Subject:Money
Entries
Entry 390
I'll tell you one thing that I have heard. A long time ago people used to bury their money instead of putting it in the banks. The person that buried the money believed that if they killed someone or an animal and cut the animal's head off or the person's head off and bury the head with the money that it would keep someone else from getting the money. At a place on the road [Maryland State Road No. 12] between Snowhill and Salisbury, near the Worcester County line, there's a tree, an oak I think, where they claim that somebody was buried. And this man - this was before the Civil War, killed a little colored boy and cut his head off and buried it with the money. Later on people heard about this money being buried there and a number of them tried to get it. Everyone who tried to dig up this money never succeeded and the belief was that this head protected the money and kept the people from getting it. They claim that on certain nights, especially dark nights, people going along this road from Snowhill to Salisbury see a little light like and this light seems to flicker and it is near this tree. They claim that that's the way you know money is buried there. Well, one man, I don't know whether it is true or not, tried to dig up this money. So he took some other man with him to help him. So they dug and dug under this tree and they almost got to the money and just as he looked up he claimed that he saw a sword suspended by a hair from the limb of the tree and he claims that he heard a voice say, "If you touch the money the sword will drop." His companions also saw and heard the same thing and they left him and ran away. But he stayed as long as he could but it seems that something Was holding him back all the time. But he didn't get this money. One night [1935] I was driving along that way and it was a very rainy night and dark and it seemed as though we could see this light twinkling. It might have been my imagination. They called it the money gold light.
Entry 893
[The following story from my original pencil transcription is about as exact as I could reproduce the recorded text. It shows some of the difficulties of transcribing; a matter I have discussed in the Introduction:] Mah a'nt [aunt] vus [was] name Ella. She vure [were] pyzon [poisoned] on branch watah [water] dey [there] vure she drinked de vatahs from. A lady didn't lak [like] 'er. De lady's name vure Rebecca. She ain't lak 'er. Mah a'ntie had took 'er husban' away from 'er an' she vure mad vid mah a'nt an' she tole 'er, she say, "Ella, ah'm goin' git choo fer dis if it be las' t'ing ah do." An' she done it. She ain't had no idee she goin' put nuttin [= nothing in] de watah way [where] she drinked. An' she vent down tah de branch an' put somepin [something in] de watah. (What she put in the water.) [I unknowingly dropped my did showing I was concentrating in an effort to understand him.] Well, when de [root] doctah test[!!!] de watah [he said] dey [Rebecca an' her doctor] put some 'erb medicine in de watah. Aftah she [go] down dey an' got a dose of it - she drink-dit - she vent tah fallin' off, got poah, got bony, ain't know whut [what] tah do fer huhself. Nobody cain't do 'er no good - [medical] doctah cain't do 'er no good. An' un [one] day a colored fellah come 'long an' tole 'er - a root doctah. He tole 'er, He sayed, 'Lady"' - he ain't know 'er name - he sayed, "Lady, yah hurt." He say, "Ah kin curah [cure] yuh fer jis' a little 'mount of money." An' she sayes [says, not sez], "All rightee, vhut's de mattah wid me?" He say, "Ah kin tell yah." He say, "Yah pizoned." He say', "Yah got yoah dose from watah." She say, "Vhure de watah from?" He say, "Ah don't [know] way de watah from, but yah got pizoned in some watah," he say, "an' yah pay a little 'mount of money, a dollah down, ah'll put chah on yah feet." She say, "Well, come on in de hahse [house] an' le' me talk tuh yuh." He tuck 'er on in de hahse an' he doctah on 'er. [He says] "vell, yeh go down long 'bout a mile from heah an' yah git yuh some alder root." An' she say, "Ah don't know whut alder root is." An' he say, "If yah come on an' go wid me an ah'll show yeh," he say, "if ah go, it goin' cost double money, an'[that is] why ah tole yuh." She say, "Well, ah [don't] caah [care] how much money it cost 'cept so I git on mah feet agin." An' aftah [that] dey vent on down in dere tuh de fahk [fork] of de road, run way down in de voods, an' got alder root an' tuck dat an' made tea of dat. An' she drinked it. Aftah he made dat tea, verms an' bugs come from uh to [through] uh bowels. An' roun' 'bout mont [month] aftah dat she got a relief from it, an' [he] tole uh keep on drinkin' dat root tea. An' aftah while she got huh feet so she could lay aroun' de hahse an' dat same 'uman [woman] come to huh doah an'tole uh, she say, "Ella," says, "yah gittin on yoah feet, ain't choo?" 'Yesuh," she say. "Well, if yuh say I hurt yuh, but I ain't hurt choo; but I vill hurt chah if yuh do me back talk about anyt'ing. An' she run an' pushed de doah, close it in huh face an' say, "Stay away from mah doah cuz yah done cause me lak to die on 'count of pizon me.' She say, "I ain't pizon yeh." She say, "Yeh did pizon me,"' an' she cos [close] de doah right in huh face. An' den she knock off de doah an' say, "Dat'll be all right." An' de same doctah come dere dat same day an' tole huh, he say, "Dat's de 'uman dat pizon yah.' An' aftah dat she lef', he turnt it back on de 'uman, an' de 'uman died in roun' 'bout two year aftah dat. ["A Negro down on the Sound - this happened down on the Sound - his voice is clear but difficult to transcribe" - comment written on my original pencil tran- scription; which is attached to final MS; both comment and transcription made soon after interview. The Sound was Pamlico: "3ll Willie Jones - New Bern, N. C.
[[region]] - fair" - Numbers Book 136-317.]
Entry 2105
A king snake, git his hide yo' know an' skin 'im. Take his hide an' make yo' a underwearing belt out of it - make it jest lak yo' make a money belt. Dey say if yo' put a dollah in dat belt or any piece of paper money - yo' jes' put it in dere an' wear it, dey say if yo' gamble, don't care how much money yo' lose, when yo' git back to dat dollar yo' goin' win in de game. Long as yo' kin keep dat dollar in cir- culation yo' won't nevah lose it when yo' wear it in dat belt. When yo' quit yo' jes' put it right back in dat belt.
Entry 2106
If ah got silver money, ah counts mah silver, but ah hardly evah counts mah pennies - but ah keeps mah silver money specially separate from mah pennies. Well now, ah go tuh trade if ah got pennies. Why ah'll take mah pennies an' use 'em all as fur as ah has tuh go, but ah nevah mix mah pennies wit mah silver money.
Entry 2107
Well, fo' instance, if yo' would give a woman a dollah, papah money an' if she didn't want chew tuh have any money at all, she would take dat dollah an' she would burn it to ashes. An' aftah she burn it to ashes she would open de palm of her han' an' she would blow it; an' yo' see, she would blow dat money in de othah han'. Dat's de same Way de money would go an' yo' would nevah be able tuh keep any - yo' will nevah be able to keep any.
Entry 2136
Fo' luck in gamblin' yo' use de John de Conker. Yo' take dat an' yo' kin put it in a bag an' yo' put chew a little steel dust in dere an' put chew 45 cents - two dimes an' a 25 cents piece, nuthin wit even money. See. An' put dat in a bag an' wear it in yore pocket. An' yo' take any high [smelling] perfume an' yo' 'noint dat wit dat, wit dat perfume. It seems lak yo' would give de man a ambition, an' give him dose silver [pieces], an' when he bet he bet always right until de othah fellah dat is playin' wit chew - understan', he beats him so many times until he lose ambition, see. An' he be a certain amount loser thataway an' he will always play. When he first start losin' he plays tuh win, when he find out he's losin' he plays tuh ketch back. An' he gits so far around de fellah, he beat him so much until he jes' lose all ambition.
Entry 6276
If yo' want a person tuh be crazy about choo, yo' kin take dere hair an' a roun' piece 'bout dat big [demonstrates] outa dere sock, of each sock. (About the size of a dollar?) No, about de size of aquartah or half [dollar]. Den yo' ball dat hair up tight an' yo' put it in dose two pieces of sock an' yo' sew it up tight. An' aftah yo've done dat, yo' take dat an' yo' soak it in 'is urine nine days. Put it in today, let it stay, an' take it out; put it in tomorrah an' take it out, fo' nine days; an' den yo' weah dat about yore per- son, as close to yore privates as yo' possibly kin, an' dat'll make dat person automatic'ly crazy about choo as long as yo' weah it. An' of co'se if yo' happen tuh lose it or throw it away, dat breaks de spell.
Entry 7342
Git some ole money, ole silver money. Take that and tote it in de pocket, dey say the law can't ketch you.
Entry 7679
Ah 'sperienced dis mahself. Ah had a man an' he wus engaged tuh git married. When ah firs' started goin' wit 'im he tole me he wus engaged tuh be married, an' ah tole him, "Go ahead an' git married." Ah didn't feel lak ah cared den. Well, it wus about two yeah's time, dis woman whut he wus supposed tuh git married, he tole ne she wus in town. He said he would have tuh go down dere where she wus. Ah said, "Go ahead." He took me an' carried me home. Aftah ah got home ah got tuh thinkin' 'bout it an' ah jes' decided. Ah'd heard dat such things could be done. So ah got nah niece an' we went out tuh de cemetery. Yo' go tuh a grave an' yo' take de headbo'd an' throw it tuh de foot, an' say, "As ah throw dis headbo'd, In de Name of de Fathah an' de Son, an' de Name of de Holy Ghost, as ah throw dis headbo'd tuh de foot of dis grave, ah want chew tuh change John's min' off dis woman an' place it on me, In de Name of de Lawd." An' yo' go tuh de foot an' yo' do de same thing as yo' have at de head. Den aftah yo' do dat, yo' go an' git chew nine han'fuls of dirt outa de grave. An' aftah yo' git dat dirt outa de grave, den yo' have somepin tuh put down dere - pennies. Put 'em in dere, say, "Ah's givin' yo' dis money tuh pay yo' fo' whut yo' are doin' fo' me In de Name of de Lord." An' it won't be long - ah know dat wus de thing dat run dat woman 'way from Florence. An' she have nevah been back heah since.
(What did you do with that dirt after you got that dirt?)
Ah brought de dirt home but ah nevah did know whut tuh do wit it. Ah brought it home an' kept it fo' a long time. Ah didn't know whut tuh do wit de dirt. But de woman [doctor] dat tole me tuh do dat, she tole me dat plenty hell could be raised wit dat dirt, but ah don't know how. [Or you could] use dis red pep- Pah. INSTEAD OF PUTTIN' PENNIES IN DERE, YO' JES' PUT RED PEPPAH. But cheW got- ta have a odd numbah if yo' put red peppah - anything, jes' have a odd numbah - in dis grave when yo' take dat dirt out. [THIS IS SURELY MY ONLY EXAMPLE OF A
Entry 7685
Now, ah saw a woman throw graveyard dirt week fo' [before] las', an' ah know de woman is gone. She lef' evahthin' in de house [she left so fast]. (Well, how did she use that graveyard dirt?) Well, yo' gotta git it off a sinnahman's grave an' den yo' gotta put so much money in dis grave. Dey say dat's payin' 'em fo' de dirt. An' den yo' tell dat spirit tuh run 'em away. An' dat spirit runs 'em away.
(And then waht do you do with the dirt after you get the dirt?)
Yo' take de dirt, care [carry] it an' sprinkle it across dat do', or if yo' kin git it inside, put it inside - inside de house. An' if yo' cain't git it inside de house, jes' sprinkle it crossways de do' where dey gotta come ovah it.
Entry 7689
Graveyard dirt is all right, graveyard dirt is lucky tuh yo'. If yo' Wants some graveyard dirt tuh be lucky tuh yo', go tuh a gambler's grave. An' stick yore han' down in de grave jes' as fer as yo' kin, right down at de haid of de grave an' say, "Ah'll do dis In de Name of de Lord, tuh ovahcome mah enemies." An' stick yore han' way down in dere an' bring out some. Say when yo' bring it out, take it an' put it in sompin an' tie it up an' care [carry] it home. An' yo' care it home den an' yo'll be lucky - become lucky. Yo' kin gamble an' make money.
Entry 7723
See, yo' 'sposed tuh go tuh de graveyard twelve a'clock at night, an' yo' git dis dirt, an' when yo' start gittin' dis dirt, yo' supposed tuh say, "Dead spirit, ah didn't come tuh rob yore grave, ah came heah fo' luck In de Name of de Father, of de Son an' of de Holy Ghost." An' if yo' put money tuh dat grave or a corn or either some fresh rice, anything, yo' supposed tuh pay dem An' jes' lak if yo' want chure luck changed, yo' go dere in de nighttime at twelve a'clock an' yo' take de haidbo'd an' throw it tuh de feet an' take de feetbo'd an' throw it tuh de haid. An' yo' git dis graveyard dirt an' yo' sup- posed tuh put sulphur in it - supposed tuh put red peppah an' yo' supposed tuh put sompin yo' kin git at de drugsto', but yo' don' specially have tuh have dat, an' salt in it. An' yo' burn dis dirt three times a day. If it's wet yo' put it in de sun an' let it git dry, an' when yo' make yore fiah [fire] it gonna smell funny when it be burnin'. Yo' shet up in a room tuh yo'self an' yo' burn dis heah dirt. An' jes' lak if yo' want - if anothah party livin' next do', yo' want 'em out chure house, yo' burn dat dirt on dose people an' tell 'em dat chew want 'em tuh be out. Yo' know, move out de house. An' burn it three times a day. An' jes' lak if yo' runnin' a joint or anything, an' if no one will visit chure joint much, yo' kin burn dat dirt, an' in about ten minutes time yo'll have a crowd at chure house. An' if it's a woman yo' wants tuh see, an' yo' cain't see her, an' yo' burn dat dirt, dogged if she wouldn't be dere in about five minutes' time.
(You make your wishes when you burn that dirt.)
[This was not a leading question. Somewhere while recording machine had stopped this had been mentioned.] Yeah yo' make yore own wishes In de Name of de Fathah, an' de Son an' de Holy Ghost. (What is the stuff that you would get at the drug store if you wanted to use that and add that to it?) It's sompin, but chew specially [don't] have tuh have dat, becuz ah ain't nevah didn't nuse [use] dat. (You don't have to have it. What is it, if you do want to use it?) [Either no answer or I turn off machine too fast.]
Entry 7765
If dey's shootin' crap, shootin' dice, yo' kin [go] down tuh de ceme- tery an' git some-a dirt off de haid of it, an' put it in de pocket where yo' goin' use de money. Well, dat will [make you lucky in gambling]. [Here I turned off recording machine, then started again]. Yo' don't know how tuh make dice do yo'? [I probably shook my head.] Don't know how tuh make 'em? Well, yo' kin take - dey make 'em wit bones an' dey make 'em wit celluloid, too. Ah'm tellin' yo' whut ah know an' WHUT AH HIRED TO TELL YO'. [No one Was ever hired to tell me anything. Every one came to me on the basis of a promise: if he knew something I wanted to hear, he was paid according to what I thought the information was worth; if he knew nothing, he was given a small fee for his time. As we gained experience and established confidence in a community, we tried to weed out before reaching the interviewing room, those who knew little or nothing.] But de man who run de house tole me - he want tuh git me [sooner] but ah had tuh go out of town. [De man who run de house, the man who rented the house in which I interviewed, was H. L. Timmons (see Vol.1, p. XXxvII), my contact man, whose automobile I also rented.] (Well, all you have to do is to put this graveyard dirt in your pocket where you put the money.) Put it to work, dat's right.
(That is for luck in gambling.)
Tote wit de dice.
Entry 7766
He tole me one time, he says: Jes' lak yo' knew a person dat died re- cently, it don't make no diff'rence how long he's been [dead]. Dat's providin' if he's a gamblah, a man or a woman. It don't make no diff'rence, if he's a gamblah an' yo' wanted tuh git a "lucky hand" or sompin lak dat tuh be successful in gamblin'. Ah have nevah tried it but he tole me, said he wus successful. Ah noticed he handled plenty of money. Said, jes' lak yo' knew a person dat died, woman or man, an' dey wus a gamblah or pokah playah or sompin of de kind, an' yo' Wanted a little luck. Well, whutevah 'mount of money yo wanted tuh give 'em - yo' have tuh pay 'em firs'. Jes' lak yo'd git up, why it be twelve a'clock at night. Yo' go tuh dis pahtic'lah grave of de person yo' knew, yo' knew tuh be de gamblah, an' git so much dirt - jes' a little pinch lak dat. Jes' dig yo' a hole in dere an' git it, an' 'fore yo' close it back up, put some money in dere. Pay 'em fo' it an' take it an' wrap it up in yore little rag. An' tote it in yore pocket where yo' money at an' dey say yo' be lucky.
Entry 7767
Ah've tried. It give luck, if yo' go tuh de graveyard twelve o'clock in de night an' run yore han' down on dere, right in de centah of dat grave, an' git out some dirt. Put it in yore pock- it. Now, dat is if yo're a gamblah, put it in yore pockit wit chure change an' yo' kin go tuh de skin game an', long as yo' got dat money, yo'll have all kind of luck yo' want. Ah done tried dat.
Entry 8980
Now if yo' go before de iudge, de judge goin' to discharge yo', ac- cording to what kind of case, yo' know, yo'll have. Well, if yo' got people against yo', yo' know, an' yo' don't want to have dem part of de jury. Yo' going before de judge, like if it's a criminal case, yo' know, yo' got to have de jury. Yo' see, dey have [a panel of] 75 jurors [to select jurors from]. Well, yo' don't know what people [will be on the jury]. They don't pick out but twelve. Now, yo' don't know what twelve dey going to pick out. Dat makes yo' gotta use de whole panel. Yo' see, ah [in my work] done use 'em all.[ Well, now, de person - what jurors is against yo'. Yo' go an' get yo' a beef tongue, a fresh beef tongue. Pay odd money fo' it, not even money - 25 or 35 cents or somepin like dat. Let de money be odd money. An' yo' go an' take dat tongue an' yo' get these peoples names what is against yo', what done harm yo', don't yo' see or what yo' done harm. Yo'll take dat tongue, yo'll write de names on a piece of papah, an' yo'll write all dem jurymen's names, de dis- trict attorney.
(The whole 75 of those names?)
Yeah, just put de whole 75. Yo' have to use de 75, because outa dem yo' get twelve.
(I see. All right.)
Now, yo' get de district attorney what is de man to prosecute yo'. Yo'll get his name an' put it on dere, but not de judge in dat part. An' yo'll -git yo' dat tongue. Yo' get yo' nine needles an' nine pins. Yo'll get yo' dese people names an' yo'll put down on dere an' yo'll put dat down in de throat of dat tongue. Yo'll take dat tongue an' yo'll hang it up in de chimney. An' den aftah dat, yo'll take an' git yo' some watah an' yo'll get yo' some peppah. Yo' git yo some coarse snuff an' yo'll burn a - light a candle.
