octogen soap: Some people use lye, but you don't want no lye nowhere near it. That's my method of using it. You scrub it out and after you scrub it out, you just.
(You scrub it with what?)
Octogen soap and plain white powder, plain white powder what they wash clothes with. But don't use no lye. Some people, they have: a tendency to use lye: But you must know whether there's anything been put down there or not. If there's something been put on there to offset this man - to keep his - to bear the people off from coming there, well it's very necessary to use lye to kill whatsomever they got down there. But you must know these things. You go on and you scrub it, mop it, and after you get through mopping it, you take clear water - seven buckets of clear water [nine is the usual number]. Now, if it's you, you must throw 'em over yourself, from back - make your wish - this is the front part, you throw it thataway and make your wish.
(You go from the front to the back?)
Yeah, yeah.
(You throw it out?)
Yeah, throw it out - throw it all out - then sweep it out. Then you go back with your mop and you let the place dry out. Now some - it takes you three days to do that sometimes. I've seen a woman's place and a fellow supposed to have done left - knew somebody in the family but he ain't in his right home. He's Open up a success for himself - bringing success. Now, the next day you go ahead back there, if you got three rooms in there, you take a saucer and you take rock incense - don't use no temple - rock incense and you burn it with lucky oil. They have oil they call lucky oil. You pour a little bit of that lucky oil on that incense and you set it up and you light it. Now, rock incense will make a fog, and you keep your shades down - just have a place in the back for the smoke to go out.
(The incense makes a mist - a fog?)
A fog - a fog. Now, you getting rid of all the evil influence. Now, you go on through with that. Well now, the third day you come on back there with you oil of reeve. [This is how word sounds. Could it be oil of relieve = relief? Oil of reve = dream? Or a nautical reeve = pouring oil on troubled waters?] Well, you might use oil of cinnamon. You might use some Van-van - it's not nec- essary. You might use some oil of cocoa. You might use seven oils into one. Well, you take those oils and you mix 'em into one with rain water. You put, say, about two teaspoons - by diff'rent drops and pour it down in there and fill that bottle up with rain water, and you just take that bottle and you cut holes in the stopper - three ways, so it will - and you shake it round in there, shake it round in there. Well, once every week when you are scrubbing, you do that. I'll say, that fellow have the biggest success in this town. I know some of 'em are doing it now.
(You say Seven-in-one oil. Is that one oil, or seven different oils in one?)
Seven diff'rent oils in one.
(Then you buy it prepared that way?)
Yeah, you can buy it that way. [See later, Three-Way Oil, and Three Oils.]
Entry 2630
Yo' kin git some bluestone an' a can of sulphur. Yo' take that blue- stone an' sulphur an' saltpeter, an' put it undah de front do'steps an' de back do'step an' as fur as dey kin go up undah de house - see, round inside the house. Now, yo' burn some sulphur an' put yo' some essence of pennyroyal on that sugah, wit garlic an' a red onion. Don't nevah throw a onion peelin' outa de house. Always keep onion an' garlic. Burn it in dat stove with sugah. It brings luck in the house. An' de law ain't goin' bother yo'. Mop dat front steps - it don't take but a little time. Put yo' some garlic, cut up some garlic, an' chamber lye an' mop that be- fo' seven every mawnin', befo' seven. Do dis befo' seven an"leven. Dat brings yo luck - seven an' 'leven. Do yo' burnin' 'fore seven an' 'leven.
Entry 2631
If a woman wants a whole lotta men comin' tuh de house an' gittin' money out of 'em, on Friday burn 'em an' on Saturday dey'd all come dere an'.
(What does she burn?) Burn de men folkses shoes - de ole shoes. Git de ole shoes an' burn 'em. (They have to be shoes from men though - they can't be women's shoes?)
No, no women's shoes - men's. She wanta go out an' git money out of 'em. An' he'll come dere in her house - can't git clear of men. She gits whut she wants, an' den Monday mawnin' come, everybody's gone.
Entry 2632
Well, ah heard of 'em burnin' men's shoes. Put sugah in 'em an' burn 'em on a Friday mawnin', burn 'em at seven a'clock an' 'leven. Dat's fo' luck. Dat's fo' good luck fo' yo' house or people comin' in fo' yo' makin' money - anything lak dat. Dat's whut dat fo'. [Memphis, Tenn., (1548), 2811:6.]]
Entry 2633
Dey say dat whut dat is fer - tuh make mens come to yore house.
(What what is for?)
Burnin' ole men's shoe. When dey lonesome an' ain't got no company, say, "Well, ah'm goin' do so-an'-so. Ah'm goin' have some company." Yo' see, take dem ole shoes an' make a fiah an' burn em in de fiah, an' then throw some salt on it an' let 'em burn. An' that bring men.
Entry 2634
Burn sulphur and one foot on de left shoes into a bucket from de front to the back. That would keep dem away. When dey get far as dat, dey will turn and go another way.
(That is to keep the law away if you are bootlegging?)
Yeah.
Entry 2635
Jis' lak if yo's a hustlin'woman, yo' know, an' want good business in yore home, yo' see, well yo' take ole shoes an' burn 'em. But 'fore yo' burn 'em yo' sprinkle sulphah an' salt on those shoes an' put 'em in yore cookstove an let 'em begin burnin'. An' den yo' take a shovel an' take 'em out on a shovel with this sulphah an' salt on 'em an' jis' care 'em all roun' in yore house - yo' see, in all de fo' corners of yore room an' jis' let 'em burn. An' let de odor - close yore house up an' let dat odor stay in dere. Den yo' take de ashes an' start at chore front do' an' sprinkle it from de front to de back an' dat draws trade. Den yo' take yore urinate an' put salt an' sugah in it an' jis' mop yore front po'ch an' out all on de street - out all on de sidewalk where peoples is passin', if yo's runnin' a assi'nation house, see. An' people when dey git dere dey'll jis' have tuh come in. Dat makes good business fo' yo'.
Entry 2636
Well, yo' take de shoe, de man's shoe, de right foot, an' yo' put some sulphur in it an' a piece of bluestone an' yo' burn it. Put it in de middle of de floor an' burn it, an' dat will give yo' luck in yore home. Draw the crowd.
(If you are selling liquor or something of that sort.)
Dat's right.
Entry 2637
All right. You got a place of business and you ain't had no luck. You get up in the morning before twelve or one o'clock and don't speak to nobody, if your wife or a friend in the house with you. When you get up don't say anything to them until after you get fixed. You take a left shoe of a woman and the left shoe of a man, two spoons of sugar, two spoons of camphor gum.
(Camphor gum.)
Camphor gum, and you mix that together. You burn that down till it's a ashes. You go to the back, you start at your back door - you start at your front gate coming in. You want 'em to come in, you don't wanta drive nobody away - you want 'em to come in. You sprinkle that, you sprinkle that all right on through. You start at your front gate or at the back - just where they got to come in and you go on through. All right. Take your bucket or whatever you burn that in and just shake the rest of it at the back door - that where they comes - through the house and on to the back door and lay it down. And you can go ahead on back to bed and sleep the rest of the night. And another man at the next place to you - you'll have plenty of trade and he don't know. He is wondering and studying how you doing it.
(What do you do with those shoes?)
You burn em.
(Oh, you burn them.)
You burn 'em till they are down to ash dust.
(That's before you mix up those other things?)
Yes, you put that other stuff right in there. (I see. I understand. Now, this other man. What does this other man do then when he sees you making out? Making all this business?) Well, he don't know how - he don't know what to do. Well, he gotta do the same thing.
Entry 2638
If you was bootleggin' - you'd sit around, look like nobody much didn't come dere. So you kin take your old shoe, take you some onions and peel 'em and take de peelin' - dese dry hulls off de onions and put 'em in dat shoe. Take you a little sugar and put it in dat shoe, and a little salt and put in dere, and walk to de stove and take de heel part and turn it right up over de toe like dat, and put it bottomside upwards into de stove [upside down rite] and let it burn dere. In ten or fifteen minutes you have more people in your house den you kin wait on.
Entry 2639
Dat's fo' luck. Well, on Mondays an' Fridays yo' supposed tuh burn red onions. Yo' git a man's left shoe an' yo' put a piece of garlic an' yo' put some of de hull of a red onion an' yo' put some sulphur an' yo' put some sugah an' yo' put some Hearts Cologne in de heel of that man's shoe. Well, yo' put all de rest of that - some of everything yo' put in de heel - on top of de stove at twelve a'clock an' yo' burn it.
(What will that do?)
Dat's supposed tuh be lucky - jes' whatevah yo' want, jes' lak if yo' want luck in de home, or yo' tryin' tuh ketch de policy, or yo' tryin' tuh git some money or somepin lak dat. Yo'll burn dat Fridays an' Mondays.
(You burn that shoe on top of the stove, too?)
Yo' burn de shoe in de stove, an' den put de rest of de stuff on top of de stove an' let dat go through de house, an' let de othah whut's in de heel go out in de ash.
Entry 2640
Well, dat supposed to bring luck in business - to bring luck in busi- ness an' yo' know tuh drive any evil spirit away, de cops. Well, now, yo' do this on a Friday at twelve a'clock. Yo' take sugah an' sulphur an' salt an' yo' sprinkle it on some ole shoes, an' den when de whistle is blowin' fo' twelve, why yo' have a good while to lay it on, put it in there an' yo' burn it an' let de smoke go out. See, de smoke, well it will go out de chimley an' it will light up good. Why den yo' lift it out in a shovel or somethin' an' yo' carry it roun' in yore place of business an' let dat smoke circulate aroun'. An' den yo' take an' put it back in de stove an' let it finish burnin' up. Do dat each Friday. Well, dat's all to dat fo' good luck. (That is for luck in business - to bring in customers and also keep the police away?) Bring customer an' keep policemen 'way.
Entry 2641
Take a man's left-foot shoe - dat's luck, see, in de gamblin'. Yo' take a man's left-foot shoe an' yo' go tuh town an' yo' buy yo' five cents worth of brown sugah an' yo' buy yo' five cents worth of white sugah, an' yo' take that sugah an' yo' put a tablespoon of sugah in yore left shoe - of de brown sugah, an' yo' put a tablespoon of the white sugah in de othah shoe. Then yo put em in de heater. See, that's why yo' gamblin'. Yo' turn one this way an' yo' turn de othah one this way.
(Here are the two shoes. Now, how do you turn them?)
All right [demonstrates], yo' put a tablespoon of brown sugah in this left- foot shoe. Yo' turn this one this way, see; an' yo' take the othah one an' turn it ovah [not upside down] that way. (Make a cross with the two shoes. They are standing up though.) [I comment on demonstration. Remember, these are old battered shoes being crossed.] Yessuh, make a cross. An' yo' burn that. Let that burn grad'lly in de house. Dat's fo' gamblin'. Dat jes' brings people - dat's luck.
(But the sugar must be in the heels of the shoes?)
Yassiree, must be in de heels of 'em, a tablespoon of sugah in each one.
Entry 2642
I've been in that condition myself. A ole man charged me five dollahs one time. He tole me - I gave the five dollahs [first] - he says, "Want choo git twenty-one ole shoes, I want ever' one to be a lef' shoe, an' seven [rubber] boots." He said, "I don't care whurther yore boots are lef' or right or not. Put 'em into a can, a lard can, close the top up. [Years ago meat packers packed hog lard in very large cans for butcher shops.] Go into yore back yard an' burn that can an' everything in there concern. Take that dust an' scatter it all over yore house an' sweep it north an' south, east an' west, four diff'rent way, an' go ahead an' sell yore whiskey." I did it an' I declare the law didn't never run down on me.