(Coarse snuff?)
Coarse snuff, dat coarse snuff; not dat in a box. An' yo'll light dat candle an' yo'll put it.in dere. Now, yo' want to come clear an' yo' want de judge to be lenient wit yo', so yo' take de judge's name. An' yo'll take de judge ame, den yo'll git yo' a block of ice, 'bout fifty pounds of ice. Yo' put it in a little pail an' yo'll sweeten it. Den yo'll light de candle, but yo'll light it straight up [the candle will be standing upl. An' den yo' see, sweeten de judge. But this othah part what yo' do, yo' take an' yo' put de candle - yo' turn 'em upside down, yo' get dat coarse snuff an' all dat, an' put in dere. Well dat make de district attorney be fightin' against dem. An' de people, what he got fo' witness, goin' to speak against yo'. Anything dey drink, perhaps dey drink whiskey. Some might drink gin or somepin like dat. Well yo'll get dat [liquor] an' yo' put dere name an' set yo' a little glass. An' put dat candle on dat [name and liquor in the glass] an' ah'll guarantee every one of 'em will go to court drunk. An' yo'll come out clear 'cause dey'll be drunk. Dey won't know what they're sayin'. They'll be lying backwards and forwards.
(What'll that ice do?)
Well, yo' see, de ice, dat's to cool, dat's fo' yore part. De ice makes yo' cool. Yo' know ice makes yo' cool. [Usually ice freezes apponent's tongue.] Well, de judge won't be fiery wit yo'. See, he'll be cool an' calm. But on dis othah side, yo' get dat snuff an' yo' put dem names in dere an' yo' get dat beef tongue. Yo' put dem things in dere an' shove dat tongue, all down in de throat, an' just hang dat tongue up an' den yo'll see. Yo'll see an' dey'll be lyin' an' dey'll be drunk. Just what dey drink, yo' set dat candle in dere [in the glass]. An' dey'll be lyin' an' dey won't say a thing against yo'. What color...just what candles you select. Don't try de black candles.
(Anything but black?)
But black candles.
(How many do you burn?)
Yo' burn - see, if dere's five people, yo' put five candles. An' if it's three, yo' put three; just accordin' to how many is against yo', yo' put dem many candles. An' den what they drink, yo' get a little glass, just what fit de candle an' put dat [liquor] in dere, an' ah'll guarantee yo' every one will be drunk.
Entry 9339
Yo' kin take a aig an' yo' kin do dis, if yo' have a husban' or any niggah man dat chew want money outa 'im. [My transcriber, Miss Hayes (her work- ing name, actually a married woman with young school children) put a question mark over the word niggah, being surprised that one black person would call an- other black, niggah. The word niggah probably appears about 3 times in Hoodoo.] Yo' git chew a hen aig. Some says dat, but de' way ah know of it, yo' takes a hen aig if yo' husban' uh [or] man is colahed, an' git chew yo' two switches an' yo' git dis aig. Some say dat chew...but dis de way ah knows. Yo' take dis aig an' yo' care [carry] it tuh de house an' yo' set it up tuh de side of it. Git chew a glass-a watah an' hold de egg ovah de glass wit' watah in de glass. Yo' pop dat egg an' let jis' de white run intuh dat watah an' dat egg [white] will show [di- vine by initial or other form] whoevah been givin' yo' trouble wit dat man. She'll come down [come round] jis' lak she mah friend. Dey'll sprung up, de switches [as soon as informant sees in the egg white the woman causing trouble and pretending to be a friend, the use of the following switches springs up in her mind.] Den yo' go an' take dem switches, two perslmmon switches, an' put 'em in yore baid where he's gotta go tuh baid at. Put yo' one undah de steps where he's comin' in. Put chew one, jis' [lay] it down across lak dat [demonstrates].
(Put it across that door.)
Yes, he comin' right in de do' an' de othah two is in de baid. Well, he'll git in dat bed an' start tuh talk wit chah an' he's goin' step on dere, dat one comin' in de do'. An' when he goes tuh baid, yo' an' 'im will lay down right on dat switch [2 switches] dere. Well, ef he got any money, ah assure yuh, he'll han' yo' evahthin'. He goin' pay yo' what money he got.
(How many of these switches do you git?)
Git two fer de baid an' one fer de do'.
(That is all you have to do and he will give you all his money?)
Yes, sir, an' he'll give it tuh yo', too.
Entry 9483
[Dey kin] bring salt from dere home an' put it intuh your place [house] - salt, cookin' salt, see. An' de same thing dey says dat dey'd [they would] com- pare salt. It gives yuh hard luck as being a means of good luck by puttin' it in de fo' cornahs. [Salt brings bad luck and good luck.]
(What will that do, putting it in the four corners?)
Say dat brings luck. An' yo' names each pile de kinda luck dat you'd lak tuh run in. Fo' instance you'd lak tuh have dis [demonstrates] as de money pile, dis is some othah prosperity, dis is love, an' dis is biggah business.
Entry 9820
Latsa people dey take nine needles, bran'-new needles an' dey git a piece of lodestone an' put 'em in dis way an' dat-a-way [demonstrates].... (Now wait. [I try to repeat informant's demonstration.] Put in this way and that way?) [I am making a cross.] Yes sir, cross [demonstrates].
(Cross them all.)
An' den yo' go tuh a blacksmith shop an' git chew some anvil dust, de steel from de anvil where dey make de iron, an' put it in dere. An' git chew a piece of lodestone an' put ten cents [a silver dime] in it. It's lucky tuh yuh if yo' keep it an' let nobody touch it. Feed it wit whiskey. Yo'll always have silvah money. [Even during my collecting days back in 1938 the preceding anvil dust never saw an anvil; it came from ma- chine-shop filings. Anvil dust and steel dust were the same thing, depending upon age, size, color, etc.] [In the following comment I am not talking for informant's benefit, I am an- notating for the future.] (Now in putting these needles, you put one needle like that, and then you put another needle on there like that - like a cross, sort of like little squares, like tick-tack-toe.) Yes. [Everything is arranged or sprinkled into the form of a cross before the combined materials are put in the bag.]
Entry 9957
Dry a frog and hang it over your door to draw in money. [Memphis, Tenn., my summary of rite from an excellent hoodoo woman (960), whose cylinders were missed by my transcriber, 1548:4.]
Entry 9983
Now, ah have tried a lotta things in gamblin' an' ah made tvo pretty aood success of it [two successful periods in life]. Now, if a man is a gamblah an' he goin' tuh a good game tuhnight, he might go out in de country dis evenin' befo' he go tuh dat game. An' jis' about dahk [dark] - yo' know dese li'l ole toad- Srog dey always come out, yo' know, jumpin' round. An' if yo' git holt of one da toadfrogs, yo'll wrap it up in yuh han'ke'ch'ef good an' put it in yuh pocket. An' all de money yo' wanta bet on in dat game, yo' bet it out dat same pocket yo' got dat frog in, an' nobody couldn't ketch yo' twixt heah an' Tampa [Florida].
Entry 10185
Git three fo' cornered, yo' know... [probably demonstrated].
(Get three four-cornered files.)
An' git about three, an' put 'em in de third [three] ways: one lak that, an' one lak that, an' one lak that right straight. (One at each side of the house, and one in the middle?) [The files are parallel to the front and two sides of the house.l Dat's it. An' den on de back [inside] of yore house, yo' burn dis heah same stuff - candles, dese same three gold [sometimes called yellow] candles.
Entry 10189
Bottle oil of bergamine [bergamot], box cooking soda, teaspoon salt- peter, take bath in that. Break a candle, make a wish, light [same] candle, let candle burn out. Then get brimstone, burn brimstone Monday, Wednes- day and Friday and make wish. Put sugar in it [brimstone], throw into fire. Can make money. [This is a rite for business.]
Entry 10576
We have what you call, as I 'fore told you [told you before], is a silver dime - one silver dime and a bat. You'll find them goes round in the stable and all there. And you take that bat and take the heart out. He have a heart in him. Mostly everything that be found walking - every creater - if it's a creature, it's got a heart. And you take that heart out of there and take that heart there and you put it on top of this dime. Then you take this lodestone and tie it up in there, and after you tie it up, you find what you call this Star [or Stars] perfume [has stars on label] that's what you gotta feed it with. Then you [can] walk into any place, step in in any business you got, everything's going be [O.K.]. But at the same time, those people that you have dealt with, if you gamble with them [you have to be careful].
(That's for luck in gambling? This is for luck in gambling?)
Yassuh.
(I see.)
That's my way.
Entry 10578
Catch live bat, cut out heart, put in pocketbook with money, and you will win.
Entry 10591
A leather-wing bat, now, understan'. Now, if yo' wanta sell a fellah a hot hand fo' gamblin', go an' ketch yo' a leather-wing bat. Git him alive. Sometime dey go in people's house an' dey knock 'em down wit brooms, in de summertime, dey fly in [there being no screens]. Knock 'em down wit a ole broom, or yo' kin go in ole stumps or ole logs where dey roost at an' yo' kin git 'em out dat-a-way. Yo' can't find 'em in daytime. Yo' take de leather-wing bat an' yo' set right down an' take yore kife, a ole lknife or somepin lak dat an' split him right open in de back. Jes' split it right open while he's live, split him right open in de back jes' lak dat, zo'reach up dere in his left side an' git his little heart out. It's a little ean, de biggest one dey is about lak dat [demonstrates]. Git his little beart ota dere 'bout lak dat. An' he ain't even daid. While he 'live git dat heart ou of dere. Jes' take yore finger an' pull dat heart out. Take dat heart an' go on back wit it, don' wash de blood off, not nuthin. An' git chew a red, an' ah mean red, too; a red an' blue piece of ribbon. Jes' as red [informant points] as dat ring round dat big coffee cup. [In Fayetteville, N. Car., I worked in a kitchen-dining room and I still remember it vaguely.] Let it be jes' 'bout dat wide, an' take it an' set it right down an' lay dat heart in dere, an' sew dat heart up in dat ribbon. Have it long enough an' sew it up in dere good an' tight. Take dat bat heart an' yo' wear it on yo' right han' [see later]. Take dat bat heart in dat piece of ribbon, sew it, make it kind of a belt-lak an' carry it up dere round yore wrist yo' understand, above de elbow, up heah, understand. Fit it up dere, sew dat on dere tight so it fit lak a belt, won't slip off, an' wear it on dere. Sleep wit it on dere. As long as dat bat heart stays in dere lak dat, yo' kin do any kinda bettin' dat yo' want done. Yo' kin win money an' gamble wit it, understand, an' yo' kin go out an' steal it. Go out an' do anything lak dat, an' people could shoot at chew, an' nine times to one, dey nevah hit chew. Wit dat bat heart yo' kin dodge bullets yo' kin dodge a shot.
Entry 10603
Well, now heah de othah day a friend of mine wus tellin' me. He axe me did ah know where he could - firs' he axe me could ah lend him fo' dollahs. Ah tole him, no, ah didn't 'zactly have de money. He says, "Well, ah know a fel- lah," said, "he claims he kin gi' [give] yo' a han' fo' gam- blin'." Ah wus on de steamship workin' den, see, an' ah met dis fellah on de street an' he jes' stop me. An' he jes' stop me - yo' know, stop me an' jes' spoke. So he axed me did ah gamble. Told him shure, sometime ah gamble. "Well, " he says, "yo' evah have any luck?" "Shure ah has luck?" sometimes, sometimes ah don't." He says. "Well. vo' wanta have luck all de time?" Ah tole him, "Yeah, ef ah'd like tuh win all de time." He said, "Well, ah tell yo' whut chew do." Says, "Yo' go tuh work an' ketch yo' one dese little bats. Dese little black bats, " yo' know, "an' cut his wings off." Say, "Den - an' don't lose any of his blood - ketch all de blood yo' kin, an' split him open. An' jes' split him open an' take his entrails out, but try tuh keep all de blood dat chew kin." Say, "An' after yo' split him open, let him dry wit de blood in 'im." Say, "An' den fill dat back up with cheese." Fill dat bat, chew know inside of him up wit cheese. "Sew hit up," say, "an' jes' keep it in yore pocket where yo' keep yore money at all de time." Says, "Yo'll have luck all de time."
(In gambling?)
In gambling. So ah thought ah might as well try dat. Ah wus on de steamship fo' foah yeahs.
Entry 10658
Go to a big ants bed an git nine antses an' put 'em in some likker, an' let 'em 'solve [dissolve] in dat likker, an' give it to a man an' he'll stay vid chew an' give yo' all his money.
Entry 10940
If yo' in a house an' de man's hard on yo' wit chure rent, yo' take one dese channel cats.
(A channel catfish?)
Dat's right, an' whilst it's 'live, cut him open. Yo' cut dat channel cat open an' whilst it's hot, yo' take an' bury dat undah de steps where de rentman gotta tuh come ovah, an' yo' kin stay dere jes' as long as yo' wanta. Yo' gotta bury it undah de steps.
Entry 11328
A woman, that she didn't appreciate what choo do for her, and you want her to be in bad luck an' didn't want her to keep any money. An' yo' get you one dollar from her, you burn the dollar to ashes. Blow it out of your hand that way [demonstrates]. And she will never be able to keep anything in the world.
Entry 11329
Git chew three dollars.
(What kind of dollars, silver dollars or paper dollars?)
Paper dollars. An' dress dem wit some salt and some bread, an' wear it fo' three days on yo' left side, an' fo' three days yo' take an' go to three stores an' spend each one of them dollars - a dollar to each store yo' go to. An' dat'll bring yo' luck. (What kind of luck?) Well it bring yo' luck in making - gittin' holda money every day yore life.
Entry 11854
Yo' kin take a girl's hair an' black lodestone an' yo' kin lead her cross [cross what? I interrupt too soon]. (What would you do with that hair?) Totes de lodestone with the hair, with a piece of solid silver money, and she will follow [wherever you go and any time]. She'll git up an' follow if it's one a'clock in de night.
(You mix those together?)
Yessuh. Jis' keep 'em in a bag an' she will follow.
Entry 12233
Dat High John de Conkah root by hitself, yo' kin take dat in de mawn- in' an' yo' kin git up 'fore de sun rise, an' dere's a word dat chew have tuh say befo' de sun rise, an' look to de east. Po' a little of it out of de bottle, de liquid offa de root into yore han' an' rub it cross yore face three times. (What will that do?) Dat's to inherit mo' money. (What words do you say?) Jes' say, "So we live, so we die, ' po' a little bit in yore han' an' rub it cross yore face an' look to where de sun risin' in de mawnin'.
(What kind of liquid do you put in the bottle?)
Yo' kin put gin whiskey on it, or eithah Hearts Cologne - nuthin excusin' dat. Hearts Cologne or eithah pure gin whiskey [gin or white whiskey].
Entry 12346
Make a little scap [scapular] to wear on you to make luck.
(What's a scap?)
You [know] jis' like a piece...you make it an' you put...jis' like you say, "Ah come to you an' ah wants somepin for luck, an' ah want a hand from you." Now you ass me what ah wants to do with this hand, but ah say, "Mah husband is a man that don't give me money." Well, you gon'a tell me how to fix that. [You are going to make a hand for me so that my husband will give me money.] An' ah'm gon'a wear that on me. Dat's to make him bring me his money.
(How Would you fix that?)
You see, you take dat...dat is jis' w'at ah'm tellin' you about. You go to the CRACKERJACK DRUG STORE - right down here. You git choo a he an' a she lode- stone, a pod of garlic - git a red garlic - an' you put dat with a dime [silver one] an' his name. You write his name furce an' your name on top, an' wear that on you an' he'll give it yuh [his money].
Entry 12347
Lodestone is de luckiest thing there is in de world fo' gittin' money. Yo' kin be standin' heah talkin' tuh me an', if yo' got a piece of lodestone in yore pocket about dat big, it will draw any money ah got in mine out. [Did in- formant have a piece of lodestone in his pocket?]
Entry 12457
If he gives you [woman] bill [paper money for sexual services], fold [paper money] to you, then fold it again. Clip off ends of the 4 corners, tie in handkerchief, wear so that you can use it without his knowing it, and he'll always give you something [for love services]. [Here is another one of the unusual folding rites in HOODOO, this one by an excellent professional hoodoo worker in Memphis.]
Entry 12461
Wit silver money dey have good luck. An' show it to de moon, an' he Walk back fo' so many - 'bout nine steps backwards; an' then yo' turn roun' an' hit those steps wit dat money, an' say de moon give yo' good luck. [This is a tricky rite to perform in moonlight. I suggest it could be come as follows: facing moon and holding silver coin in right hand, if you are right-handed, step backward with right foot, kneel down, touch track made with coin. Now step back with left foot, kneel down, touching this track with coin. Continue for the 9 steps and tracks.]
Entry 12512
Take a red onion an' bo' a hole in it. An' take an' write de name of somebody dat chew like dat way, on a piece of papah, an' stick it in dat onion an' put it up ovah de do'. Dat's tuh make dat person do lak yo' want 'em tuh do; make 'em come home, stay home an' yo- kin git dere money.
Entry 12534
Yo' take a red onion fo' yo' luck, dey say. Yo' tie it up in somepin tight - sompin lak dis heah [informant has handkerchief or something]. All right, yo' put a cord or sompin around it an' wear it round heah [see later], but if yo' scared dat somebody see it round heah, wear it round heah.
(Wear it either around their neck or around their waist?)
Yo' supposed tuh hold money in dat [red onion package].
Entry 12539
Yo' take de red onion - dat's lucky fo' yore house - yo' take de red onion. It's lak if yo' got a friend, yo' kin rule him by usin' dat red onion. Yo' take dat red onion an' cut it in fo' parts an' git chew a little cup an' put dat in wit sulphur, brimstone an put dat in de corner of yore house - yo' know, where people don't have to be Worryin' roun' dere no way but chewself. An' his name write on a piece of papah understan' dat. An' dat will keep him, make him be nuthin but lovin' to yo', an' den dat will make him bring his money to yo'.
Entry 12657
Jes' lak if yo' knew of a person an' he down. Yo' go to his place an' if he isn't there or if he ain't there, yo' take that perfume with yo' an' 'nint [anoint] chureself lak dis [demonstrates] dress yo'self jes' lak that [demonstrates]. (Down your face and down on your body.) That's right, down on yore face and do it lak that, an' do it three times. An' then yo' wait fo him an' whatsoever he got yo' will win it.
Entry 12986
Yo' could take a dime an' git a leaf dat nevah was scorched[? some- thing meaning undamaged] yo' know, dat de frost don't kill. Any kinda leaf de frost don't kill. An' put dis dime on dat leaf an' hold it on dere, an' yo' kin keep dat dime near dat leaf an' yo' have de best kind of luck. Put chew in real good luck. An' yo' keep it 'long as yo' keep dat dime.