Entry 2643
If yo' is sellin' whiskey an' wanta keep de law away, heah whut ah always do. Keep one yore ole shoes, yo' burn it, burn yore shoe up an' git de ashes. An' de police come to yore house, when he go out yo' jes' sprinkle dat ashes behin' where he go out an' sweep it. An' every mawnin' yo' jes' sprinkle a little sulphur around in de corner of yore house an' yo' won't have no trouble atall.
Entry 2644
Then yo' kin take shoes an' scrape 'em off at de bottom. Take that an' put it in a papah an' git some lodestone an' mix wit it, mash it up wit it, an' yo' read a verse in Psalms - yo' read de 27th verse of Psalms. An' yo' put that togethah an' yo' take dat an' put it down at chure do' or up ovah yore do' where dey has tuh pass in an' out. That's fo' gainin' fren's.
(Bringing in trade.)
Yes, an' fo' lawful business an' all lak dat. An' yo' kin burn incense 'bout three time a week. That's when yo' in busi- ness - lak a sto' or any kind of shop or anything. Yo' burn de incense three time a week. Yo' burn it Monday, Wednesday an' Friday. Dat's in yore business - dat's drawin' mo' customers.
Entry 2645
Tuh keep de police away yo' git de salt, keep de salt - git dis heah Bluebird Salt an' jes' sprinkle it good roun' yore do', an' keep yore flo's scrubbed wit lye. Scrub every Friday mawnin' wit concentrated lye. An' it's a silver sand dat chew use - yo' know, silver sand. Well, yo' git dat sand an' yo' sprinkle dat roun' yore do'steps. If yo' wants tuh make a place be bad or if a man is got a place tuh rent an' if yo'wanta keep him from havin' much success, yo' gits some parsley seed an' throw em out roun' de do'. Dere won't nobody hardly go dere tuh stay.
Entry 2646
Yo' kin take Sloan's linament an' turpentine an' mix a proportion of it together an' bury it down up undah de house where de bootleggah is an' dat will - dat supposed tuh keep de law away. It will fo' a while. There ain't nuthin dat's goin' keep dem police 'way all de time, but dey'll visit yo lesser den dey would without any help at all.
Entry 2647
Well, I couldn't tell you but I know I worked in the [red- light] district thirteen years and around sporting women, you know I know plenty. (Well, suppose you tell us about that. What do they do for good luck or bad luck around those houses? Those sporting houses?) Good luck? Oh, there's plenty of things. There's essence of geranium.
(How would they use that?)
They would scrub in it. Banquette [scrubbed with it].
(What was it supposed to do?)
Well, it draw plenty of men so they can turn tricks - turn the trick.
(That is all they would use?)
Sell plenty of beer.
(Well, what else would they do around those sporting houses?)
They smoke 'em. They get incense and brown sugar and they put it on a shovel and they light it, and you let 'em take and step over it.
(Keep stepping back and forth across it?)
Step over it nine times - each one, each woman.
(Without any clothes on or does she?)
She don't fust let it touch her clothes, she just pull her dress up when she step over it. But now they wear the dresses so short they don't need to hold 'em up.
(Who did that? These white women did that?)
White women Colored women burns it 'cause I used to burn it for them. They paid me for it.
(What was the sign for bad luck? What wouldn't they let you do around there?)
If you eat peanuts, the hulls is bad luck [see p.710]. Pecan hulls is bad luck - crossed to the house, crossed to the house, and the landlady put you out when she find out that you eat plenty of that, 'cause she. ain't going to have you there 'cause you are bad luck to yourself and everybody else around there. Scrub the banquettes - wash theirself - bathe theirself round a little - take a little Japanese Honeysuckle Cologne and put it in the water and bathe theirself off with it.
(What is that supposed to do?)
That will make 'em be lucky, make 'em catch tricks. They always have one they love - they give him money.
(What do they call him? What is he called?)
Called "Daddy," "Honey," and all kind of pet names.
(What would they do to hold him?)
Oh he's - he going to stay there because they giving him money.
(I see. White men?)
White men. He going to stay 'cause he getting by. He ain't working, he ain't doing nothing for a living and they taking care of him - getting his eat- ing and getting his sleeping price. (The same things where they have colored women? Do they do these same sorts of things?) Say where they have colored women?
(Colored sporting houses.)
Oh, yeah - all of 'em does. Oh, yes.
Entry 2648
I had a saloon and there is another fellow had a saloon, and he was doing more business than I was and I want the business to come to my place. All right. I go get me some water, some perfume called lucky, lucky perfume you know, and I take some clear water and I put it in a bottle and I shake it up. [Water will make the perfume spread farther.] I do this 'fore day in the morning 'fore anybody sees me doing what I got to do. I go to this place that is in the same block my place is. I go to the corner, see, and I come back and when I get before his door I sprinkle. I go to my place of business and go inside and sprinkle. And I take and go to the next corner, not the same corner, and I sprinkle - behind my back, never look behind, and I sprinkle all along that street. And I go to my place and I go in again. And I go back to that [first] corner, the same corner that is left [left from my door], understand, and sprinkle the same way. Sprinkle before his door and go in my place and come out, see. Then I go to the next [second or right] corner. Do that three times you see, each way. [Informant on coming out his front door turns left and walks past competitor's house to first or left corner (= crossroad of city streets). Here he starts to sprinkle his watered down lucky perfume, turns back home, sprinkling past compet- itor's house and into his own home. Immediately leaving home again, he turns and walks right to the second or right corner (= crossroad of city streets). Here he starts to sprinkle his lucky perfume, turns back, again sprinkling into his own home. This sprinkling from the two corners into his own home is repeated three times. We must assume the cork in the bottle has a small hole through which the liquid slowly drips; the word sprinkle being somewhat generous.] After that, I go in my place and I take some sugar and I sprinkle it on my floor, some plain white granulated sugar. I take some sawdust and I put it over that stuff and I go and I get me this lump incense, see. Can I stand up and show you how I come? [I must have nodded yes.] See, I get some lump incense and I burn it. I burn it, take a lamp, light it and burn, put it in a saucer, this lump incense. Then I take my clothes and smoke my clothes, understand. And after I smoke my clothes, I make my wish [demonstrates].
(You fold your hands across your breast.)
Yes sir, and make my wishes. I make my wish and I be saying, "Lord, I hope I be lucky enough to be successful in all my enemies and all my income." I say that three times. And after that I take my pants this Way and I get my pants smoked good with that incense, open it up this way and let the smoke go up - smoke up my pants leg. Then I turn round and I open my door, after that smoke is got settled in my house. While it is burning in my house, there is nobody in the house but myself. While the incense is burning, if it sparks like a match throw sparks, you know what I mean, well, that will tell that's luck. And if the smoke spreads, that's luck; if the smoke goes straight up, the incense ain't much good to you. After you do that, you put that behind your counter - put that in- cense behind the counter. And you have sprinkled the sugar already. Then you open the door. Then you can talk. You cannot talk while you are doing your business, no sir. (Now when you first make the smoke, you have to take off your pants, then you put them back on - the first time?) Yes sir. [Perhaps I should say, informant did not take off pants during demonstration.]
Entry 2649
Git chew some dragon's blood, frankincense, violet incense [three ingredients] an' beat all of that up together an' git chew - put it in a pan an' set it afiah. Take this much - a good bunch, an' light it an' set there. Set down an' smoke yo'self good [demonstrates].
(All over your hands and your face.)
Sho'[sure], yo'self.
(Rub your arms.)
Jis' let it smoke yo' good. An' while it burnin' yo' know, make yore wish - when yo' goin' tuh dis place - whatevah yo' goin' tuh do. Not only tuh git a job or anything, but yo' Jis' wanta change dere mind, yo' burn dat an' make yore wish, an' don't stop until yo' git where yore goin' an' ask fo' whut chew want. Dat'll change dere mind an' yo'll git it.
Entry 2650
There's a root they call High John de Conker root. You take this and you puts it in your mouth. And they got what you call flaxseeds. You put nine of them in your mouth before you walks up to him, and you spit nine times, and you have this root in your lips - this way - just talking to him. Then, before leaving your home you get up before sunrise. Get frankincense, morris [myrrh] and flaxseed [three ingredients], and you makes a smoke with that and you stand over that, and you smoke yourself over good before the sun rise. And then you go over and out on the job there, and you have this root in your mouth and you going to talk to this foreman.
Entry 2651
They can take a little Van-van or sugar and put it in the four corners of your house and give your house a good scrubbing out with lye. Set a lump up on that side and set a lump on that side and a lump on each corner. And quite natural be the ants'll get to it. (Lump of what?) Sugar. And the sugar will make for drawing - make for them ants going and com- ing, that just ehe same way as a person. You see, them ants could go all day and they wouldn't bother the people. And that - by the end of that, you sweep that out. And just like that sugar in that house will draw that whole crowd, that crowd will come just like them ants do. As you put sugar in there, the ants going to find it and you'll find a crowd in there unknownst to you - they'll just have a crowd with them.
Entry 2652
Take de cow manure an' yo' boil it. Yo' boil dat cow manure an' yo' put chew some Jockey Club Perfume in it, Hearts Cologne [three ingredients] an' yo' start tuh scrubbin' at chure front. Start tuh scrubbing at chure front - from yore front to yore back, all in yore house. An' when yo' git through scrub- bin', yo' git chew some sugah an' yo' start back in dis corner [demonstrates].
(The right-hand back corner as you come into the house.)
Yo' sprinkle yore sugah in that corner, then yo' sprinkle it in that, an' yo' sprinkle it in this one, then yo' go an' sprinkle it ovah in that corner. (As you are going into the house, you sprinkle first at the back right-hand corner, then you sprinkle it at the left-hand back corner. Then you come in and sprinkle it at the right-hand front corner as you are coming into the house.) Yessuh, then yo' sprinkle this corner.
(Then you sprinkle the last corner.)
De last corner right to de do', see. Then yo' take yo' some sugah an' yo' jes' drop a few grains, yo' see, all aroun' ovah de flo'. Dat's tuh make 'em cam [calm] an' easy, an' dat fo' luck yo' see in gamblin'.
(That is, if you are running a house, that keeps down all disturbance.)
That keeps eve'ything cam an' easy when dey come in. Yo' see, dey gotta be, yo' know. No suh, dey won't quarrel at all.
Entry 2653
When you sweep, sweep your trash to your business and burn the sulphur with it. Don't never sweep it away from your door; sweep it to your door every morning and burns the sulphur in it. That just draws them to you - that will cause the luck to come to you. (I see. That's to bring in business.) Yes.
Entry 2654
Take de same thing whut ah was tellin' yo' 'bout - dis Hawthorm Cologne [= Hearts Cologne]. An' yo' put dat Hawthorn Cologne, sprinkle it on de floor - puts wit sulphur yo' know where it kill dat odor of sulphur. An' all yo' do, prob'bly befo' de night when yo' clean up, yo' sweeps - start at de front do' like dis. Heah's de front do' where de entrance is. Come in. Yo' sweep all to de back an' don't sweep dis way, yo' see. Den yo' take dis Hawthorn Cologne an put it in a can or somethin', any kind of little container or somethin', an'po' de cologne on dat. Jest a little bit - not to wet it. Den stick a match to it an' burn dat. Ah'll guarantee dey will come in dere after dat. Den close up fo dat night - see, jes' close up. (That is to bring in trade. What do you put in that can to burn?) [I wanted the word sounding like hawthorne repronounced.] A little bit of pure medical sulphur an' Hawthorn Cologne.