(You just keep the dime, you don't keep the leaf?)
No, yo' don't have tuh keep de leaf, jes' keep de dime. Keep de dime. When yo' first git it, put it on de leaf an' hold it on de leaf. Den yo' keep dat dime den. Den yo' have good luck. Keep it in yore pocket - don't lose it - keep it in yore pocket.
Entry 12994
If yo' want him tuh give yo' his money, all his money, sometime ask him fo' money. If he happen tuh han' yo' a silver dime, don't chew spend dat silver dime. Yo' take dat silver dime an' wrap it up in a piece of - it ain't cotton flannel either. It's woolen stuff. Yo' put chew two needles in dat, a short one an' a long one, an' yo' make a wish fo' tuh rule him an' fo' tuh have him bring yo' dat money. An' yo' git chew some oil from de drug sto'.
(What kind of oil?)
Oil of annis. An' keep it [wrapped up hard] anointed wit it an' put it in de bottom of yore trunk, an' he'll bring his money tuh yo'. Dat's whut ah kmoc 'bout dat. Dat's whut ah have experienced.
Entry 12995
Take a silver dime. Yo' [a woman] git a silver dime from him an' yo' take dat silver dime an' yo' put it in a glass an' put two teaspoonfuls of sugah on dat dime an' set it back in a corner. If he makes any money he'll bring it. He'll bring it to yo'.
Entry 13143
Yo' kin take his sock to make 'im love you an' yo' stockin' an' put it [them] together. Understand? An' puts some sugah with it. An' take it out an' bury it on the side of your house, an' go out there every mawnin' an' pour your chamber lye there. Don't you under- stand? See, on that. An' you take the sock an' your stocking an' roll it together, see. Now put a red onion with it, a dime - that's to make 'im give her money - roll it together. Sew it to you an' make your wish - that's her, you see - sew it up in your mattress. That man'll give you money, give 'er roney as long as he's there.
Entry 13280
Ah went in de woods in de spring of de year - it been about three years ago now. If yo' know a swallah [swallow] bird - do yo' know a swallah bird? Well, yo' kin take one of de eggs outa dere nest an' bring it home anl boil it. An' den put it back in dat nest. Well, when dat bird come back, she know dat egg ain't jes' lak she left it. Well, she goes somewhere in de woods an' get a root an' bring it dere an' put it in dat nest. Dat suppose to make dat egg right. An' yo' kin git dat an' jes' keep it in yore pocket an' yo' more den apt to keep a dollah all de time, 'long as yo' keep it.
(You'll get the root out of the nest then?)
Yes sir. She puts de root in de nest. (Then you go and take the root out of the nest. Did you try that? Did it work?) Yes sir, it worked. Fact ah kept money, ah reckon it musta been somepin'.
Entry 13282
Well, yo' kin take a swallow's aig. Go to a swallow's nest. Yo' know in dat swallow's nest yo'll find a little stone. They always have a little stone in dere nest. An' yo' kin take dat stone - dere always be a stone in a swallow's nest - an' yo' kin go to a swallow's nest an' take out one dose aigs an' keep it out. Say a day or two days - long as yo' wanta an' return it back there. An' when yo' return it back dere, yo' git dat stone an' yo' tote that stone with yo', an' dat 'cumulate all kinda money. Dat's good fo' money matters.
Entry 427
(The Rev. Young is going to tell his story again about his experience in New Orleans.) [The preceding words are not for Mr. Young who heard them, but for the concealed microphone - a notation to remind me later that his story the preceding day had not been well recorded. My previous knowledge of his adventure is the reason why I can prompt the rerecording.] This man was named Scott - that lived at Moundville, Alabama - an' he came to New Orleans and was stopping at de Chicago Hotel, run by a man by the name of A. O. Smith on de corner of [name began with P] and Liberty Streets. He come to New Orleans to see one of these wizards as they call them [never so called], or either fortune-tellers or hoodoos, and he was talking to the proprietor, Mr. Smith, relative to having someone who knew New Orleans who would take him around. He [Smith] told him he knew a young man who was in school at Leland University, and that he would possibly be there and that he was just the man he was looking for. So, while they were talking, I happened up that afternoon. I simply happened up and Mr. Smith says, "Here's the very man we Was talking about" - introduced me to him and said, "This is Mr. Scott from Moundville and he wants to go with someone who knows New Orleans, to go about with him." Well, first thing he explained the nature of his business to me, and said whatever ah charged him for mah time, he would give it to me. He was looking for a man that Would help him to find some money that was supposed to be buried on his premises, on his property. The first thing he wanted to do was to find him some of those barrooms where he could find him some gin, and he claimed that gin was lucky to him, and after clearing about a quart of this gin - drinking it - why we went round sight-seeing in New Orleans and visited a deal of places up until about possibly ten-thirty or 'leven 'clock that night. Then we went out, way out Bienville - near Galvers Street - way out - seventy-five blocks away, possibly - way out in New Orleans, Way out to Bienville Street - dat's about two blocks from Canal Street, parallel to Canal Street. We got out there, ah suppose about ten-thirty or 'leven 'clock and knocked on a door and dey - mostly all downtown houses in New Orleans have dese blinds and shutters, and de people is very superstitious - it's a very hard matter to find anybody round New Orleans. If you knock on a person's door and dey'll ask you who you looking for and sometimes you's talking to dis party, and dey won't answer you. And if dey are somewhere else in de house dey'll call 'em and perhaps yo' gone, and if you wanta see dat person perhaps they'll call you back. So [before] we went in and - his wife said, "Oh, sure it's you, Percy?" Ah said, "Yes." She said, "Come on in." Ah said, "Ah got company, someone to see Professor Frank." She say, "Why he's in bed asleep." Ah said, "Well, this is rather important and I would be glad should you call him." She say, "All right." So she went and called Professor Frank and he came out dressed in a very gorgeous robe, seem'ly made of red velvet and large arms - had a cap on same as that which a priest wears, and had dis man to come and kneel. [Since I did not ask for a description of this cap "same as that which a priest wears," I evidently assumed that it would be a biretta rather than a zucchetto and that the color would be black; this article and color being more accessible to him at a Roman Catholic religious shop. But I had not yet visited New Orleans and had much to learn - the cap was probably red.] De room was lighted with two large candles on either side of the mantlepiece - red candles - de carpet on de floor was red, and then they had a large altar over in de corner. It seem to set the room off katycornered, and there was a stool [prie-dieu] by which a man could kneel down upon as the people do in some of the churches to pray. This man knelt down on this stool and he told him to put his right hand on his heart and his left hand on a book which was supposed to be the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses of witchcraft and superstition. Then he mumbled some words, turned his back to dis man and looked up as in meditation and mumbled something and turned and told him dat he would seek what he was lookin' fo'. This altar I didn't describe it as I had yesterday - the robe [frontal] on de altar was of deep, dark red velvet with fringe all round and worked wit gold and various colors of stars, and de moon. It had a large gold and silver horseshoe mingled with seem'ly various colors - ivory.
(You spoke of that awning [his word] being held up, yesterday.)
Yes, this awning [canopy] over the altar was caught up right in de center in front, seem'ly by dis horseshoe and den draped down to a point on either side and went almost round de - in fact, it covered de altar. This altar Was made very similar to that of a pulpit - suppose it was about two and a half or three feet and about eighteen inches wide - something like dat - and he stood with dis heavy robe on him - this large robe girded round him in fringes on de end.
(It was the kind of a robe that a priest throws around him?)
Yes sir. And he had the bottom of his hand up this way - his right hand - he was seated in front of a table. Now dis table was something similar to a living- room or a parlor room mahogany table, seem'ly about four feet possibly and about eighteen inches in width, very heavy carved, de legs - I didn't say dat yesterday but it was large ole antique furniture. On this table was a large red covering with fringes that went up and down in the center. It didn't exactly cover the table. On this table was a large reading lamp with a shade seem'ly probably of gold, and he went behind dis table and sit down in large reclining revolving chair. But before he sat down in this chair - no, after he sat down in de chair, he pulled out a drawer in dis table and got out a kind of pipe - seem'ly it was gold - had a little crooked pipe stem to it [surely a calabash - my first pipe] - got some what we call moss tobacco or cut-plug - something similar to cut-plug tobacco and filled his pipe with tobacco continuously looking at this man, who sat dere and seem'ly half out of his wits and trembling - looked upon dis man as some supernatural being or some man dat was extraordinary - out of the ordinary person. He continuously looked at him searchingly, and dis man would look up at him guardedly. After he had filled his pipe with tobacco, still looking at dis man, he got out a - out from underneath his robe - the robe was lined with heavy satin - ah don't think I said that yesterday - he pulled out dis gold match- lighter and some way pushed a spring and out come a blue flame which seem'ly had something else in it - resembled that of lightning - still continuously looking at dis man. After lighting his pipe, put this cigarette lighter out and stuck it back in his pocket. He sat down and looked at this man and told him what he came there for. First he told him that his mother was dead and that he lived with his father; that he Was in a business and that he was very successful in this business, and he had a large amount of money and had come to New Orleans looking for him and that he Would find there was heap much money on this property of his buried. Seem'ly it was probably buried there by the Indians who seem'ly had formerly owned - lived in that settlement before it was thickly inhabited or populated.
(Then he sent you away for the night, didn't he?)
Yes sir. He had us to leave with the understanding that at ten 'clock de next morning he would come back and not say a word to anybody and bring $75 with him, which dis man did. We meets at de hotel and de next morning ah brought him back, since he didn't know New Orleans, and we came back - made it our business to be there exactly at ten 'clock. Came there and then he took him in his back yard. They had a rod that resembles a lightning rod, something like a lightning rod.
(What was the shape of this rod?)
Hit was round and at the ends it went down in an inner case and was made so it went down in an inner case and was made so it would go up and down at a certain length, a certain depth.
(Yesterday you said it was like a drill.)
Yes sir - it was like a drill in one end and it was curved like curved wire - like a curved lightning [rod] wire.
(How long was it?)
Oh it was possibly - probably six feet near as ah kin judge. And he went in his back yard and had some wires attached to it [the drill] - he apparently had these wires [also attached] on de wall of his house [in] back- yard, but it seems he attached them to some other wires connected with, possibly the electric wires, and place this machine out in de middle of de yard. Had it to drill itself - worked it a certain way that it worked itself down in de yard, and stood off from it, waved his hand like magic and said some peculiar words three different times, and then flames of fire like lightning flamed up at the top of [this] rod - flamed up three different times at de top of this rod. Well, the man as well as mahself, we stood there amazed because it was - well, now you understand it. We, when we went out of his house - dere was a little alley between his house and the next house - the houses in New Orleans are built very closely together - went out in the street and right in front of his home was a gutter that jes' carries off the Water, a ditch, very seldom cleaned out and there was Water in it, stopped up - stagnant water dere most all de time. Stuck dis rod down in de Water, but he never left the rod off the wire as he went through the yard - that wire was coils you know.
(He kept on to this wire - the wire was still attached to the house?)
Yes sir - still attached to the house and he uncoiled it. as he went on through the alley and sent this same rod - it was made to go down in de ditch of water, and said those same words he said in the back yard and waved his hand over this wire and then the flames came up seem'ly out of the.water through this wire. Jes' how it was [done I] don't know [!ii]. But after that he said to this man that regardless of where dis money was buried, if it was an old well, if it was in Water anywhere, or it was on dry land, dis machine would be sure to find it. And this man gave him the $75. He gave him that when he first went in the house the second day. And he was to go to this man's home at Moundville, Alabama - this side of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, up on de Alabama Great Southern Railroad between Meedan [?] [Meridian, Mississippi] and Tuscaloosa [Alabama]. And sometime that afternoon they left all of a sudden for Moundville where he was supposed to go to find dis money.
(This man went with him?)
Yes sir, this man went with him. [As the reader has already suspected, when the professor "waved his hand like magic his wife inside the house pulled the switch!] (You were telling me yesterday about this candle-burning: You said it is very prevalent along the Gulf here and New Orleans to burn candles.)
[This was several weeks before I reached New Orleans on my first trip.]
Yes sir. (What was your idea about why they burn candles in other parts of the country; you told me that yesterday.) Well, because de religious idea seem'ly is borrowed from de Catholics who burn candles in their religious ceremonies. A deal of dese people are persuaded, some of them are Catholic persuasion and some of them belong to the Catholic Church. Those who do not belong to the Catholic Church, as the Catholics to some extent predominate along the coast and in New Orleans, through Mexico, down through Central American - these peoples ideas are molded by their religious worship. These superstitious get the idea that they use these candles - they use highly perfumed candles. (You were telling me about the perfume they use over there in New Orleans - what was that?) Van-van they name it. The name is van-van - it's a highly perfumed powder jest a little above the odor of oil of peppermint - oil of cinnamon. It has a Wonderful pleasing effect on people who smell it. The people around New Orleans, white and black, around certain districts use that in scrubbing their doorsteps and houses, and even pouring this van-van which is very expensive oil - perfumed oil in the water with which they scrub their floors and even sweept off the brick pavement around their doors. They claim that it brings good luck. Racehorse men and racehorse women who play lots on racehorses are known to use this perfume greatly on their clothes. It's a very frequent thing to meet people with their clothes highly perfumed with this van-van odor. (You were telling about the women in the fast houses; do they use that in some way?) Yes sir - very much so. How do they use that? They use it perfumed in their bath water - they use it also in having their maids to scrub their houses. It's also used in these candles. Some of these candles that they burn, they are very expensive and they are perfumed. They burn that candle and practically shut that room up practically all day. Well, everything in dat house is perfumed with dat incense or whatever they call it.
(What do they do that for?)
That brings luck - that makes dem very successful or lucky, and nine times out of ten luck comes their way.
[After my informant left, I comment to the microphone.]
(This is the Rev. Mr. Young telling some of the things he told me yesterday - I just wanted to make sure I got them down.)
supposed buried-money premise in a rerecorded treasure-search account. The story was rerecorded with prompts based on a poorly recorded prior telling; no verbatim-audio fidelity. narrator-described apparent flames in a wired demonstration. Preserve the rerecording and separate Hyatt wife/switch explanation; the editorial mechanism is not an independently witnessed fact. reported repeated unknown words during a criticized demonstration. Preserve staged/criticized context, narrator uncertainty, wires and Hyatt separate switch explanation. These are attributed source occurrences; outcomes remain unverified.
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Entry 219
A man was tramping and gotten hungry and he stopped by a house, and the woman gave him a pint of meal and told him there was a old cabin further down the road and he could stop there that night, and she said he could build himself a fire and cook this meal. The fire was getting hot - they.made ash cakes in those days. While the fire was getting hot something spoke up the chimley, 'Look out, I'm gon'a fall." Down fell a leg. He picked that up and threw it back behind him. After awhile it cried again, "Look out, I'm gon'a fall." He said, "Fall." He took that leg and threw it behind him. Presently it cried again, "Look out, I'm gon'a fall." He took that arm and threw it back behind him. Presently it said, "Look out, I'm gon'a fall." The other arm fell. He threw that behind him. Then it kin'a cried, "Look out, look out, I'm gon'a fall." The body dropped down. He threw that behind him. He done gone back together. He grabbed this poker and started after him and he run out ran around to the corner of the chimley and went down into a hole. And he dug and came to a pile of money.
Entry 280
Dey tell me yo' kin take a black cat an' put him in a pot 'live, see, an' boil him. Now, when all de flesh boil offa him, yo' takes him to a branch. See, take dose bones to a branch. De lucky bone hit comes to de top; it doesn't leave - it circle right round. Yo' gits that yo' see an' after that then yo' comes back to de fork of the road fo' fo' nights, an' those fo' nights yo' sees one of fo' diff'rent men - fo' [for] each night yo' come, a man tuh each night. See. An' he will give yo' somepin, speak to yo' plainly an' tell yo' whut that are, to keep yore enemies away from yo' - to keep anybody from doin' yo' any harm or whatevah.
(Four different men - what do you do with that black cat bone then?)
Well, on dat black cat bone yo' kin git money, go to stores an' things - nobody can't see yo' when yo' goin'. Ah've seen dat.
Entry 290
They tell me the most lucky thing a person can get to guide him for one's life or luck or love is to take the bones from the carcass of a black cat. Now, the way to find this bone is simply to get a solid black cat, a cat that hasn't a particle of white about it, not even a strand of white hair. Take a boiling pot of water and put the cat in alive until all the flesh is boiled off the bones. Then take the bones and carry them in front of a mirror and look in that mirror, and put a bone in your mouth until it comes that you are invisible in the mirror, then you put that bone aside. Then you put all the bones back and start to putting them in your mouth again until you can see yourself again reflected in the mirror. Then take those two bones and carry them to a stream of running Water, and throw them over your left shoulder and run down the stream and catch them. Just where you catch them you take them and mark them, and carry them to a clear pool of deep water. And when you see yourself reflected in the Water, you put the bone in your mouth until you can't see yourself. Put that bone in one pocket - either pocket. And put the other bone in your mouth, and when you come back visible again, you have the two lucky bones. And you can do anything you want with them. You can walk right into a bank and they can't see you and you can take the money out. I know a boy that tried that at home and they put him in jail. I don't think he waited long enough until he found the bones.
Entry 378
This man was a very rich white man, jest about - oh, [my grandfather heard this] sometime when he was growing [up] - mah grandfather he did this [treasure hunted], too. That [hunting] was when he was about twenty some years old - [he] didn't go [back] to slavery too, yo' know [grandfather born after slavery]. All right, [grandfather] said dat dis man was very rich, and he was old an' he didn't need the money. He was old and he had an idea he would die soon. So he took dis chest of money out - way out in dis big - had a big plantation. An he took a Negro man out dere wit him - one of his best strongest Negroes he had on his place. Mah grandpa tole me about it. It took five or six boys to lift dis big heavy chest out de wagon - two wheeled wagon an' set it on de ground. All right, now. He say he wrote his sons three names - only three boys he had living, on a piece of paper an' put it in dis trunk; wrote de boys names on a piece of paper, all three names yo' know, an' put it in dis trunk. All right, den dey say, after he got de trunk set on de ground, he tole de other boys to go on away, "Go on back, Boys, or go on down a piece an' take de wagon" - go on back up dere an' being doing something to keep from being around. All right, it was sitting on de ground by a oak tree. All right now, he asked dis Negro boy, say, "Yo' promise yo'll take care of dis money fo' my boys, heah." De Negro said, "Yes sir, sure do - dat a good-weather job." He say, "Now, lookit heah, ah want chew to take care of de money for me." "Yes sir." So de man had, dey say, had a pistol in his pocket. So he showed John some- thing to 'tract his 'tention, jes' lak, "Say, John, whut's dat ovah yonder?" An' quite natch'ly when he looked to see, when John looked to see, why he pulled his pistol out an' shot him - see, shot him down over his money. An' dey say anybody in de world wanta go dere besides dose family boys, git near dere, someone start throwin' de trees on yo' - or somepin will happen to yo'. Git near dere an' yo'd hear some ringin' like bells or see somepin comin dere; see a snake or somepin that will frighten yo' away. Well, yo' see de other boys - co'se it is dere money an' dey kin go right dere an' git a dollar or two whatever dey want; lift de lid an' jest put it down an' go about' dere business. Nobody kin go dere 'cause dis Negro is there an' he kill dem.