(I see, you put this cologne on it.)
Jest a drop or two. Yo' don't need not enough to wet it - jest a drop or two.
Entry 2655
Well, de way dat would be done, de first thing you should do tuh bring in trade - yo' kin use whut we call a sprinkle. An' yo' could take yo' a little sulphur an' a little salt an' a little peppah an' sprinkle dat round. Den yo kin burn a little sulphur. Yo' burn sulphur on Fridays an' sprinkle a little, then sweep a little round on de flo'. That's very prosperous to bring trade.
Entry 2656
Sulphur and sugar draws trade if you are bootleggin'.
(I see. Well, how do they use that?)
Oh, you burns it on de stove.
Entry 2657
Well, yo' kin git chew some garlic an' git chew some sulphur an' git chew some sugar. An' turn yore pan jis' befo' de sun rise - set it in yore do', set it afiah. Close all yore do's while it's burnin'. Yo' go out. Den when yo' git it blue wit smoke, open all yore do's an' de people will run ovah heah. Ah don't ca' whut chure doin', dey'll run ovah heah, comin' tuh see whut yo' got tuh drink. It'll draw 'em.
Entry 2658
Yo' git chew some sulphur an' sugah, because sugah sweetens every- thing - sugah or either honey an' sulphur. Yo' git that an' yo' mix it together an' yo' git chew some Frank's incense [frankincense] an' yo' burn it fo' de fo'th mawnin', representin' de fo'th trial - representin' de fo' gospels. Ah knew ah'd git it right. Dere so many things on mah mind. An' yo' burn it fo' de fo'th mawnin' an' yore business place will be jes' lak that.
Entry 2659
Yo' burn de sulphur one time in de mawnin' an' burn it twelve a'clock in de day an' six a'clock in de night.
(What time do you burn that sulphur in the morning?)
Six a'clock, twelve a'clock in de day an' six a'clock in de night for luck, yo' know, on yore business, money - rooms lak. Ah had roomers.[ Waycross, Ga.,
(1103), 1777:9.]
Entry 2660
Yo' kin burn sulphur an' Hearts Cologne, put a little sugah in it. Burn them an' have a wish. Ah've tried these things mahself, dat's de reason why ah kin say dat. An' have'a wish that - make yore wish like on Friday. Yo' start to burn 'em though like a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday night. So Friday yo' make yore wish.
(What time on Friday?)
Well, any time dat day is all right - after midnight Thursday night make yore last burnin'.
(What would you wish?)
Yo' make wish to make $40 or $50 or a $100, or yo' know.
(Any kind of wish in gambling.)
Any kind of wish in gamblin'.
(Well, don't you do anything with this stuff that you burn?)
No sir, jes' burn it in yore room.
Entry 2661
Well, yo' kin keep de law away from yore house wit sulphur, an' yo' kin have de luck to sell. Everybody come in yore house if yo's a whiskey seller, anything. Yo' git up ever' Sati'day mawnin' soon an' git chew a tray an' use some sulphur. Clean yore house out an' burn yo' some sulphur. Den everybody comin' in dere goin' spend somepin if dey got anything. Jes' burn dat sulphur an' let it perfume de house all ovah, everybody come in goin' spend something.
Entry 2662
If you think anyone wanta get cha now, dat dis party come to you and give you any money, a dime or anything like that, fer you jis' rub some sulphur on your hand before you takes the money, and they say if there anything on de money, it can't hurt cha. Yes, sir. Well, you see I was so scary I was like that.
Entry 2663
For luck I burn sulphah ev'ry mornin' for luck - sulphah, cinnamon. I burn cinnamon an' sulphah. (You burn the cinnamon by itself or with the sulphur?) With sulphur an' sugar in it. Three ingredients togethah. When I want trade [informant a woman bootlegger] I wash up mah house with urine - when I want trade, wash it to me. Now, in New York [lived in New York City eight years] I could have trade. I had a plenty trade. I could draw my own trade, but here in Richmond I can't do it 'cus the people notice you too much. I had too much trade a few days ago, then I took mah sign down 'cus too many people was comin' in the house. [I can appreciate this woman's trouble. I, too, had too many people coming into the house or hotel where I worked.]
(Do you burn it at any special time?)
You suppose to burn it in the mornin' an' you read de 23rd chapter of Psalms in the Bible: The Lord is my shepherd. You suppose to burn it aroun' seven o'clock in the mornin'.
Entry 2664
Yo' take coffee grounds, codfish an' wintergreen oil. Any kinda stuff dat's put down in front of yore do' an' aftah yo' picks it up, yo' gits a clear bucket of watah an' yo' puts dat coffee grounds in dere an' yo' puts dat codfish an' dat wintergreen oil an' yo' scrubs with it. Jes' dem three 'gredients in de watah, an' yo' scrub with it an' when yo' git ready tuh wash de sidewalk, yo' git chew nine bucket of watah an' yo' stan' from de gutter - from de street an'yo po's it back towards de steps an' leave it run down [into the gutter]. An' den have yo' some of dat codfish watah - yo' need nine bucket of watah, an' de last nine bucket [ninth bucket] of watah, use dat codfish, coffee grounds an' winter- green oil an' yo' scrub. Any kinda hoodoo or anything lak that, dat's put down fo'yo', scrub dat up wit it.
Entry 2665
You get you some cinnamon and some sugar and Three Kings Oil [three magi: Gaspar, Melchior, Balthasar]. You put that cinnamon, sugar and that oil those three things, in the water and you start scrubbing your house from the front. You scrub before the door first and scrub your house back to the back. And after you get through scrubbing your house, then you come out on the banquette [sidewalk] and makes the same. Use only three buckets of water [three buckets is unusual - one for each king] - two for the house and one for the banquette. That's draws 'em - that's to draw in. That's if you want a roomer in your house. [For another example of Three Kings, see Nos. 2669-2670, p.729.]
Entry 2666
You burn brimstone. Yo' use brimstone, bluestone, sulphur, rattlesnake marster, an' yo' git lowbush mercury[?] [myrtle?] - lowbush[?] - dat's a bush dat grows out. in de woods dey call it lowbush[?]. Well, yo' burn dat Sunday mornings three a'clock. Yo' burn that Wednesday night, Wednesday as the clock strike twelve. Yo' burn dat Wednesday. (Twelve o'clock night or noon?) At night. Three a'clock in de morning [Sunday], twelve a'clock at night [Wednesday], an' three a'clock Friday morning. Yo' burns dat in de middle of yore house. Yo' have yo' a pan dat chew use regu'ly [regularly]. Yo' use de brimstone, sulphur, bluestone an' dis lowbush[?]. Yo' burn dose things together. Yo' do dat fo' at least three munts. Den yo' skip an' de next three munts ketch it. [This is skip or staggered magic.] But if you are running a house, why yo' do that ev'ry week. Ev'ry week if yo' runnin' a house, if yo' have gambling, so on, don't chew see. Yo' runnin' yo' house, yo' do that ev'ry week.
(What is that supposed to do? Bring luck or what?)
Yeah, bring luck an' keeps ev'rything goin' smooth. Yeah, bring yo' plenty luck. Yo' have no trouble if yo' sellin' likker, anything lak dat. Yo' have nc trouble a-t a-l-l.
Entry 2667
That kind of woman scrubs her house with oil of bergamine [bergamot], oil of cinnamon, and oil of cloves - the three combined. Three little small bottles, all three of them poured into a pail of water and sugar and scrub with that and scrub her steps going down. But she doesn't scrub them going out, she scrubs them coming in. She starts at the bottom of the steps and come up and scrub all the way back to the back of the house. That brings trade in - men.
Entry 2668
(Can you tell me what you do?) Well, ah go to the drug sto' and buy oil. (What kind of oil do you buy?) Why ah usu'lly jes' put it in de watah an' wash de flo' off.
(That's for luck in bringing in customers.)
The interviewer characterizes the floor washing as luck in attracting customers. This entry prints no following informant affirmation; the result remains unverified.
Entry 2669
Yo' could take dis same perfume stuff - de Three Jacks an' Three Kings [see p.728] an' Three S's [three different perfumes]. Yo' kin take it jis' alone - ah say alone in a way, but chew could git othah things tuh go with it. Take sugah an' yo' git dat brown sugah, or any kind, but de brown sugah is much bettah an' yo' urinate in it an' yo' scrub yore place, if yo' wants tuh git yore business line up. Scrub yore place out thor'ly [thoroughly]. Dat's de right way [with brown sugar and urine]. Yo' take an' clean it out with othah watah, yo' know, jis' clear watah good - scrub it out good. Den yo' take this othah stuff an' sprinkle it lak wit a mop or somethin', an' yo' put it in de fo' corners of yore house. Sprinkle it in de fo' corners of yore house, de same watah, an' scrub with it. All dat'll keep, keep confusin' down - whatevah business yo' got an' keep de law from yore house. Everybody will come to yore house beside de law.
(What do you sprinkle down? Just the sugar and this urine?)
No, wit de Three Jacks an' diff'rent othah perfumes. Yo' know whut ah mean - yeah, de Three Jacks, de Three Kings an' de Three S's. [ssS is a brand name.] (After you cleaned my house, then you put all that other stuff [perfume] to- gether and then sprinkle around the house?) Yessuh, but yo' have tuh git the first dirt out [dirt out first].
Entry 2670
There's diff'rent kinds of perfume that you can get to wear on you and if you - it's the Three Jacks and the Three Kings and Jack of Clubs. You go to the drug store and you get two bits [25c] of that and have it mixed all together. Don't wear it on your clothes. If you go into a clubroom and sit down to gamble, you'll always have it handy where nobody kin detect you puttin' some on the floor in the clubroom. And then you take this incense, luck incense, you know, and a shoe, a old shoe, if you got a clubroom and you want your clubroom to be - to bring money and to bring plenty people there to gamble to make money. You scrub your place out just as I told you and use those nine buckets of water. And you put that old shoe with some sugar and cinnamon and burn that incense in there. Close the house up and that's luck for gambling. No, don't use lye here - just the nine buckets of water - clear water - and burn the old shoe. Let the last bucket, the ninth bucket be with sugar in it.
(You can do that for bootlegging too?)
Yeah, because I bootlegged several years. Sure.
Entry 2671
Well, now, if yo' wanta rent that house, yo' kin dress that house or yo' kin use de Psalms - dere two ways yo' kin use that. (Tell me how to dress the house first.) Well, now, tuh dress that house yo' go tuh work an' yo' git chew a little salt an' a little sulphur an' yo' git chew some alum [three ingredients] an' pound it up together - mix it together. An' then yo' git chew some seeds. Git those gourd seeds or either any kinda seeds that grows on a vine - kin git pumpkin seed or gourd seed or watermelon seed. An' yo' git chew three of those seeds an' yo' take those three seeds an' yo' put them in a little box or a little can. Bury 'em jest like yo' would a little flower, an' when yo bury those seeds yo' say, "Hope, success an' friends." Yo' bury those seeds. An' that ingredient that chew mix, yo' take an' yo' sprinkle that around that house - a little bit at the back an' a little bit at the front. Yo' sprinkle that. Then on the inside of the house - yo' take that house an' yo' git chew some potash. Take yo' a little potash an' yo' jes' take that potash - ah jest drop a little bit around in that house. That's good fo' good luck.