(Because the names are there?)
Dat's right 'cause dose names are dere an' dis other fellah dat fell ovah dis money guards dis money - killed him at dis money - 'he tole me to take care of it." Anybody go dere that ain't one of them, fall a tree on 'em, or de wind will. start to blowing, or somepin will happen to make yo' frighten away from de money.
Entry 381
I went out with some people - a white man and two colored fellows and myself. We went to a place by the name of Port Allen. That used to be a [Civil] War place. Lot of Yankees was running away from there with money - supposed to be buried there - which they had found money in different states. Well, we hadn't, didn't find that so far. We got near to it but we didn't git it. So we had a shovel and we had a money rod and also we had a radio. See. And test where the money at. So the closer we'd get to the money, the more the bell would ring - that arrow would go around just like a radio. So, we dug there and so we got down to a pot and one fellow, doing time before [in the penitentiary] Was in there. He got his for murder, and if you suppose to do any kind of murder or anything, you can't get it. So, it was twelve o'clock that night, so we could not get it. So we came back the next night and after we came back the next night we dug. We left that fellow - we found out that fellow had been in trouble, so We left him and picks up another fellow. So we had a preacher with us and so he said a prayer. So we dug again until we got down to the money but there was so many different things come in front of us we couldn't stand to see. First thing came, a horse with no head on it - a horse with a lot of fire coming out; a man with no head, and a lot of bells and noise. Well, we left it - we never did get it - a great big hole. We couldn't get the money. I could get that close and could almost reach to it down there - it was about four feet down.
Entry 384
I know that when I was three years of age, we lived in the country. There was a big cherry tree out in front of my house. Every day about three o'clock in the afternoon I would see a man clad in a suit of armor, a helmet on his head, running out break-neck speed around this cherry tree. After he would run around the tree a few times he would run down the lane and disappear. I would call my mother and sister and try to show them this man, but they would tell me that they saw nothing and would wonder why it was that I would say I saw something. One day when I was trying to show them this, my grandmother came to my rescue and said there was money buried there under that cherry tree, that a man who had been a soldier in the Civil War had buried it there, and there was no doubt that it was that man's spirit who would appear to me every day, because maybe he wanted me to have this money. Later, my mother never consented to allow me to dig at this tree. My grandmother also tried to explain that the reason I could see and the others couldn't was maybe due to the fact that I was too young to be afraid of what I saw.
Entry 388
Well, in finding buried money, usually when yo' move in a house if there's some money buried there, see, it be's something always there. If yo' don't say anything, or ask it - say, "Do yo' want anything in the Name of the Lord?" Then, when yo' go to sleep, a dream will come to yo' where that money is. Then, yo' git up the next morning an' yo' dig. But chew can't say anything to anybody while yo' digging. Can't talk, if yo' see anyone coming - why yo' jest have to stop diggin', 'cause if yo' say one word why yo' can't git it.
Entry 389
I have heard that in digging money you carry some instrument and when you stick it down into the earth this money has a tendency to draw it and one will know that he has struck money. In the meantime something comes to one in the night and tells them about where the money is buried. They are supposed to be the one who buried the money. His ghost comes and tells you. This is made of iron something like a spear. And when you are digging this money, all the time something is around you - a ghost or something, although you may not see it you hear a lot of queer noises. Sometimes people when they want to avoid this noise or this ghost they say, "What in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost do you want?" And this ghost will disappear. And in the meantime I have heard, you will see ghosts all away around you. You say, "What in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost do you want?" They say that money is buried somewhere and they disappear. You go get this money and you will never see them any more. At my home there used to be a lot of people digging money. They used to have a lot of trouble digging it. They go there three or four times and they say they would get it. Every time they go to dig money they have big bad storms - windstorms, trees would blow over. You go out on a clear night and a storm would come up. You're not supposed to say anything. [Title Three Highest Names is informant's term, FACI,2ed.,1965, pp.746,787 etc.] [Place and informant number lost; by Ed.]
Entry 394
When they go to diggin' they say there's always something in the hole, a snake or a scorpion or something in there to try to scare them away; but if you keep on diggin' they'll go away and leave you be and you can continue to get the money.
Entry 395
(Who was this man?)
He wus a Powhatan - a mulatto, yo' know.
(That's down here near the water, isn't it?)
Dat's down heah cross de town.
(You say a Powhatan is a mulatto?)
[Momentarily, I do not understand him. A mulatto by dictionary definition is half Negro and half White. My informant calls this man - part Negro and part Powhatan (American Indian) - a mulatto.] Is a mulatto man. Someone killed him an' dey killed this man an' dey buried dis man an' at de head of his grave they buried $300 an' his cousin when he came from up in de country - he had found out about de money. He wus told dat de money wus buried there, which it wus. It wus said then that this man went there to dig up this man - dig up this grave an' git this money. He thought the money wus his'n. An' whatevah partic'lar time he goes there, an' when he got near to it, de place where de money wus buried - it wus silver money - dere jes' come a whirlwind or a storm an' about a dozen dogs, an' the wind blew an' he had tuh run away from dere immediately, with de hole open an' de money wus dere visible.
(He couldn't stand it?)
He couldn't stand it. De evil spirit or whut it wus, it wanted tuh git this money - he had to run off an' leave it.
Entry 396
They came by the house - I was working on a pile driver - they wanted me to go with them and I decided I would go with them. They put me on guard duty when I got out where the hole was. About a half hour more or less somebody came by there and hollered to them. We thought it was the owner of the property - I did, and another man came and he heard it. They were down in the hole digging, about seven or eight feet down in the hole. It must of been the spirit of the people that owned the money.
Entry 401
[The informant's father, a clergyman, frequently attempted to locate hidden treasure at the request of both colored and white people. The fact that he had been born with a veil (caul) assisted him in this work. He employed the following method:] He used a switch. I think it was a willow switch. It was two branches out from the tree with an end on them like a wishbone." He put some kind of silver thing [holder] around that part [the jointure of the fork]. Then he put a hole in the top of it so money could fit in it, about the size of a quarter. It had to be silver money. You take each handle in your hand and you just hold that steady and follow it where it leads, because it will lead anywhere money is - not paper money, silver and gold. You walk and when you get to the money, it
[the fork] will turn down [see No.400].
Entry 407
Ah've seen one - it's a little article that hangs on a cord that - the cord is made of 'lectric [wire] - it's got 'lectrified [needs electric power] - but chew hand dat cord an' dat ball dat hangs - it a seven-pound ball an' it hangs on it - well it's got a little iron stick - kind sticks jest dat way an' he hang that there. See, if dat money's anywhere roun' there, it got fo' prongs; 'two drops an' two still stays, but de two drops. Wal now, yo' jest put thar an' give it a turn, jest turn it jest de least bit dat-a-way an' yo' talks to it. An' wheresomever -
(What do they say to it for example?)
Well, dey says, "Spirit" - jest lak whosomever dey name that buried dat money, dey call de first letter of yore name. You say, "Point me to dis money." An' dat thing will jest wave an' wave till it git dere, an' when it settle hitself, those two down prongs, if that money is that direction out, they gon'a give they- self jest lak dat, if it close near. An' if it's way out, dey both gon'a stand off jest lak de two whut do stand straight up. An' if it's right dere, dey both gon'a come jest like dat, an' den dey gets up to set it until dey git right over it. [Whatever the contraption, it works on the Jack or dowser principle.]
(When you get over this money what do you do then?)
When yo' find it, yo' dig dat money. Yo' don' talk, don' say anything, an' if yo' git to it an' happen to strike it - dere was a fellah dat found some money, him an' two fellahs together, an' when he reached down he said, "Oh! ah got it, ' jest lak dat, and dey said dat jest lak to jerk him in two an' dey heard it [the money] fall right dere. Yo' can't git it. If yo' don' speak, don' say nuthin', den yo' kin git it.
(Where do people bury this money? Do they bury it in any sort of way?)
Bury it in pots - have to bury it in pots. If they bury it in anything else, it will sink. But dey buries it in a iron pot.
(Are there any spirits around money of that kind?)
Oh, yes, if a person buried money, that people will stay right there. Yo' kin go there, if yo' got nerve enough to stick - dere'll be a spirit come to yo' an' yo' ask it lak dis, "Well, what in the Lord, whut do yo' want - what in de Name of de Lord do yo' want?" He'll say, "Yo' go look such-an'-such a place an' git dat money, ' an' if he's got a wife or children, 'an' give it to mah children or give it to mah wife," or whosomever he wants. Well, he disappear. Well, if yo' go an' git dat money, that spirit won't be worried there no more. But if yo' don't go git it, he'll be at chew again, say, "Yo' didn't do whut ah ask yo'," an' he worry yo lak dat till dat money is moved. Then after dat money is moved, dere is no more worry from him.
Entry 409
De tree - it carries a po'tion of lodestone.
(What tree does?)
Git de tree out de cemetery - carries a reasonable po'tion of lodestone or somepin similar tuh 'lectricity - dat have a tendency tuh draw to silver.
(They use that for what?)
Fo' sech as huntin' money.
(What do they do - just take a stick or what?)
Jes' take a stick - see, it magnetism dat draws an' guides yo'.
(You say there is lodestone in that wood?)
Yes.
Entry 410
Lodestone is only for attractin' money, finding money, or something like dat - gettin' de location of treasure with dat if someone happen to be buryin' a treasure, died and left it.
Entry 418
Anybody that finds money has a hard time. If you talk one word, it will go away. They have an iron rod. When they get over the place where the money is and they dig and get down, they stick it down through the earth. And you can hear the rod when it touches the pot. They hold the rod on [the pot] and they go to digging around. If they are successful, they will get it; but if not, this money will start going right on, if it's not for you. You can hear it going through the earth. You know a ground mole in the earth? It makes a road just like that. Then it comes back to that same spot after you leave. You can go and do the same thing to it.
Entry 421
Dese olden-time people - yo' know, yo'have heard tell how dat is. Dey say if dey come to yo' an' tell yo' where dat money is, yo' kin go dere an' git dat money, but yo' has to be by yoreself. [To be by yourself is rare in treasure hunting.] An' when yo' start digging dat money yo' couldn't say nuthin' - it'll be all kinda things comin' fo' tuh run yo' away. But yo' jest be diggin' dat money, jest don't pay 'em any mind - jest don't say nuthin'. If yo' say anything dat money will jest keep goin' deeper an' deeper an' pretty soon it apt to git away from yo'. But yo' jest got'a go an' dig it by yoreself, dig dat money up by yoreself. An' den, after yo' git through diggin', den yo' kin git someone den to help yo' bring it home.
Entry 422
Ah thought ah could tell a story of once ah went to - it wus about some money. It wus one night mahself an' mah fren' an' another lady an' her fren' we went to a place to dig some money an' de older couple dey give up dere nerve, an' mahself an' de othah boy we's de younger couple. So we's supposed tuh hold out, but den ah heard such a lamentation, so ah got frightened an' so ah screamed an' so ah begin tuh run, so dis boy he begin tuh run with me. An' dere wus a awful noise, but dey still got'a stick an' git de money.
(You said she couldn't get the money because of what?)
She looked roun' every time she hears dis - looked roun' at dis lamentation - dis draggin' an' dis noise of dis chains. She said it sounded lak a chain and it be right close to her an' she would look roun' tuh see wus it on her. An' co'se de man dat wus doin' de diggin' he claim he nevah did see it, but she would see it. It wus her father an' her stepmother dat died an' left her dis money buried under de tree. We heard about it an' we went tuh diggin'.
(So she never got it because she looked away from the money?)
Yes - she looked aroun' lak dat - she didn't nevah keep her eyes on it.
Entry 423
When I was a child I hear'n of the old folks say they knew where there was some hidden money and they come to the conclusion that they would go and look for it. They wasn't positive sure it was there. And they appointed a night that they would go and try and see if something would happen. The leader was a woman. And when they got there they stop and draw a large circle on the ground. They drew that circle right around the money, where they had ideas to believe that it was there. And they was to come inside of that circle. And there must not be any conversation here at all inside of that circle. So she [the leader] said, "Lets try it." And so they got inside of that circle, and she took her stand about here, [demonstrates], and she was reading a lesson from the Bible. After that was over they had to go to work. She put her spur [spear] down into the ground, a rod, a money rod, right in the center of the circle. And there was something else they did but I can't think of that. But anyhow, this rod, after it got to a place so deep, it looked like somebody dancing - it just shivered. Then they start to dig and they got down to the money jar. They were.about to put it on top of the ground, and just as they reached down to get a hold of the jar, the woman said, "Up, up." Boom! it went back into the earth and disappear. So they didn't get it. But they say a fellow came back a couple of nights after that and got it. That happen sixty-four years ago [1872] down here near Snowhill [Marylandl. [Ocean Citv. Md., (16), Ed.
Entry 424
After I married Mr. Banks, there was a big crowd went out one night to hunt money and they were getting to the box. They had a woman reading the Bible. They always say to read the Bible to keep down the spirits. They had one man that was digging in there, he had one leg, and he had on a red shirt. And they say everything came in the shape of dogs, hogs, and everything. The last thing came was like what they call a red devil. He had to tail to him, long ears, and a spear in his hand, and spoke. And he said he wanted the man with the red shirt on. It so scared them all they all run away. And they left this poor man in the hole by his own self and he had a hard time getting out because he only had one leg: That ain't no lie. They went digging in there and all got scared and left. A lot of the men are dead and a lot living today. They never got the money. I don't know how they located it. They seen the box all right when these things came. There's certain Scriptures you read for spirits, they say. I don't think this woman could of been reading the right one or the spirits wouldn't have come so fast and scared them.
Entry 738
Now when a woman wants her husband to bring her his money, she takes some kin'a root dey call de king root, an' she takes dat root and she wears it round her waist on a band - see, make a band an' wear it round her waist. Well, yo' kin see dat fellah won't even break his envelope - when he git de envelope he come right dere and give her his money. She say dat's love.
Entry 740
Ah tell yo' whut ah done about dat. Ah done dis heah in '37. It wus a man in Northcross[?]. Ah went to him - someone tole me yo' know. Well, ah wus wanting a job. Ah heard dat he could do anything he wanta do - jes' lak ah wanta go up to yo' an' say, '"Captain, len' me fifty dollahs." Dis man say dat he could do dat, yo' understand. Well, ah went on ovah dere. When ah got to dis man, ah went down to de - wusn't make much, jes' makin' 'bout three or fo' dollahs. Ah paid him a dollah or two dollahs till ah git him paid, yo' see. He say, "Now, yo' give me seven dollahs an' yo' kin do anythin' in de world yo' want.' Ah went ahead on tuh work an' got dis money an' give it to dis fellah. Ah give him seven dollah an' a quarter - he wanted seven dollah and a half, but ah give him dis seven dollahs. He give me a han'ful of devil's-shoestring - whut people call devil's-shoestring an' tie it up. He tole me, he says, "When yo' git ready to do anything yo' wanta do, or borrow some money from somebody, or ask someone fo' a job," he said, "yo' take an' take a piece of devil's-shoestring an' put it underneath yore mouth an' chew it, an' take it an' spit it in each han'. Rub it in yore han', take an' spread it all ovah yoreself." An' he says, now, yo' could do anything yo' wanted tuh do. Well, ah went ahead an' tried it - went to de man dat ah wus workin' wit an' ast him. De man say, "Well, ah can't do dat." Well, he tole me, say, "Now, yo' wants tuh buy a new automobile an' ain't got de money." Say, "Yo' don't need but five dollars." He say, "Yo' go to a man an' tell him yo' got five dollahs to put on a car an' walk off fo' steps from dis man an' spit, lak to warn dis man. See, let de spit go right down on de groun' tuh Warn dis man, an' ah'll guarantee yo' he'll come at yore command an' let chew have dis car by payin' five dollahs, an' say yo' kin git de car." Well, ah went ahead an' tried all dat, but de fellah wouldn't sell de car, an' all de stuff ah tried, it nevah did come tuh pass.
Entry 809
Ah have a brother in Baltimore. He has two houses on North [Something] Street, an' if yo' evah travel to Baltimore - he's running a big barroom on Calvert Street. He don't want his wife to work in this barroom. She's jes' dere - jes' a pest in de way. An' he'll do anything in dis world - pay any amount of money he can to get her outa dis barroom where he kin handle it himself.
Entry 812
I'll tell what was done to my husband. He was workin' on de gov'ment and he went downtown Front and Princess [Streets]. He knowed de Red Cross folks was havin' some kin' of meetin' and dat draws a crowd. And he been in dat crowd and he even knowed two or three de people in dere, was talkin', and while dey was listen' at de singin' and de music, one dese ladies take de money out of his pocket. He didn't miss de money or nothin' till he get in de Five-and-Ten-Cent Store and feel back in his pocket - why, de money been gone. So den he run back to de crowd and so he ast all of 'em did dey see de money. So none never seed it so he went down to de police headquarters and tell they [not them] about it. And he say after dat, well he studied, see. He went - he heerd talk of a lady dere on Second Street; he went to dat lady. And dat lady told him one dem womens what he was talkin' wid, while he was talkin' to one, she say, de othern had take dis pocketbook out his pocket wid de money. And so he went to this woman and dis woman give him a root to chew. Dey called it Johnson, Johnson [John] de Conquer root. And so she told him, she say, chew dat and den put it in his pocket; and told him, said, dat money would of been home before he git dere. Now I ain't was home - dis heah real talk - I ain't was home. The man I used to work [for] out on de farm, dey call him Mr. George S., after we worked all de veek, he told us on Sat'day we could go pick up white potatoes ready been done dig - along [as long as] he can true us [could trust us] - us could pick up for ourselves. So he send de truck to get us and carry us out dere to pick up dese potatoes. When I get back to my house dey tell me de telegram boy had been dere twice. So I get uneasy. I wonder what he been dere for. So he been dere twice before I come. So he come back after I get dere, shortly after, before I coulda wash de dirt off my hands, and tells me, "Heah some money for your husband," and says, "You's de wife, you's de real wife?" I say, "Yes sir. I's his wife." "Well, heah's his money." So when I look at de money and de card, I was knowed it by his number you know, his card what he's been workin', what he generally been totin' [carrying]. And dere was all de money, and jis' like dat lady told him, dat money come right back home.