(That's to rent the house?)
Yes sir.
[Now he tells how to unrent the house.]
They kin do that.
(Dress the house so they move out? Do you know what they do?)
They kin do that tuh where yo' can't rent that house. Yo' kin take a one-cent piece an' go to a wicked grave - it gotta be a wicked grave though - an' git some dirt from de head of that wicked person an' pay them with one-cent. Then yo' kin take that dirt an' mix that dirt with sulphur an' mix it with a little - see, it's three pods not - three pods of peppah. See, ah tole yo' nine pods - nine seeds wit de other but dis is three pods. Yo' git chew three pods of red peppah an' mix that together an' sprinkle that anywhere around that place. Nobody kin stay in there to save their life.
(That will make them move out of the house?)
Yes sir, but it's gotta be a wicked grave.
Entry 2672
Yo' go tuh de drug sto' an' yo' git some Duke's Mixture an' yo' come back wit de Duke's Mixture an' yo' take it an' sprinkle it on that graveyard dust that chew have [sprinkled]. An' when yo' got a place of business dat chew want customers, in de mawnin' yo' git up an' yo' sweep out clean, jes' fer as out aroun' yore do' dere, an' befo' night come or befo' de day gone anyway, yo' goin' have mo' people in dere den yo' kin shake a stick at. Dey be comin' tuh look an' see whut othah people's seein'. Now dere in de club- room ah done dat mahself right heah.
Entry 2673
A woman, if she wan'a bring in some men customers, there's things she do. She git her some saltpeter and she bathe in this saltpeter [see No. 2408f. p.670] and git her some incent [incense] powder and bairns [burns] about a table- spoon into about a teaspoonful of sugar. And she bairns that and then she git her some sulphur, about a half teaspoonful, snuff and sugah, and she keeps that Wrapped up in a hand'chief. And when she be talkin' to him, she lookin' in his eyes, an' throwin' [the handkerchief about] from the foiy [foyer]. Come right on down to his eyes and jis', you know, still lookin' into his eyes, and whatever she asks he'll agree to do it and come on inside.
Entry 2674
You know, that's a special way they do that. It's this. You take one woman - she can walk right before us right now. Now, if you don't believe that, you ask people have done tried it and done it. You can take one woman right now and let her walk downstairs and there be fifteen men - she don't necessarily have to be the prettiest woman round here. You all [the southern you all] see this stuff that they call snuff? Take that same stuff, that snuff, but it must be burned. And sit on a man and drink with him and drop it in his drink, and from time to time get up to each one she can and drop it in the drink. And then she get her house advertised from them, them same men that she get, ev'ry time a cus- tomer come in her house. After she drop the snuff in that building, she can just continue from cup to cup, and they say they'll always come back to her house. Only use nothing but ordinary snuff, that people use in the form of tobacco. (Well, she just drops that. But you say she had to burn that first. The snuff should be burnt?) She has to burn it first. The snuff should be burnt.
(And she uses the ashes?)
Use the ashes. You just burn it and use the ashes.
Entry 2675
[This is a fuller version of No. 1947, p.570.]
You git choo one pound of red beans an' git choo a portion of guinea pepper seeds. Well, they call that [the latter], they call for - it's off the tree of paradise, an' you throw it up under each side of the steps, you see. No, no, put them beans up under that step - one pound of red beans - an' throw the guinea pepper seeds up under the side de steps. An' then you kin take eight buckets of water, you see, an' throw aroun' the door, an' the nin'bucket, choo throw it up, you see. An' then that keeps officers away, too, that nine buckets of water, if the officers all aroun' your door. But choo put blueing water in de eight' bucket an' de nin' bucket be loaf sugar, you throw it up jis' the same. [Tree of paradise I do not know. It and guinea pepper seeds are unrelated except in hoodoo. However, two trees are called paradise tree: Simarouba glauca of tropical North America, and Melia azedarach (China tree) of Asia, the latter being grown as an ornamental tree in U. S. A., and known by many names, chinaberry, Indian or Persian lilac, holy tree, etc.]
Entry 2676
Well, you could take - you go to the grocery store. You buy you a two- pound box of sugar. You get you a five-cents can of cinnamon. Now, before you start to scrubbing in this house, you sweep this home. Don't ever sweep the dirt out; you sweep the dirt in. And after you pick up the dirt and throw it into the garbage can, then you take this cinnamon and sugar and you burn it. See, you gotta use it three ways. You must burn and you must sprinkle it on your floor [and scrub with it?], and in the next two or three days this house gotta be rented.
(You burn that sugar and the cinnamon - you burn it, don't you?)
You burn it.
(Then what do you do?)
After you burn it?
(Yes.)
Then you scrub this place. You see, you got this into a little powder or something like that, but it must be burned with white paper - not newspaper or no brown paper, or no other kind of paper.
(Well...after that's burned...what do you do with that?)
The powder, the paper that's left? You kin always throw that out, you don't have any special use [for it].
(Now, wait - just a minute.)
That cinnamon and sugar?
(Yes.)
Well, you don't have to do anything with it partic'larly - you know what I mean. You just - after you finish burning it, then you kin throw that right into the garbage can, too. And after you finish, then you turn your mop upside down right at the door, as you going out.
(Well...you haven't done any mopping yet. When you going to do the mopping?)
Well, I told you, you mop already.
(Oh, you mop first?)
Yes. You mop first. You see, you get you a - you got to mop this place - get you a bottle of ammonia, bottle of blueing, see. And then you get - you go to any drug store and you get you some Logger's Oil or Miner's Oil, or any of those oils, you understand, to scrub with. See, that's to rent the place. See, that's to rent the place.