Entry 839
Ah heered 'em speak of lodestone. Say yo' kin take a lodestone, git a piece of lodestone an' if yo' wanted tuh go in de bank dere an' git two or three thousand dollars, yo' take dat lodestone an' take it an' hold it in yore hand lak dat. An' say while yo' walk in, yo' walks in de shadow [you look like a shadow], an' yo' walks on it an' yo' gits whut chew want; but yo' still got dat lodestone in yore hand when yo' goes in. Why de people, dat draws - dey says dat draws dey eyes, dat lodestone draws de eyes so yo' can't see. Well, yo' walk ovah dere an gits dis money with dis lodestone in yore hand an' yo' come on out an' git off to yoreself, why yo' takes dat lodestone out of yore han'. Yo' don't have tuh do anything but walk on to de do' an' dat lodestone is so strong, dat it draws de money from through de bars into yore hand. Dey don't know - yo' haven't been behin' dem tuh [yo'] seem nuthin but a shadow. Yo' standin' from de front heah talkin' to de man an' yo's drawin' de money from 'im jes' de same. Yo' drawin' his money an' when he go tuh look round to hand yo' some change, well, he haven't anything - yo' drewed it all from his han's.
Entry 883
[Two classes of persons were not included in the preceding margin-titles regarding consultation: the first being those who use religious shrines; the second those who approach the doctor by letter. Religious shrines I must present under separate subsection Saints-Candles-Altars. Material about doctors working by correspondence or at a distance is scattered (see No. 858, p.296, and No. 886 p.319, and Distance or Absent Treatment in Index) but here is an example:] Well, they say a man was livin' in Kingstree, South Carolina, could do that. You jis' had to write him - an' jis' write him an' tell him that your [his] wife had left him, you know, an' he wanted her back. So this man wrote back to him an' told him to give him seven dollah an' send to him. Sure enough, he sold chickens an' things like that an' hogs until he got seven dollah, an' he mailed it to him. An' he sent him a letter back - jis' writin'. He say, "That's all you got to do, jis' send me de money." He say, "I charge you seven dollah."] He say, "I even don't have to move' - he wouldn't come up dere. An' he say, "Your wife will come back." An' sure enough she did.
Entry 886
Yo' kin take dey underwear right in de seat an' take it out somewhere an' bury it an' dat'll give yo' pain all ovah, especially in all de joints - jis' pain an' continue hurtin' all de time. De reason ah'm tellin' yo' dis becuz ah had de same thing happen tuh me yeah befo' last, an' ah'd written a man a lettah an' mailed him one dollah in it an' he straighten it out fo' me.
(What did he do - send you something or tell what to do?)
He didn't send me nuthin - didn't tell me whut to do. Jis' wrote an' tole me, says, "Yore case will be okay. An' in fo' or five days dat misery wus gone.
(Did you write very far away from here to get that done?)
Yessuh, a pretty good piece - I wrote to Patterson, Arkansas.
Entry 962
If they had an idea of traveling, like if they wanted tuh go north or wanted tuh go to California or Oklahoma - well, they haven't got the money to go with. So they goes, walk out tuh the forks of the road an' turn dere face eastwards and would pray for the Lord to give. them that directional star in their mind that they might be able to get ahold of the luck that would - even if they didn't have the money, that would give them that trip. An' ah've had them to say that - why they shortly after doing that, why they would meet up with some rich person who would wish for them to go as a chauffeur or as a cook or as a maid to such a place, to such a state. And they would go with that person to that state, make a trip jest by going to de cross of the road - dem forks of the road an' looking eastward and making that prayer while they were standing there looking eastward, for that luck.
Entry 1876
Take a toadfrog an' put him in his pocket an' keep him in dere an' dat will give him plenty luck an' plenty money - dat toadfrog. If he's not lucky at all why dat toadfrog won't stay wit him; an' if he is, why dat frog will continue stayin' with him.
Entry 1880
They catch them a toadfrog and puts him in their pocket and the money - the first bet that they win, they put that money in that pocket with that frog, and as that frog swell in his pocket, well you going to be winning the game.
(If that frog swells in the pocket?)
In that there pocket - yes, sir.
(You mean - how do you mean swells?)
Just - you know how they get - they just puff out that way. Well, as he begin to puff out, you just win and win till you break the ante.
Entry 1893
If yo' gamblin', yo' take yo' a toadfrog - ketch him alive. Yo' know a toadfrog is got numbers on him - jes' lak if yo' kin be lucky enough tuh ketch yo a toadfrog with seven on him, it's a lucky frog. If yo' put him in yore pocket alive an' he stay in dere, ain't no way nobody kin win no money from yo'; but if yo' don't - if he don't stay in yore pocket, yo' kin tell whether yo's in good luck or whether yo' in bad. De minute dat chew put him in yore pocket, he's goin' holler an' jump out. But if yo s goin' have really good luck, take dat from in dere an' put him in yore pocket an' he stay in dere, yo' win de whole time dat frog is in yore pocket. [For putting numbers on frog, see No. 575, p.186.]
Entry 1894
(What would they do with the frog?)
You kin take a frog if yo' are betting cards and - jest like ah and you is in a skin game of betting, wal ah've got a toadfrog in mah pocket. Ah don't keer how lucky yo' is, ah'm goin' beat yo' out chure money long as he don't holler. If he hollers I quit betting and turn him loose and let him go.
Entry 1895
Use toadfrogs fo' luck lak if yo' wanta go to a spinnin' wheel an' win lak in dese carnivals - in dese big shows dey have dose spinnin' wheels. Says yo' take a frog an' go to de spinnin' wheel an' jes' befo' yo' go tuh turn dat spinnin' wheel, run yo' han' in de sack an' git chew some of de money off de toadfrog an' yo'll be lucky with it.
Entry 1900
Yo' kin ketch de frog an' yo' cut off his left hind laig whilst he livin' an' turn him unloose an' wear it in yore pocket. Mah brothah got one in his pocket today.
(What will that do for you?)
Say that makes yo' git 'long - anybody yo' kin walk up dere an' ask 'em fo' money an' dey'll give it to yo'.
Entry 1960
We have a man over in Northhampton [County] now that will give you a hand to play numbers and he will give you two or three numbers. Well, they hit once in awhile. As much as a hundred people twice a week get these hands. They are just numbers. He don't charge them anything. They give him a percentage when they hit. He's a preacher, Rev. B., he has followers like holy people. [Note well - numbers are called hands. See also Money - Prices For Hands, later.]
Entry 1966
I was about 18 years old at dat time. There wasn't nuthin like dat. So once I had a ole fortune teller tell me dat somebody was tryin' to do somepin to me, she'd stop 'em if I'd give 'er $5.00. So I didn't have but three dollars. My brother - he was a stepbrother to me - and he said, "I'll lend joo de other two." So I give 'er $5.00. Well, it wasn't more than about a few weeks I lost it. It was to be kept in my right far-hand vest pocket.
(What did it look like?)
Twas long as my finger.
(Was it a bag?)
She called it a rabbit foot, but I don't know what was in it. It was about the size of my finger and in a little red flannen.
Entry 1970
You get a lodestone and put it in your pocket and put it wit some money, you supposed to keep money so long as you keep dat rock - long as dat rock, dat stone is in action; but in a certain time, just like anything else, it'll run out.
Entry 1991
Gambling? Well, the thing that I was told that I would be lucky in gambling with - the first thing I ever did in my life was to buy a luck hand. The hand was sold to me for five dollars cash. That hand was supposed to be treated with diff'rent kinds of oil and linaments, and then when you go to a game, that you would be lucky. The first hand that I bought, I went to a game and I got broke. I cut this luck piece open. And when I got broke I cut it open and I found one thin dime in it, and I'd taken the dime and spent it - bought me some gin with it. And so the next luck piece I bought from a fellow, he give it to me on a guar- antee of trial - if I don't win, I didn't have to pay for it. I had taken that luck piece and I won $35 with 256. So that begin to kind of make me believe that there was something to that. But after that $35 I wasn't able to win no more. Right chere in this Vicksburg, I paid $12.50 for one of the same things. The first time I won was the $7. Then next - I never has won. Then I realized that the confidence that I had in myself - had I not had that luck piece, I would have won just the same. But the imagination.
Entry 2023
They got - you kin go to the Crackerjack [drug store] and you kin buy ten cents of steel dust, twenty-five cents of Jockey Club, and you kin get a piece of red flannel. You take this steel dust and you sew it into this red flannel, and you take the Jockey Club and sprinkle it over this red flannel. Ever' time you - you know, if you figure it done got dry on you, you jest get up and go like you goin' in to urine and just wet it with this Jockey Club and just come back, and the money's gotta draw to you - you gotta win it in any game.
Entry 2056
Git a piece of dis common lily dat grows in de yard an' a lil piece of red cloth an' a silver dime an' sew it up together an' yo' always [have] somepin. An' yo' always have money an' luck.
Entry 2063
Ah've heard tell of 'em using lodestone. Lodestone is supposed to be a drawing power with yore money. Yo' place it with yore money an' yo' wear it round yore waist with a dime or any silver piece of money. Yo' put dat lode- stone around yore waist an' wear it an' it will bring yo' luck - yo'll always have money.
Entry 2077
I was stealing a ride on a train and as we went into the yards the railroad detective made me get down out of the train [boxcar] and they put me in jail. That was in Florida. The penalty from riding on a train is ten days. The charge was trespassing on private property, so they put me in jail in a part known as the bull pen where there were about twenty-two fellows. The fellow that slept in the bunk above me had a little disk-like of metal in his pocket. When we went to bed that night it fell from the top bunk of my bunk. I picked it up and looked at it, I lighted a cigarette, but I couldn't make it out. Next morning when I looked at it good I saw that it was something in the shape of a luck piece and I put it in my pocket and it has been with me ever since. It's hard for me to lose it. Not because I think it does any particular good. It fust stays with me. I have lost it sever- al times and each time I get it back again. I don't look for it however, it just seems to come back to me. I lost it one night and I couldn't find it anywhere. So I went home thinking I had lost it. When I went to pull my pants off I found it in the cuff of my pants. I don't know what became of the boy that dropped it. I only stayed there ten days. After I left there I came straight here [to the Atlantic Hotel, Ocean City, Maryland]. I was some weeks getting up here. The same night I entered this town I got my present job. You know what a hobo looks like, ragged and dirty. After I got here to his hotel, I had nothing like money or the shape of money, only this luck piece I found in jail. And my boss went and got me some clothes after giving me a job. Any time I want to go out at night, if I knew I was going out at night for a good time, I somewhat depend upon this luck piece. I put it in my left-hand pocket and go on and think no more about it. [I ask informant to lay luck piece on the table so that I could describe it. Since I was then using an Ediphone, not Telediphone, I had to speak into the Speaking-tube, adding the note about superstition after informant had departed:] (This luck piece is about the size of an English penny or an American dollar and being stamped out of copper [brass] with a dye classifies it as an article sold by mail-order firms catering to the superstitious. On each side of the medal, in the center and occupying.one half of the space, is a large open hand raised above the surface. The inscription on one side says HELP, HAPPINESS, PEACE, SUcCESS around the edge of the disk. In the center of the hand it says THE LUCKY HAND. Below the hand it says AND LUCK and below that IS MINE BY RIGHT. On the other side of the medal at the top I SHALL BE GUIDED BY THE HAND OF and below that THE SPIRIT. Below that LOVE IS MINE. Below that PEACE HAPPINESS PLENTY.)
Entry 2091
[Magic sand - black and white - is what some persons called powdered lodestone, black lodestone and white lodestone - see preceding margin-titles Lodestone.] In gambling, we say yo' kin take a little piece of High John de Conker, we take three guinea seeds, you take a piece of lodestone and you take magic sand and you sew this in a piece of cloth. Upon your hands you would use oil of van-van. Then you hold this lucky charm in your hand whilst you are playing with a piece of money and you will be lucky.
(What is magic sand?)
Magic sand is a thing that is made to go with this lodestone - somepin like - looks like black dust, but it comes with lodestone - you buy lodestone and dey give you dis sand with it.
Entry 2121
Wearin' seven pennies roun' yore neck, dat's good luck tuh bring folks money. Yo' kin take an' bo' a hole - drill a hole in 'em. Ah got a little gold piece heah now. It not a gold piece but it a piece dat look lak a gold piece dat ah wus wearin'. [I evidently looked at it.]
Entry 2135
Git some ole money, ole silver money. Take that and tote it in de pocket. Dey say the law can't ketch you.
Entry 2159
Some women wear it in nations sacks or in a sack. That's for money. (What kind of sack?) Little sacks dey wear around you called nations sacks.
(Where do they wear them?)
Wear it around their waist.
(What do they wear these sacks for?)
You kin keep yore money in it - keep yore lucky stuff in it. [The term nation sack was well known in the Memphis area, less known in New Orleans and Mobile. It was unknown along the East Coast - Maryland through Florida. See an excellent account of this article in my interview with The Nation Sack Woman.]
Entry 2232
Ah heard yo' git a rabbit foot, left hin' rabbit foot, an' tote it in yore left hip pocket an' dat will bring in luck in gamblin'. An' den always his money he win in his left pocket wit de rabbit's foot.
Entry 2428
In case if you gotta persons coming tuh yore house and you want 'em there who've lotsa money, friends who have lotsa money, when dey walk out yo' take a brand new broom and sweep de dust back up under de house, and they will always come back and bring money to yore house.
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 3034
(You say if you don't give him [St. Peter] this promise.)
Promise what you give him - just like if you promised him a flower or any kind of a piece of money. At that day when you make him the promise, he'll give you enough to go out and get just what you ask for. Well, you see - well then, you failed in giving him what you promised him, then he'll set fire. That candle - you see, you have some little candles setting under the saint.
(Under the saint, yes.)
Yeah, well, the saint [is] over [above candles] that - well then, everything you promise him, if you promised to give him a flower or give him a rose - well then, when the time comes to you to give it to him - and you done be successful what you have asked for - well, you come and you put that flower there, you know, in some water. Well, then you'll always have luck. But the minute that you fail in giving him what you promised - that what you - that junk what you got around there, probably you may have some paper around there on the mantelpiece or wher- ever you got it, or in the corner - you might have a curtain or something like that - well, there's some kind of way it going to blow into that and ketch on fire - burn down - and after that you have worse luck than you ever had.
Entry 3035
(How do you do that in trying to rent them?)
Well, the onliest way you could do, you could take - just like if you knew anything, you go to the Crackerjack Drug Store and you use you some lights. You get you a green light and you burn in - like a altar - you know, like a little altar in your home? Well, you burn that [candle] and you make your wish, you understand, for to rent the house and you'll rent ev'ry one of your rooms. Your customers will pay you ev'ry day, like if they [rent-collector] come ev'ry week. (I see. You just burn that candle. You don't burn anything to a saint's picture or anything of that sort?) Yes, you burn it right to a saint - you burn it to St. Peter.
(You burn it to St. Peter.)
That's what those ladies burn to - to St. Peter.
(What do men burn it to?)
And men burns to the Virgin Mary. Understand?
(Well, why do the men burn to the Virgin Mary?)
Because she's a lady, you see. Well, she's the one helps the men; but St. Peter, he's don't help the men at all. See, St. Peter - just like if you have St. Peter in your home - St. Peter, if you try to light a light to St. Peter, he liable to set your house afire before he do a favor for you [a man], but a woman, he would do a favor for her.
Entry 3039
(What about St. Peter?)
He is - he totes the key. He unlocks the door to yuh, but if you don't give him what you promise, he'll burn you out. He burnt me out once, that's how I know.
(How did he burn you out?)
Well, you see, I had promised him a quarter. Well, I wasn't able to give him that quarter that certain day, and I left a little bit of fire in my furnace in my room, locked up, and goes out. When I comes back - I didn't see no way in the world that that fire could pop out and set nothing afire. All my clothes and one side of the house was in a light blaze. You gotta give him what you promise him.
Entry 3048
(What color do you use for St. Raymond?)
Green, to take care of money - greenback money.
(What about silver money.)
Yes, sir. Well, lots of fellows give me silver money. [This is a hustling woman.]
Entry 3071
We have a great man heah by de name of Doctor Buzzard. He did all dat kinda stuff an' he could see yo' befo' yo' came. He's right cross dis rivah.
(His name is Doctor Buzzard. Where does he live?)
He lives right ovah at Beaufort, S'uth Ca'lina - right cross in de - lak on a little island dere. It's a little island planted dere by itself.
(Is he still alive?)
He's still alive, he is. See, yo' git in de cane [canebrake], cross country dere. He has two large cane buzzards dat is large as eagles. Ah don't know how dey know how to row de boat - maybe it's a motor in it, but dey say ole buzzards rows it, one sittin' in de bow an' one in de stern. Say, when yo' gits dere, yo' go up dere an' go in de boat. Well, dey rows yo' right cross de rivah wit dey wings.
(Anybody else in the boat?)
Nobody else but those two buzzards - jes' dese two buzzards an' dey gits yo' to de landin'. When yo' git to de landin' he be standing at his house dere, an' he say, "Ah knew yo' wus comin'. Ah know de time yo' left home dis mawnin'." Say, "Ah know whut chew came after. Yo' came tuh git roots to kill so-an'-so Yo' came to git roots to run someone - sech-an'-sech a one away." Say, "Well, ah have 'em already fixed fo' yo." He had 'em already wrapped, an' yo' moden apt to carry it [away when you left]. An' he say, "Mah money, yo' jes' put it on yore mantelpiece tonight an' it will be brought to me." An'yocould put it anywhere in yore house an' tell him where yo' would put it befo' yo' leave. But if yo' tell him a story - that chew goin' put it sech-an'-sech a place an' don't put it nowhere an' den he don't git it - he goin' give yo' a stroke fo' life or - dere's many men been messed up tryin' tuh cheat him yo' see.
Entry 3676
Tuh keep 'im from havin' anybody, yo' take dat snail an' yo' kin dry 'im. Eithah [or] yo' kin take 'im an' put 'im in de stove an yo' kin brown 'im. An' den when yo' brown 'im yo' kin pound 'im up into powdah. An' yo' take de seat of yore man's drawahs an' yo' open it, jes' a little place, an' yo' put all dat down in dere. An' he cannot fool wit no one but chew. An' he gotta come home an' bring yo' de money.
Entry 3875
Dey take de dirt from underneath de fingernails an' place it with periods an' give it to menfolks to cause 'em to love 'em an' give them all their earnings.
Entry 3946
If mah ole man wuz tuh go out an' wuz mean tuh me lak dat an' NO ONE GIVE ME NUTHIN, well ah could buy me a steak or sompin lak dat. Lak ah wanta cook 'is dinnah. Well, ah could wear it about two or three hours or sompin lak dat. Yo' know, cook it fo' him tuh eat his dinnah, sompin lak dat, see. An' jis' mah monthly sickness lak dat. Well, evah day lak dat, well ah pull off a fresh cloth. Well, ah squeeze de little blood-lak an' make him a cake or some kinda puddin'. Well DAT MAKE HIM GOOD TO ME AN' GIVE ME MONEY. If he be runnin' roun' wit wimmins lak dat, well ah kin make him stay at home wit me.
Entry 4098
Yuh kin take hit - take de chamber lye an' put it in 'is coffee or eithah sompin tuh eat, an' it will make him love yuh an' give yuh money.
Entry 6772
Use dirt daubah's nest fo' delivahin' babies. Dey makes a tea of dat. Weah it in yore clothes an' bring yo' good luck. Put dirt daubah whah yore sweetheart is an' he'll give yo' money an' be good tuh yo'.
Entry 7160
Sock - kin take a sock. A SOCK FER TRUE HAVE COME DOWN FROM HISTORY. If yo' kin take a stockin' an' if a person is asleep - has plenty of money - yo' kin take it an' lay it, yo' sleepin', an' heah: s yore nose heah, an' yo' kin lay it right dere in fron' of yore nose. AN' YO' KIN TRY IT ANY TIME YO' WANTA, AN' YO' WOULDN'T WAKE UP. Ah kin be right dere when yo' woke up. Well ah been out de house, done been evahwhere, an' ah'll come back an' yo' sleepin' right on. An' den ah'll come dere an' take dat sock, an' soon as yo' commence drawin' long breaths, ah'll remove dat sock. Look lak yo' sawin' inside - look lak a saw. Minute dat sock is gone yo' don't heah dat. Reckon ah'll shake yo' an' wake yo' up, but ah done got whut chew got an' gone wit it. Done carried it somewheah, but ah wake yo' up. Me an' yo' lay down tuhgethah. Yo' couldn't sweah ah took it. Well, yo say dere's nobody else in de house but us two. How could it be gone? Well, if yo' didn't know, [who knows]?
Entry 7959
Take paper money or a new piece of paper, fold in shape of coffin, write person's name in, bury, soon die.
Entry 8041
Well, ah've heard fo' luck, if a person wanted to git lucky an' make plenty of money, yo' know, jes' if someone died yo' know. An' cut dat li'le [fingers] right in de second joint, cut dis fingah from de second j'int [demon- strates]. (The left hand.) Yes, from de left hand, an' burn it until it come jis' uhite, jis', yo' know. An' jis' take it an' put it in a eel skin, fresh eel skin, an' [or] jis' keep it round [wrapped up] wit snakeskin. Plenty good luck long as yo' iive.
(Keep it where?)
Round yore neck, yes in a piece of skin.
(You tie it around your neck with a string or something?)
Yes, sir, let it hang down around about de middle of yore chest. See.
(What sort of luck is that supposed to give you?)
Well, it be fo' luck tuh git a job, or win money, or speed-up doin' anything yo' wanta do.
Entry 8994
If there is enough money involved, most all the root doctors, they goes to work and see the judge privately an' say, "I've got $100, " an' say, ''here's $50." Yo' understand? "Here's $50 I got $100 for the job." Well, de judge will dismiss him. Well, this fellow, weak-minded fellow, he thinks that this man [root doctor] did it. See, he's a root doctor but he's faking his way through the world. I've seen that happen 'cause I worked for a judge an' seen 'em come up dere - the root doctors. [For another example of a doctor influencing a judge, see my experience with Doctor Washington of Charleston, S. Car., No.9024.j
Entry 11242
Put the root doctor's fee down anywhere in the house or yard, he will get it and write a letter thanking you.
Entry 12219
Burn incense to get a man's money in the room where he is. [Wilming- ton 114:8+85.]
Entry 12589
De people, dat run dese gamblin' ioints an' all, plays wit a few little gamblahs. Dey take a penny an' put - nail one in de centah heah at de front do', jes' where de people goin' in an' out - see. Dey do dat fo' luck. Dey say if de money comes in it stays.
(Just the one penny on the door?)
Yeah. [Florence 2182:5.]
Entry 13401
Well, they get a hold of fingernails and toenails, I've heard, and they put them with the urine [word fairly rare compared to chamber lye and Hearts Cologne. They say that holds them [you] under their control, and get all your money, and jes' give everything you've got up to that person.
Entry 13429
An' den yo' kin take a wasps' nest an' put it in a new piece of cloth, homespun, an' wear it aroun' yo'. Dat will make a man come an' stay with yo, or either give yo' his money an' all.
Entry 9958
Ah hear'd dat yo' take a frog fo' gamblin'. Anyhow, yo' take dat frog am' throw 'im down, an' yo' be - make yo' lucky, have all de money in de house.
(You turn that frog loose where you are gambling?)
Yes, right undahneat' dat table where yo' gamblin' at.
Entry 377
If you run around de house seven times and look over your left shoulder you'll see de devil. [The devil is reduced to a children's gamel] [Deal Island, Md., (120), 33:3.] [Every night of the year hunters for buried treasure are out digging; daily all year persons seek hidden hordes in old houses and delapidated city apart- ments, ripping up a floor or tearing out plaster. Treasure hunting is something more than monetary value - it is a part of eternal hope, a mystical quest, the satisfaction of an unfulfilled dream.] [This endless search for desired wealth is very much the work of doctors, some of them being experts in the field - see margin-titles Treasure Expert fram New Jersey and Professor Frank of New Orleans and Doctor Washington of Charleston at the end of this subsection.]
Entry 3069
[We have already met Doctor Bayhan, a white man on the Eastern Shore, who was also known in Baltimore (62, p.28).] [Here is an original statement in my original penciled transcription. "Temporary annotation - for footnote reference only - to get wife back - Doctor Bayhan. He charges from $20 to $25...you bring him the picture...he'll guarantee you and he'll give you a Bible and you'll wear this Bible in your pocket. If she don't come back in a space of time that he gives yeh, he'll refund your money back to you regardless of where you at. This note was orig- inally made to be used for fees by doctors.]
Entry 379
Well, to dress the house thataway, you see those paradise seeds. You take that paradise seed and you take you some parsley with paradise seed, you takes you nine rocks like off the railroad [bed of railroad track]. See. Tie that up into a sack. You put that, you understand, at your step but don't bury it - the same as you'd take a piece of stick thataway and tie it up on the side there. Everybody'll pass there, even the children - they'll look, their mind will tell them to stop there, but they'll continue by. [Stick and children I explain later.] The same as any treasure what's buried. In the olden time when they used to bury money, they would take a individual back to the place where they going to bury the money, he not knowing anything. The poor darky would be ignorant of the act. And he would stand there and they'd ask him, "Would you watch this money?" He knows it's money and he would say, "Yes" - for this reason, they worked him so hard, he thought he would just Sit there and watch the money, it would be a easy job for him. He'd say "Yes." They'd say, "Would you swear?" 'Yes." They'd make him raise his hand and swear. When he raise his hand to swear they would shoot him down. Now, to get that money - the evil spirit will come around there and worry you so. You have to know your business to get that money; if not, you will never get it, see, because he have promised, he have made an oath, a dying oath to watch it and he watch that money. You going to dig that money. They have diff'rent forms come there such as lions, elephant and diff'rent things. It don't be anything but a shadow but who's the man will stay there to see whether it's anything or not. Well, it's the same way. Whensomever you make a swear, make a oath that- away, you understand, it means something. It's the same as a law being made in the Senate with an amendment to it; see, not to be broken. Yes sir. (I see. That's the same thing, you say, as this little bag hanging on the stick by your gallery?) [This is a hand to keep children off the gallery.] Yeah. For instance, if there's money buried in the corner of this yard and - you kin have fifteen children, they'll never go in that corner and play; they'll play all over the yard, they may start that way but before they get there they will go to another direction.
(Why is that?)
Well, 'cause that money is there and the spirit is there and they have a good mind - the spirit don't allow no one there, he's there to watch it. They'll have a mind - they'll leave they house to go to that corner of the yard but before they get there, they'll go off. I saw the [this in] natural life - the thing happened at a place in a swamp [a spirit guarded a tree] - they had the skeeter pulling out some logs. There was a tree leaning towards the sunrise. They have a kind of a slot, look like, cut in the tree thataway - like it had been cut out of the tree, the tree was hollowed, and sot back in there again. [This treasure was buried in this slot.] Now, to make fast for the skeeter with that line, he'd have to go and cut the top off that tree for the rigger to tie his rigging there to pull the log with, and don't you know he couldn't go there. He put the axe on his shoulder and leave from the skeeter before he go there. He start thataway but before he get there, he come out the other way. So the white fellow said to him, "Well, skeeter, what's the matter - going to keep me all day?" Say, "Well, I can't go there - get in there." It doing the same thing - they never get there - have to make fast somewhere else.
(What's a skeeter - what's his work?)
That's pulling the logs out of the swamp, you see. They set here, you know, and they got a line pract'ly go to Canal Street - they got a line go to Canal Street, and they attach it to the top of the top bough of a tree. They got a bicycle runs on that cable and they got a tong to hook the log. And, gee, hit pull logs and there's them logs flying up in there just the same as a bullet.
Entry 383
A house set on the hill and a spring was in the bottom and a tree was nearby the spring. And everybody who lived in that house, the ghost would meet them on the way to the spring and would talk to them. This ghost would follow them to the spring and tell them about the money but they were afraid to talk to him. This was supposed to be the ghost of the person who put the money in the tree and died before he got it out. A fellow followed this ghost to the spring and the ghost told him to cut in the tree with an axe. He cut in the tree but found nothing. The ghost told him again to cut the tree down. And he did. He found a pot of money in the tree and became to be a wealthy man.
Entry 391
Gwynn's Island [Gwynn on maps], it's up the [Chesapeake] Bay about forty-five miles up. A man there goes into the woods and by him going into this Woods he see some trees, and these trees look like they was in a diff'rent form from the others. There was a lot of green moss. and by this green moss being there he goes to work and commence digging. He dug up a chest of money.
Entry 413
Or some people say yo' put de money in de ground an' yo' bury a chicken or bury a cat or somepin - whatever dey bury, ah don't know what. Why, dis thing will come back wit chure money. Or bury dis Negro - why dis Negro will be so strong, somepin to make yo' 'fraid an' keep yo' 'way. (Is there any way that a fellow can go there at all and prevent that and get the money?) Well, dey say if yo' git chew a Bible an' go to dis place readin' yo' Bible, when dis stuff start - yo' got chure gang an' yore shovel wit chew - go ahead an' dig de money up. Don't pay any 'tention, jes' go ahead an' yo' see de stuff fall, jes' walk right on lak yo' don't see it; reads yo' Bible - readin' God's word, yo' see. An' dey said, when yo' git to dis place, why yo' got an idea how much room it might take, yo' know, to dig dis money up - yo' know, yo' all stand round in a ring round dere an' keep on reading de Bible. Say, den one man will walk around dere dragging his foot chew know, an' mark de place out, while dey be reading de Bible. Why den when dey git through reading dis Bible, take dis Bible an' lay it down on de line, puts it de way dey came - come dis way an' lay it right down on dere where he came in; on dat land marked round dere, lay de Bible, an' dey say yo' git right down dere an' dig. As long as dey didn't talk - don't talk an' don't, yo' know, make a fuss. Git right down dere an' dig. Say all kind of animals - all kinds of mess will come right up dere live, but pay no 'tenshun to 'em. Yo' dig right dere, jes' don't make no fuss, yo'll git chure money. Git dat money an' sit right on de - all kind of animals will come right to dat line, but co'se dey wouldn't come in 'cause dat's de Bible - see, wouldn't come ovah dat Bible.
Entry 414
Ah have went out wit some fellahs tryin' tuh dig money. A gang of us decided tuh go out an' dig money. We went out one night. Ah taken mah old car an' driven out one night an' stopped it up at de edge of de woods an' we went all down - took our picks an' shovels an' went on down an' started tuh diggin' de money. Well, we supposed to have de money once right where it was. Well, yo' make a white mark. Git chew a bottle of sweet milk an' make two or three marks all de way round with this milk - all de way round dis place, jes' lak dis table, yo' makes yo' a round one [circle of milk round the treasure]. An' dey all gits inside of that place. Well, we started tuh diggin' money an' we dug there, an' dug an' dug an' dug, till we got close to it. An' as we got close to the money an' we listened out an' we heered somepin comin' 'long dat be's a-hollerin' an it wus a big cow come right up to de - right up close to dat line an' jes' stood up dere an' hollered. Well, he left away an' heah come a great big bulldog an he gone up dere. He went away an' aftah while he left an' nobody stopped. Well, on dis side heah come anothah - heah come lion up. He come up an' dere didn't no one say anything, dey stood a-diggin' right on. Snakes an' ever'thing crawled all de way round an' dey nevah did stop diggin'. We looked up an' dere come a big ball of fiah right down an' jes' look lak it's goin' drop right down. It come down so fur an' stop an' a man spoke an' said, "If yo' don' move, ah'm gon'a drop it. Ah'm gon'a drop it on yo'." An' one de fellahs got scared an' dropped out de line an' it musta been a great big blue smoke an' a big ball, an' de money went an' we nevah did see de money no mo' - it jes' bo'ed a hole in de ground an' went on out lak dat. We didn't see no money atall - it wus gone.
Entry 417
Go to the graveyard at midnight. But chew have to go by yourself and you take a penny. You got'a give 'em, take something with you 'cause then - when you go walk round the grave two or three times see, around the head and you walk round the foot two or three times. And then you go back - well, about nine times all together, and then you kneel down. But yo' have to put yore hand - dig down, put chure hand in and git the dirt from this, right off the coffin. See. But then, when you do that, you have to leave a penny or some vinegar or something.
(Why vinegar?)
Well, that's to keep the spirit from hurting you. You kin even have whiskey on you, see, to keep the spirits from harming you; you see, so they don't be disturbed [see Spirits and alcohol, in Index]. Course ah never did this but ah -
(I know, you are just telling me what you heard.)
And then when you go out, if you don [leave a gift] when you git to that gate, they will rassle [wrestle] with your soul. Even if you call spirits in here now, you make a circle and call spirits; you'd have to fortify that circle, because if you don't - course you do that around twelve 'clock at night. You fortify that circle. You kin call the spirits and when you - they scare yuh to death, but if you fortify it and sit inside that they can't harm you.
(How would you fortify that circle, then?)
Well, you have to make crosses you see - make a circle for yourself to sit in. And then you make a gate like and you put - make a cross there and then you have to use holy oil and holy water and candles, and then you set inside of it and then you can call de spirits and sit there quiet and pray and they'll come. But you has to have a dozen candles. [Washington, D. C. (627), 804:2.]
Entry 426
Ah ain't nevah seen dem hunt money but dere was money gived to me twice through de spirits - see, whether ah was hoodooed or whut, but anyhow it was give to me jes' lak if ah'm laying in dat bed dere 'sleep. Somepin come tuh me an' woke me up and tole me, says, "Right undah heah dere's $12,00 buried right down heah in de ground three and a half feet in de ground," and says, "ah give it to yo'." Well, ah got in tech wit a man in Ocean City, New Jersey - a hoodoo fellah and he come down dere. Hit was a man dey called to put people, yo' see, together when dey separate - he kin put em back together lak dat. [He is not talking about a marriage counselor but about a hoodoo fellah who uses hoodoo methods for putting together or back together - both technical terms.] Well, he come down and he tole me, "Say, Boy, if dere's money heah, it ain't gon'a cost yo' nuthin'. It was not right whare ah was standin' den, but ah knowed where it was.
(Where were you then?)
In Augusta, Georgia, an' dis happen sixty miles from Augusta. Well, we comes on down dere den to dis place. So when he got dere, was some peoples in de house an' so ah tole him, ah say, "How we goin' git dat?" He say, "Ah fix dat." So we went on in dere an' dis man talked wit dis man - de colored fellah what had de house and de was staying in de house - he was just. renting it, see, but it was a white fellah's place. So, well, we goes to work dere den, and dis man said, "Well, ah'll git all de peoples out from roun' heah tuh work, then ah'll let yo'all go inside dere." So we went in dere and de man took de needle and went over searching fo' it to see was it dere. So he searched all round dere and when he got to whare ah tole him where it was, the needle pointed right there - see, went to drawing his hand right on down to de ground. So he bowed his haid, said, "Us mustn't talk." An' so us went on off den. He said, "Yo' kin go off an' talk all yo' wanta." So we went on off dere to de car and he said, "Well, now, ah'm going dress yo' first," an' say, "an' yo' ahead on dere and go to digging right straight down." Say, "But if it's under de house, right at dat man's pillar whut holds up de house" - you see, we had tuh kinda dig [to keep] from undermining dat house, throwing it down, to ketch up with it [treasure]. An' so ah went on an' dig and when ah got through digging, ah had tuh beg - when ah got tired ah had to beg fo' another fellah - wit chure finger - yo' can't talk. An' so he say, "Ah'm goin have tuh dress yo'all. Yo' rub dis ovah yore face [demonstrates], 'cause somepin will come through directly big [as] a cow an' scare yo' to death." Said, "Ah have to dress yo' wit dis heah stuff to keep yo from being scared."
[For another example of a doctor curing a person of fear, see No. 16.]
(And where did he put it, over your face like that?)
Oil - some kind of oil [holy oil - oil the doctor had blessed].
(He rubbed it over your face?)
Yassuh, he'd taken an' jes' rub it ovah his face jes' lak dat an' his hands, yassuh. An' so dis fellah go back to digging. So, well it looked dat - he come back 'gin an' he put dat needle back dere 'gin and it pointed and draw right up under dere where dat block was. An' dat's where de money was under dat block, but chew see, we couldn't git to it. So he got a wagon axle and stuck down in dat ground where dat money was buried, an' covered it up, an' tole de fellah, say, "We are coming back." Jes' lak dat. But ah believe he double-cross me. See. He went to work den and de fellah tole him, said, "Ah'll burn de house down" - see - "an' let chew know. Ah'll stay in touch wit chew so yo' kin git to dis here stuff." See. He say, "Yes, 'cause yo' git good pay if yo' do dat - yo' won't lose nuthin'." So we never did go back. So we went to de other place where de money was gived to me - see, de money gived tuh me twice. An' we went to de other place an' we couldn't git up to it cause dere some white folks staying dere, yo' see, an' we couldn't talk tuh 'em lak we wanted to, so we wouldn't bring it up atall - jes' wait till dey move out.
(This root doctor, did you give him any money or anything?)
Didn't give him a penny - he wouldn't charge me nuthin' - an' de expenses cost him 'round about $12 'cause we made two trips down dere. But he didn't charge me a penny - give me all ah wanted to eat, an' ah's wandering why he did dat. Dat's why ah figured he double-crossed me. He went back an' got it.