(Well...do you scrub...before you burn the sugar or after?)
You have to scrub before you burn the sugar, you see. You see, the place is thoroughly clean. (Oh, I see. And what kind of oil? Any kind of oil. All right. Burn the sugar and cinnamon, don't you?) That's right.
(Then after you burn that, you throw it out?)
Yes, sir.
(Then you get this oil and stuff and scrub the place?)
Yes, sir.
(Then you set your mop behind the door upside down?)
That's right - mop and broom.
(And broom. And then you rent your house?)
Yes, sir.
(All right. I want to get those things in the right order.)
[I was trying to solve the problem of using sugar and cinnamon informant's three ways.] That's right.
Entry 2677
Ah know jes' lak if a person sellin' whiskey an' if he wants luck to his house, why ah know a lady she used tuh - ev'ry mornin' she'd git up yo' know an' she'd jis' sprinkle right round wit chamber lye - sprinkle round de corners of de house on de inside. Said dat would hold yore luck wit de laws an' bring customers.
Entry 2678
They takes de chamber lye and salt and mix it together and dey takes that, if they have a collector or anything comin' yo' know, dey kin scatter that every morning in front of they do'steps an' back steps, that'll keep them away - won't have no collectors.
Entry 2679
Jest take a little urinate, your urinate, and a little pot salt and dis little ground peppah - hot cayenne peppah. [Three ingredients.] " You carry a certain distance from your house, see, and you sprinkle, you know. Jest like de road come up to your house or de street, why you jest sprinkle it across, you understand. Why dey couldn't come no farther than that. Every time dey git dere why dey jest change dere mind and turn back.
(That keeps the law away.)
Entry 2680
Things will work mighty easy wit him [policeman], if the law wus comin' there perhaps tuh raid joo out [and] yo' didn't have any money. Then yo' could take some of yore fast chamber lye.
(What do you mean by fast chamber lye?)
Well, that aftah a night yo' lay down an' git up in de mawnin', then yo' use that - that's fast, that'll work right now. Well, yo' put three pinches of sugah in there an' make yore wishes whatevah - yo' know, yo' don't wanta be raid out or put out dis mawnin'. Den yo' take it to yore front steps an' yo' throw it an don't look which way yo' throw it - jes' throw it out. Yo' made yore wish an' yo' jes' go on. He'll come in jes' as calm, "It's all right if yo' haven't got any money. Can't chew give me some?" [Some what? Money in the future or liquor now?] [Memphis, Tenn., (1542), 2790:9.}
Entry 2681
When yo' git up in the morning if you is worried with the polices or most anything like that, you'd git up early before de sun rise and scrub yo' porch wit chamber lye and dey not supposed to worry yuh.
Entry 2682
Take the chamber lye, that is yore own chamber lye an' let it set up three days, an' a little salt in it an' wash yore house good, an' that will bring luck to the house.
Entry 2683
If it's a lucky person, say yo' takes a sample of their watah. Yassuh, if it's a lucky person; yo' know, jes' lak if it's a woman an' she could git mens. An' yo' take it an' scrub down yore front do step with it. An' de first person dat [enters] shut de do' after yo' go back in - if it's a woman, don't let her come in de front, let her go roun' to de back; if it's a man, make him give yo a nickel or dime befo' he come in. An' yo' kin take dat nickel or dime an' put it behin' dat do' an' let it stay dere dat day. Ah bet chew five dollahs by all dis time yore house would be so full, yo' wanta git rid of some of 'em. (That's new. I never heard that before. You take this chamber lye from the lucky woman.)
Entry 2684
Well, you have to dress the house. Now, that chamber lye which you was speaking about a few minutes ago - if you bootlegging or selling something, you takes that chamber lye which you were speaking about. All right. You takes it soon in the morning, no one around, you take that chamber lye and you wash from your door - porch-step on back. Never, never sweep out your trash out on the outside; always sweep back, going back in the house. Sprinkle that chamber lye every morning for seven mornings and you will have so many people at your place until you just won't have seats for 'em.
Entry 2685
Dey take dere urinate an' fo' nine mornings an' sweep off de back steps wit it.
(How do they sweep?)
Yo' know wit a broom. Po' it on dere step and sweep it, yo' know, jest lak yo' sweeping off de step. (I mean how do you sweep it. Sweep it away from the house or toward the house?) Sweep toward de house.
(You sweep toward the house. Why do you do that?)
That to bring luck to bring people in. (It must be done at the back steps though. You do that when you are selling whiskey.)
Entry 2686
If yo' sellin' whiskey, to keep de law from yore house, yo' take an' where yo' takes a leak an' throw it out right - jes' throw it out in de front every night fo' nine nights an' in de mawnin's, too. An' throw it out dere fo' nine nights or nine mawnin's. Do it that night an' that mawnin', yo' understan'. Well, dat will keep the law from comin' in yore house. (What do you mean where you take a leak, on the ground? You mean where you do it on the ground or in the pot or what?) Where yo' do it in a can, don't chew see. [Informant has a night can.]
Entry 2687
Yo' kin take chamber lye - fresh chgmber lye. Jes' lak yo' is runnin' a business, a whiskey place or whutnot, an' tuh gain influence of people an' de laws. Yo' kin take yo' chamber lye in de mawnin', not mixed wit no one else, an' make a weesh [wish] whut chew desire tuh do an' how yo' desire yo' business tuh come out - tuh improve. Yo' kin take hit an' sprinkle it ovah de place fo' nine mawnin's. An' den take de leavin's of it an' throw it to de front an' make yo' weesh - yo' know how yo' want chure business - an' yo' do dat fo' nine mawnin's. An' de laws or whutnot will come tuh be yore friends 'stead of enemies. An' dey will boost yo' business. People will come dere an' den buy, trade wit yo' mo' den evah befo'.