Entry 585
(How do you find this money now?)
With John de Conker. [This is rare, to call Jack by the name of a root within the package or bag. Root bags as hands are common.]
(And how do you prepare that?)
Well, yo' fix it in a flannel - sew it up in a flannel, yo' see an' keep it in yore pocket. Keep it perfumed [fed] wit Hearts Own perfume [sometimes confused with Heartsorn or Heartshorn = Hawthorn? perfume]. Put chew nine pins in it an' if yo' go out 'cross de way anywhere - cross de field whare dere's any money buried, it'll point. Yo' talks to it - it's got a string on de side - an' yo' talk to it an' jest where dat money is it's goin' point directly where dat money are.
(Well, you don't point in your pocket though?)
No, yo' has to take it out chere pocket. See, it's got a little string on to it. Dis John de Conker yo' know, it's got little roots to it - all roots kind lak a [centipede?]. [A small piece of John de Conker has so many root hairs it looks like a centipede.]
Entry 614
Then, when you get you two pieces of money - you understand me? If you can't read cards - well, I generally tell it with cards. I read cards - find out practically anything that I want to know. But if you can't read cards, you wants to get you two old pieces of money and put 'em in a pan and put 'em on and let the water come to a boil, and if dat money will hop about and throw the water at chew when dat water boil, you know that someone have put a trick on you. Now, what you wanta do - you wanta save dat water dat you boil this silver in and take three swallows a day for nine mornings. Well, you do that for nine mornings and you wanta to go [to] the cemetery and get three pinches of dirt each day for nine mornings, and bring that dirt and place that dirt into an old sock from de party who harmed you, if you possibly can, or either get a sock from dat house, if you can. Well, if you don't get a sock from dat house, you Wants to go by dere with dat dirt and sprinkle it across the door so he may be able to cross it. That'll take care of him.
(That'll take off the spell?)
Take the spell away. [Norfolk, Va., (466), 460: l; by Doctor Bowes.]
Entry 616
The pins and needles - well, that's when someone hurts yeh and you're trying to turn it back on them. You buy a new paper of needles and a new paper of pins. And you take nine needles and nine pins, and you put on a quart of water, and you put a fifty cents or a dollar or a dime - any silver piece of money in there - and then let it come to a boil. And if you're hurt, why this money will turn over. Well then, if the water boil, it'll turn with the boiling water. You do that when the moon's on the last quarter or right on the full moon as the moon's going away. That's when you boil this money, they say. And that tells whether you're hurt. This money'll boil and turn over, just continue to turn over and just rattle. And then you drop these needles and pins in there and make your wish, you see, that whatsomever they do to you may return back on the ones that put it on you., See? Well then, after it boiling, you boil it down. You take a quart, say for a instant [instance], you boil it to a half a pint. Then you make this same wish again. And you go on back down then until it gets to a half a pint. You never boil it clean completely away. You drink this water, you see, when you take this spell off. And then you take those needles and pins and put them in something that you doesn't care for, something about your person, put 'em in paper or, if you found you anything around there where it's been put down, why you put all this together and throw that in running Water between nine and twelve o'clock, anytime after sunset. And make your wish just whatever way that chew goin'. (While wishing, stand facing the direction that you will take after the article has been thrown into the river.) You see, you can turn around [backwards] on your way [to the river]. Don't never turn around [after reaching the river]. Be in the position that chew goin' when you throw them away. And never look back. Well, you see, if you do it right on the full moon, see, then by the time it changes and goes completely away, see, why this spell is off of you; then, see, and those needles and pins, they've done and washed on away.
Entry 1874
Now, ah'm goin' tell you dis one from experience. Dis is mah own - heah's mah han' tuh God. God don't like - He don't like a liar, neither do yo' an' me. If yo' ketch a frog, yo' will have luck. Ah used to try tuh shoot dice. Ah was in Georgia, what chew call Macon, Georgia, about loO miles from Atlanta. Ah worked on a farm wit a man that had big skin games. Yo' evah know whut skin games are?
(What is a skin qame?)
Jis' have a deck of cards an' split [cut] 'em off an' ah turn yo' seven spot an' I got a ten, I'll bet chew a dollar dat mah ten falls, yo' win; if de seven fall, ah win. Dey call dat skin game. An' yo' wanta be lucky now.
[For skin game, see margin-title Frog - Georgia Skin, later.]
Ah was pickin' cotton fo' a man an' he wasn't payin' but 4Oc a hundred, an' swindlin' me wit de game, an' ah had to cook fo' mahself [buy his own food and cook it]. So Saturday night come an' we'd check up an' maybe whut ah done bought an' had cook, ah'd have 'bout two-three dollahs fer de skinning, an' ah jes' losin' mah money. One de boys said, "B, ah'm goin' put chew onto something - ket' chew [catch you] a toadfrog an' keep in yore pocket." Well, ah'd seen a little ole toad in de road dat hops about at night an' ah picked up one an' he wet in mah han' - ah always hear dem say dey make warts - an' ah put 'im in mah pocket. He felt cold as ice when ah got 'im, an' ah put him in mah pocket among some quarters an' nickels an' dimes what ah had an' ah went. De people had a big candle in de woods settin' down in de road - no, dey didn't have a candle, dey had a bottle wit a rope in it an' oil in de bottle makin a wick wit it, setting dere. Dey was down on dere knees gamblin'. Well, ah went dere an' held mah two hand - ah cleaned up ev'ry nickel an' dime dere was. Ah put so much money on dat frog until ah mashed 'im - killed 'im in mah pocket. Ah had all de silver, wag nuthin but silver at dat time - it wasn't no 20, 30 or 40 dollahs but ah broke ev'rybody dat night. An' ah always thought a frog was lucky. Ah had so much on him he got tuh jumpin' in mah pocket right in dere on mah money. [A frog or toad does not jump because the money is heavy; he is giving a warning we shall learn later.] An' ev'ry time ah got down dere to make a bet, ah more den apt to ketch 'em - if ah fall twice ah'd ketch it three times. That was luck.
Entry 2147
Just like in this precinct where there Capt. Barrett[?]. You gotta get the captain's name, you gotta get the lieutenant's name and you gotta get the Sergeant's name. You gotta get three names. You gotta write them names down, you see. And in your place of business if they come there, you put it right under your counter, you see. And you gotta add a little sugar to that three times a week. You see, that'll keep peace and keep 'em under control. But you gotta have their names. If you don't have their names, you can't do nothing. But you gotta have the head official names, not the police on the beat because he don't do nothing unless he's instructed to. But the head officials s they gotta have. I had that place there and everybody's there and everybody is paying $10 a week, but I was running the place myself and I say, "Well, I'm not running this for no dago [Italian], I can't afford to pay." They tell me, "Well, we know you's all right - go ahead and do the best you can." Well, I run that three years and they tore the place down. Got trapped all right, but got trapped by the Prohibition people not by the police. Not me. People worked there. I did excellent business down there, but I was good with the precinct.
(When you pass up, you handed this money over to the police?)
Well, you supposed to give the police ten dollars a week. Everybody else was doing it. But I was giving them $20 a month. See, I wasn't giving them no $10 a week, because I was running it myself - couldn't afford it. I was making money all right but you don't have to let them know that. They used to come by there and get quarts of whiskey, you know, for nothing and I used to treat them some kind of way. Well, they give me a break. Got raided there once. That was by the Prohibition department. Well, I couldn't do nothing with them.
(They wouldn't take anything?)
Well, if I'd a been there - you see, I know the under cover agent, you see, but the guy who was working [for me] supposed to know him and didn't know him, and he come in and he sold him liquor. See. Well, after they got the counts on him they raided place, but they didn't take me - they'd taken him. Well, I had another boy in the place. I was renting him and letting him stay there and he took sick and they took care of him in the hospital, and after he had them Prohi- bition spotters come around the place, and I told him, I say, "I don't want these fellows coming around my place." Cause he had dogs and as a matter of fact they wanted him training the dogs, see. Well, I made him move. He goes on to the post office and told Mr. Lazell[?] that the place wasn't [what it was supposed to be]. See. Well, I used to work over at the office for Mr. Lazell.
(Who were you working for when you did this?)
Wm. J. Burns - Judge Barnes' Detective Agency.
Entry 2328
If you're a gambler an' wants to go somewhere to win, make your wish before you git there. You see, I do so much work [informant a doctor and excellent]. Go round behind the house an' function [urinate] an' wet on hands - jis' take an' function an' do this way [demonstrates]. (Rub together.) [First] buy you a nickel's worth of rice and sprinkle in this pocket an' this one, an' go on in. Then you'll win the money.
(Put rice in each of your pockets.)
Each of your pockets. See, there's a pocket back here, ain't they, on each side of a man, an' there's one down here [in front] where he puts his money. That's three pockets they put it in.
Entry 2467
Take codfish - you know codfish, and boil it and strain the water off, see. And you can put sugar and van-van and oil of geranium and fast luck - put those three in there and some sugar and you can use oil of cinnamon. And put that in a bottle and shake it up and just sprinkle it after you get it scrubbed out good with ammonia water. Just sprinkle it from the front to the back. That'll draw a crowd to spend money - and all with you.
(If you are a bootlegger.)
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 2696
Yo' kin take a person's chamber lye an' put sugah in it an' lye an' oil of anise, an' sprinkle dat an' make yore wish. Sweep yore po'ch back to yore house an' that brings good luck to yo'. Do dat fo' hustlin' people - bring money in yore house.
Entry 2754
When you first go there, you have to wait until your name is called and then you go in and tell her what you want. And if you wanted to call - she will tell you different things and you'll have her to do things for you. She'll tell you what to do and give you a price on it and then give you the things to use to that effect. And whatever things you prefer, why whatever you want her to do with you - burn your candle, you can leave the money with her to burn your candle for you. And then she will give you so many candles to use at your house to burn so many hours.
(Was that woman dressed in any particular way?)
Well, some of them has on robes and some of them they are just dressed normal. Some of them use white cords; some of them use purple cords and robes - I mean cords they tie around their waist, robe cords, but different ones have different colors.
(Do they have these candles burning in this room - on altars or something?)
Yes, if you want them to do work for you, they have the candles right there; but they have the candles burning all the time - there has been somebody there all the time before you. And whatever you want them to do, they take that candle that you want to put to that saint, or whatever you want done to that person, and put it up under that person, they light that candle when you are there. You give them so much to keep it burning. And then they give you candles you can burn, and you keep them at your home. I think I've tole you all that I know - all the good things and bad things, too, that you could do.
Entry 11125
(If your business is dull?)
If business is dull, yo' see, an' he wants success in business. He wants his business tuh improve yo' see. He wants tuh make mo' money. Yo' take a 25 cents piece [a quarter], if it's a ole piece, see. [You want money that has passed through many hands!] It don' have tuh be a real United States real good coin, yo' see. Yo' kin take an ole piece. Yo' kin take a 50 cents [piece] French, Geman or Belgian [any] kinda money, 'long as it's silver coin. [Remember, we are in New Orleans, a great seaport.] Take one dose big pennies - copper, see. [Some of these big pennies are commemoration or festival medals; I was given one.] Yo' nail dose pieces on de counter right whar de customers comin' in at. Befo' yo' put dose pieces dere, yo' take a piece of lodestone, a he an' a piece of she. Yo' put dose two piece tuhgether undah de first one. Yo' put two pieces undah de second one, an' two pieces undah de third one. See. Well, it's two developed in dat coin. Dat's tuh draw trade in dat business. She wash or scrub her place out wit lye, see, twice a week. She'll take Monday an' Fridays, an' - Hoodoo - Conjuraticn - Witchcraft - Rootwork - scrub every corner out. Scrubs everywhah she kin git dat lye. Dat prevents de cross if people have crossed de place - if de place is crossed. Dat lye eats it up. (That is to keep anybody from crossing up your busi- ness.) Dat lye eats up de stuff. De lye eats up dat evil uhut crossin' yore business. When yo' puts dat dere de fellah whut comes in whut tryin' [to] keep yo' in bad, in bad business, dat lye prevents dat. Dat bluestone [lodestone] an' dat coin is always tuh develop an' bringing in mo' success. (You don't use the coins on top of the counter, do you, where people can see them?) Yeah, put it right on top [nailed], let it stay dere an' draw attention to dat. Jis' put 'em right where everybody see it. Jis' nail 'em down. Jis' nail 'em. Yo' see yo' nail 'em wit dat lodestone undah it, right on top de counter, whar de people put dere han' on it. All right, it's no germ goin' through dat coin, but dey kin throw it aroun' on de flo'. Now, dat brings yore business up. Fo' luck ag'in, if yo' wanta scrub out, yo' take some van-van powder. Yo' kin put dat wit dat, scrub wit it aftah yore lye. See. Rinse off wit dis van- van powder, an' outside on de banquette, scrub wit it. It's got an odor to it, see.] Dat draws de people in. An' scrub outside. It's got a strong odor. It smells sweet an' it draws de people in. Van-van's a drawin' powder. Jis' ask fo' van-van. Any drug sto' don' handle [it] but it's from de grocery sto'.
Entry 12724
(Are they different from any other kind of rabbit or not?)
Jest looks de same.
(And where do you catch them then?)
Well, yo' kin catch 'em round the graveyard some place.
(And then what would you do with that?)
You will take his front right foot...
(Front right foot?)
Yes, an' wear it in your pocket.
(Do you kill the rabbit or what?)
Well, try to ketch him alive and take dat foot off an' turn him loose...dat's more better.
(Oh, I see. You don't kill him, just cut that foot while he is alive?)
And turn him loose.
(And now what did you say you put with that?)
You puts a little of dat High John de Conkah and a little of dat perfume and wear it in your pocket amongst your money. Them things supposed to be very lucky.
Entry 12997
Dey could take his shoe sole an' jes' take up his shoe sole an' take a silver dime an' file it. File dis silver dime till... Jes' lak if he's got a lotta money. He jes' a business fellah an' some- body gotta grudge ag'in him, git a silver dime of his'n - any fren' yo' know, jes' lak makin' change. I jes' git holt dis dime of yore [man'sl money an' take it an' file it. Take dis shoe sole an' take all dis little dust offa dis dime an' puts it on dis shoe sole. An' dey'll take dat an' dey'll go bury dat under yore steps, right under yore steps where yo' goin' walk ovah it. An' wherevah yo' money is, as yo' go in an' come out, yore money'll jes' leave yuh - jes' fall down, fall right down to nuthin. Jes' come down to nuthin. (Now suppose I had this money and you were trying to do that to me. You would get my shoe sole, the inside sole or the outside sole?) Yes sir, take dis inside sole.
(You sprinkle the silver dust inside of my shoe, underneath that inner sole.)
Jes' take dis sole, de shoe sole - no sir, [take] dis inside piece [insole]. Yo' take it an' yo' fold it up [certainly away from you] dis [inner] sole, an' bury it under yore steps.
(You take this from either shoe?)
Yes sir, either shoe.
Entry 1654
See, when a person's luck is crossed an' yo' wants tuh uncross yore luck, yo' go cross watah but den yo' don't come back de way yo' go across. When you git middleways of dat watah, yo' git chew three pieces of any kind of money any three, anything yo' got three pieces of money, an' yo' throws it ovah yore left shoulder an' make yore wish. But when yo' come back - if yo' go 'cross, see, on dis side, right 'long heah, well yo' come back. Well, yo' don't come back on dis side, yo' go 'cross de right side goin' 'cross an' den come back across de right side - leave yore left side be back when yo' comin' back. Don't come straight 'cross back dat same spot where yo' went across, cause yo' bringin' luck back with yo'. But if yo' go across dere an' den come across anothah place, yo' breaks yore [crossed] luck - crossin' any kinda runnin' watah. (You cross - now, for example, if we cross on the ferry coming over here - we come across on the ferry, throw the money into the water. Then, how do we go back? Right back on the ferry again?) No. If dey got anothah ferry, if yo' got any kinda way, don't go back on dis same ferry. Go back on anothah faster even, but if dere's anothah ferry some- where an' yo' kin git to it, go on anothah ferry at closer distance and go cross dat watah.
(And you go to your right or to your left?)
To your right. (You turn and go to your right. If I cross on the ferry over here, I would go to my right going back?) Yassuh.
Entry 380
When they would see the earth sinking in some place, they commence to visit that place and they would meet many many spirits, and that would make them take notice. They would say, "There's some- thing buried there. The spirits are watching over it. I'll bet it's money. Let's get together and dig for it." And they would start out. They said that many people used to find it and dig for it and they would get it. They say you don't dare jto talk. They dig. No matter how near you are there, don't speak a word. If you speak airy a word, it goes down. By keeping quiet you get the money. They say it comes back, but it's really gone so deep it takes time. It really sinks and it rises, it sinks and it rises. You keep on to [till] you get it. But you get it soon. You'll get it quicker by not talking. I used to hear the olden people say they had some kind of rod for getting the money, a certain rod. I don't realize what they were. They push that down into the earth until it comes along the pot of money. They use to strike it, too. They say when it Was placed there, there would be so many names called. They were buried with the money down into the earth. The person who buried that money Would say, "Now, I want you to take care of this money and see that no one takes it away. Stay here until I come for it." Then all of those names [are] placed there to take care of it; if you get to interfering, they come before you. That's to frighten you to make you get away. No, not dead people; only the names of people living, they say, for witness to see it buried there. All these spooks around a-guarding of it, I could say they were alive. They never dig for the money in daytime. I used to ask, "Why do you dig at nighttime?" "We have to do that when everybody is quiet in order to keep the money from going way way down."
Entry 385
Well, he [informant's father who was a doctor] said dat chew could go to de fo'k of de road an' yo' could contact spirits an' dey would give yo' treasures an' give yo' information of people who've lived long. Den spirits would appear an' dey would give yo' treasures an' tell yo' where hidden treasures were. (Well, how would you contact them - how would you get in touch with those spirits - what would he do out there?) Well, he said burn incense - yo' kin burn incense dere, or yo' could take yore money needle an' it would lead yo' where de money wus of course.
Entry 397
He and two men - there were three men together and they of course had located this money [informant did not know what method was used.] This man was telling my father. And when he went out and started to dig, they dug about an hour, and when they got a hole big enough for the three men to be down there, they heard these little heifers, these little calves; and they said they Was just jumping over the hole [in which the three men were] and making all kinds of noise. They Were not real - they was some kind of ghosts. Two of the men ran away and one stayed and dug until he got this little pot. He got it. And when he got up out of the hole, a woman appear in rags and tags. She was so ragged, and had no teeth, and her grey hair was standing all over her head. And she looked at the man and said, "Damn it to hell. You got it." And he said he walked on and he stumbled over a bag. one of those burlap [bagsl, and he said he picked it up and put [it] in the pot, and the woman disappeared. When he went home he opened the pot and there was five-hundred dollars in silver and gold. He gave the other men seventy-five dollars each. [New York City, (1), Ed., second interview, March 19, 1936; near Wilmington, N. Car.,1905.]
Entry 416
You have to use them too, for treasures.
(Hunting treasures?)
Hunting treasure. Take a piece - not take the whole [tomb]stone, but take a piece of it. Supposing we were going to dig money here. We come down and locate the treasure right here. All right. Now, you are the party got a headstone. We knew he died - when he died and passed out. He did good things all of his days. Well, we take that along with us and we dig a hole in the ground so the people passing wouldn't see that light, and we'd light that light there - a pure white candle at that headstone. We'd light that light there, then we'd go ahead and we'd make a circle round there after we locate the treasure - to keep the spirit from entering the ring, and we'd go to work and we'd sprinkle all around there mustard seeds, mustard seeds all around there. Then we'd go ahead down in and we found - we done found the treasure - we got the sounding rod right on top of the treasure. Now, after we'd go through that process, why, then we'd go ahead right on down and dig. That have a tendency to keep the spirit away and the treasure won't move.
Entry 581
[The following divination device is usually known as Jack, but he has other names. I have never heard him named for a woman. A person asks guestions of Jack. His answers by swinging have at times given him the nickname talking hand (see FACI, 1st ed., p.622; 2ed., p.799). Technically, Jacks are hands. For more examples, see Jack in Index.] When I first come from the country [from near Spotsylvania Court house to Fredericksburg] I was eighteen years old - I'm eighty-one now [1936]. I worked in the paper mill with this man. He wanted to learn me to make money by cunjuration. He had a little ball with something he put in it. He would speak to this ball. It was wool - flannel. He would speak to this ball and itwould go first one way then the other. The ball hung on a string. Anything he would ask this ball would twist around. He would sell you this thing for so much money. "John, now, I want you to be my guide today: If anything is in my way I want you to tell me." He made money on it. He gave this ball a name. He called it John. And John would tell him if anybody was doing anything for good or anything for harm. He was a cunjure himself. He only made this ball and sold them.
Entry 604
Yo' kin take a sifter an' scissors an' anybody taken anything from yo', steal money or any sech that - yo' kin take dat sifter an' talk to it an' set dat sifter up on de scissors an' it'll turn; it won't turn as long as yo' didn't call de right name, but soon as yo' call de right name de sifter turns, de name dat dey done steal it from yo'. (Now here are the scissors - you put them point up? Then you turn the sifter upside down over it?) Dat's it.
Entry 619
[A holy candle] that the Cath'lics use.
(Get a holy candle?)
Yes. And the only way you kin git them is you go to some publishing house, you know, like where they makes those books, you know, Testaments and Bibles and things like that and Sunday school stuff. Well, that's whare you buy those candles - what they call de Christian Public House - Publishing House, where you buy those at.
(What do they call those candles?)
Holy candles. And 'tis a big white candle that is not no more larger 'en that but it is round like that.
(About this round?)
Yeah, and it looked more like stone - it don't look like wax, it look like it was stone.
(It's a short candle about that big?)
Yes. That's the only candle.
(Now, what would he do with that - will you tell me that again?)
Well, that has to be done at the ninth hour and you have to say good things because the candle supposed to be a holy candle; and whatsomever you want, you ask in the Name of the Lord - say good things. (Well now, you said something about a vision a moment ago - I didn't quite get all of that.) Well, you see, that candle will give that smoke.
(It smokes.)
And you watches de smoke, you see, and that's whare you'll see the things in the smoke.
(Oh, you see these things in the smoke.)
Really in the smoke - really and truly, you certainly will.
(Now, just what would a person burn this candle for?)
Now, I'll make - I will say, "Well, I certainly does want me some money; ah played a number today and ah want de cash." Well, inside of dat nine days I'm gon'a ketch dat number. If I'm gon'a ketch it, I'm gon'a see it in de smoke - I will see that number in the smoke. I say, "I wants to see such and such a man." Well, in that smoke ah could see his vision. Whatsomever you want, you'll see. And you ask de Lord, if you wanted to see if it's gon'a come true. If it's gon'a come true, you compelled to see it in that smoke. Yes, but if the smoke goes sudden, it's tough luck for yuh. If dat smoke comes from dat candle and whirls and whirls, go down to the floor, 'tis death in the family, or there's someone very near to yuh [going to die]. But if de smoke goes straight up, you just set there just like this - like this the candle - you sit right there and watch that smoke and you'll see.
(And you'll see these things. I see.)
Entry 733
Yo' kin take, now, if yo' want a good gomblin' hand - now, yo' kin go out an' dere's somepin out in de woods grows dat called rattlesnake master [or button snakeroot (Eryngiun aquaticwn) southern U. S. A.]. Dere's two of dose things grows. One's a she an' one's de man - one grows a white flower, dat's de she; an' de one dat grows de red flower, dat de man. Well, yo' takes dat - yo' goes an' dig up dat root whut chew call de rattlesnake master. Yo' brings dat rattlesnake master back home an' yo' sits down an' yo' cuts it in de shape - kinda cut it in de shape of a spade; cut it out in de shape of a spade or either in de shape of a tooth, ary one dat chew wanta cut it out lak. Yo' send tuh town an' yo' git chew some hearts cologne an' yo' git chew two pinches of flaxseeds an' yo' git chew about two ounces or 'bout half of a halfa ounce of sulphur. Yo place dat root - put all dat stuff roun' an' place dat root in dere an' fills it fulla ole hearts cologne an' sews it up in a red cloth an' yo' sets dat root down on de table. Git a glass of watah - a plain glass of watah an' fo' nine mawnin's yo' go tuh dat glass an' speak to it fo' nine mawnin's. Look at dat glass - jes set dere an' look at it till it begin tuh look lak yo' begin tuh git drunk in de haid lookin' at - somepin lak dat. Yo' speak to dat glass fo' nine mawnin's an' dat ninth mawnin' DAT GLASS WILL SPEAK TO YOU. Den yo' take yo' root an' yo' kin go in any skin game wit any money. See anybody, white or colored, take dat root as yo' see 'em comin' - put yore han' in yore pocket an' rub ovah yore face lak dis an' walk up an' comment to 'em 'bout it. [Where? (?), 2407:2.]
Entry 789
There wus a man by the name of E., lived about three miles from here. My mother and father in their younger days dey used to believe in cunjuration. My mother got sick an' always complaintin' with her feet, an' so she sends fer this man, whu' choo call dese high men, an' he come over an' tole her whu' choo call her fortune. He says, "A woman has measured yore foot, foot track." An' he says, "She's got it buried under yore step." He says, "You'll not git well until this here measure is taken from under yore steps." So he says, "I'll have it taken up fer so-an'-so much money." An' she tole 'im she'd give it to 'im - or her father tole 'im he'd give it to 'im - to go ahead an' have it taken up. An' anyhow, he says, "You wait until the third day [magic delay] - on the third day," he says, "I'll come over here at seven O'clock," he says, "an' I'll have this measure takened up. So anyhow, when he went under the steps that night [three days later] - I'll tell you my belief after I end my story - and he come out wid a little stick about that long wid nine notches cut into this stick. [Notches are unusual, knots are common.] It was so many on one side of the stick, the notches, and so many on the other side - jis' the same you scallop anything. [Scallop - this is an old-time waterman and oysterman talking.] He come out an' he showed 'em this stick that was buried under the steps. Next, the thing he hauled out an' shows 'em wus a little red bag [a hand], that long - a red flannel bag about that long. So the next thing he shows 'em wus a little bottle [another hand] wid a whole lot of little somepin or others in it. I don't know whut wus in it - it looked like snake sheds or some kinda sheds. He comes out with that an' he shows 'em an' says, "That's whut wus buried under yore steps." I figured on that after awhile - I figure on it - an' then I had my opinion. I jis' thought that he'd put it under there hisself. That's sixty years ago [1876] on the Island here. [I was talking to this old man in the Negro home where I worked and in which I was about to spend the night described in the Introduction. His name was F. Milburn - this was Tuesday, December 8, 1936.]
Entry 879
I went to a lady and I was crossed. I used to be very luckv and I got crossed. So when I went in there she told me, she says, "Girl, vou is crossed." So I didn't know what she meant. So she told me, she say, "You is crossed in money." She say, "You give a lady fifty cents." And I had give a lady fifty cents 'cause the lady didn't have nothing. I say, "Yessum." She say, "Well, when you give her the fifty cents," she say, "she took your money. You give it to her out of your hand, a piece of silver money, and she took your money and she got it buried up under the steps with a weight on it." And she said, "That's to keep you down. You'll never be lucky no more unless you get it up. S Well, I didn't know how to get it up myself. So I went to another lady [man] and he told me the same thing. He told me that I was crossed and I start crying and he told me, "You going to be in bad luck all the time." Ah say, "Well, could you tell me what could I do to help myself."
(Did he tell you how you were crossed?)
Yes sir. He tole me I was crossed in money. He tole me a lady what I had a lot of confidence in, I gived her my money. Well, I used to give her money. He say, "She crossed you in the money. Ah say, "Well, could you tell me how I can do to help myself." He say, "You get you some saltpeter and some ammonia and," he say, "you take a bath in it for nine mornings." And he say, "After taking a bath in it, you throw your water to the sunrise." And he say, "You meet me in prayer [at] nine, twelve and three," he say, "and you ought to get that condition off you." So I did that. That been two years ago. So I did that and I got all right.
Entry 912
She vent down South [to South Carolina] and she say she owed this man two dollars. He told her fortune and she said, "Now, I ain't got nothing to pay with for curing me." So the man told her, "You're cunjured in your side," he said, "but you go on home," he said. She said, "I ain't got no money to pay, now." He says, "That's all right," he say, "you go on home and take dat medicine I tell you, and leave that money anywheres in the house and I'll get it." And she said she laid that money on her bedroom mantelpiece and went on doing her work. At twelve o'clock she thought of it and she went back there and the money was gone. And she telegraphed down there and he said he got it. Now, I wonder how he got it. She told me that herself. [Wilmington, N. Car., (238), 237:6.]
[See Payment and Air in Index.]
Entry 1748
Sew it in a - you see, you can take ribbon - have a red and yellow ribbon for luck, and you take it and put it [bow] right between the ribbon with steel dust and sugar and wear it there, and he gives you lots of money and all. And it always be night when he come in, you press it. You take the little bow, and put that in one of the garters and put it on the left leg. You see, you take and sew the elastic - you know, you take the ribbon and put another piece under- neath that and make it like a ruffle on it [garter], but you put it in there. That's to keep him from paying attention to where it is. (It's hidden in that garter, inside where he can't see it.)
Entry 1908
Ah've heerd of 'em usin' garlic. Jes' say fo' an instance, ah wanted to be lucky in a skin qame. Ah would take a piece of garlic an' place it into Hearts Cologne. I would stick it in dere an' ah would go dere an' ever' time ah would make a bet into a skin game, ah would take an' po' some dis stuff into mah hand. An' 'long as ah was doin' dat ain't no way ah could - ah would win all de money into dat game 'long as ah used dat stuff.
Entry 1934
Dey tell me dat chew kin go to work an' if a man dies - jes' lak a gambler. We all could be in de gambling hall an' jes' gambling. Prob'bly dis man will be shot off, prob'bly ah may be shot off in gambling. Well now, dey tell me dat if he has a ring on his finger - if yo' got any money in yore pocket an' he has a ring on his finger - any kind of ring, doesn't matter if it's jes' little ole ten-cent ring - yo' gits dis: ring offa his finger. An' in pulling off dis ring yo' tell him - jest call him name, tell him, "John or Henry, ah'm buyin' dis ring fo' yore luck on gambling." Well, dat's gittin' luck offa dead man tuh gamble. Now, in buyin' dis ring yo' puts dis ring in yore pocket an' puts de money whut chew goin' tuh give him in his pocket. Well, after he'd be buried, yo' goes back to his grave den an' git chew some dirt - about three or fo' months after he done laid dere in de grave. Git chew some dirt an' tote dis dirt in yore pocket wit dis ring, yo' see. Well now, dat gives yo' a hand.
The informant introduces hearsay about acquiring a dead gambler's ring and later dirt from his grave. The quoted purchase words are prescribed speech; the gambling-luck claim remains reported.
Entry 1953
Well, yo' take de gunpowder an' lodestone an' nine seeds of red peppah [three ingredients] an' sew it up in a yarn rag. That's fo' tuh draw luck to yo', too, fo' money. Yo' know, if yo's a gambler, why yo' kin win an' if yore a policy player why yo' win lak that. Or if yo' a busi- ness man, why yo' know, yore business will be.mo' urgent. [Gunpowder appears in many combinations.]
Entry 1969
Ah used tuh try tuh be a gambler mahself, an' a fellah tole me, said, "yo' go an' see a fellah," an' he give yo' fo' winnin'." Well, ah went to where dis fellah tole me. Ah'm goin' [tell] yo' dis now - fellah name of Jackson, ah goes tuh see him an' ah tole him. Ah said, "Look heah, mister," ah said, "ah wants a han'." He says, "Whut degree han' did yo' want?" Ah said, "Well, if it don't cost too much, ah want jes' a han' de degree dat ah kin git." He says, "Well, ah works 25 degree, 30 an' 40." Ah said, "Well, how much would dat 40 degree be?" He said, "Dat's de best." Say, "Dat will cost yo' $25." Ah say, "How long would it las'?" He say he guarantee it fo' five yeahs anyway. An' he say, he give it, 'An' de first money dat chew win, yo' take it an' go tuh de bank an' git it in silver dollahs an' send me five of de money first." Said, "An' de next time yo' win," he say, "yo' send me all of it." Well, de first time when ah start tuh gamblin', ah start with a dollah an' ah win $25. An' ah say - an' ah rushed to de bank an' got $25 in silver an' sont him five of it. An' ah didn't win no mo' in about a month. Den de nex' game ah went in ah win $50. Well, ah sont him all de change [none of the paper money]. An' de second time ah win, he wrote me a lettah.
(What did he say in his letter?)
He tole me in de lettah dat de las' time dat ah would win, ah would have to come back an' git dat renewed agin. Well, ah nevah have went back tuh git it renewed.
Entry 1995
At Williamsburg, Virginia, at the Colonial Hotel, the place I was work- ing at, I was working with a boy called Massey. He was about the luckiest boy around the job. He would go away from the job, stay as long as he want, come back to the job and still hold a good hand with the boss. One evening on a dice game I was betting in the game with Massey. Massey and I were good friends. So after the game Was over, I having lost all my money, Massey having won all the money in the game, he gave me my money back and warned me not to play in a game again if he was in the game. I wanted to know why. He opened his shirt at the collar and showed me a little bag, a little dirty bag, of some contents I don't know what, pinned over his heart. It was the shape of a heart. II saw one heart-shaped hand ~ see No. 1053, p.399.] He told me that this little bag Would always pro- tect him in any game, for love or for money. He told me that he bought this little bag from an old man that lived far back in the woods and the path that led to his home was well travelled because there was always seen cars about his home. He told me that he paid this man fifty dollars for this little bag, two dollars down on deposit, and if it worked he paid the other forty-eight dollars. One afternoon I told him that if his bag could work let me see him work it on a white man. He was working for Dr. B. Dr. B. was the owner of the hotel. He had a nice automobile, an automobile that he had just paid $3300 for; and we had been accustomed to renting a car at a garage about four blocks up the street when we wanted to go to a ball game, dances and things of that kind. On this partic- ular afternoon the car that we had rented, somebody else had rented it already. I said to Massey, "Now, your bag, if it is working, let me see it work now." "I told him I would give him five dollars if his bag worked on Dr. B, so far as us getting his car. He told me to come on and lay the bet and go with him, and I when I saw him rub his hand on the bag I would know that the bag Was Working. He went to the doctor and asked him to let us use his car. He was doing the talking. I have know Dr. B's daughter ask him to let her use the car and he Would turn her down. After Massey had spoken to the doctor, he suddenly rubbed his hand over his heart. The doctor told him he couldn't let him take the car because the tire had been condemned. In fact he had to return it to the people he had bought it from and get another for it. Massey ran his hand over that bag again. Quickly the countenance on the doctor's face changed and he began to smile, and said to Massey, "Take that car, go on to the ball game and bring it back, take it to the garage and take the tire to those people and tell them that I want another one." If the bag Worked I don't know. I only know that I lost five dollars.
Entry 1997
Well de simplest thing yo' kin do if yo' pore an' haven't got any money lak me - de cheapest an' best thing to do is tuh go to the drug store an' git a ten-cent bottle of Hearts Cologne and take that cologne an' put it in a spray - jest like yo' spray fo' insects - jest spray the room that chew sleep in an' close it up. If yo' don't do that, yo' kin smoke a cigar. Yo' kin put it in yore eyelashes, in yore hair, anywhere about chew, the Hearts Cologne. An' then yo' kin take it an' po' it on money, if yo' have a dime - anything except a nickel or a penny. Yo' kin put it on a dime or fifty cents or a quarter an' rub it in de palm of yo' hand. Each time that chew rub the money, make a wish fo' de job dat chew want an' yo'll git it.
(And you use it also in the room for a job.)
Entry 2034
High John de Conker root is fo' gamblin'. Yo' kin take it if yo' want tuh be lucky an' successful in gamblin' an' yo' could put it in a small glass an' po' some whiskey on it fo' about fo' or five days. An' if yo' let it stay dere de fo'th day an' de sixth day, yo' take de High John de Conker root out an' yo' bite off de tip end of it an' turn to de sunrise an' make yore wishes. An' yo' go tuh de game an' yo begin tuh gamble an' yo' begin tuh win. An' if yo' want 'em tuh lose - if a person want a man tuh lose all of his money, he wanta be lucky in gittin' all of his money, he git him a box of salt any time de day of de cards an' he take some of dat salt an' sprinkle it on his back. He'll lose his money. (And that other thing about biting off that end of John the Conquer. What do you do when you bite that off?) You chew that up.
Entry 2178
Yo' take table salt an' yo' put it in de palm of yore hand, jes' a little, an' yo' build yo' a fire. Yo' take onion peelin's an' put it in de palm of yore hand, say, "God de Father, God de Son, God de Holy Spirit," an' throw dis in de fire. "Strike de fire in mah house. Bring success an' peace an' money an friendship in mah home." Yo' throw it in dat blazin' fire. (And you take each one of those things that you say and throw them into the fire?) Dat's right - de salt.
(The salt and those pieces of onion?)
No, yo' put de onion in yore hand an' jes' three pinch of salt.
(Three pinches of salt on the fire?)
Three heads - God de Father, God de Son, an' God de Holy Spirit.
(That is to bring in customers.)
Entry 2242
Perfume - why yo' use it fo' luck. Yo' takes de rattlesnake marster an' John de Conker an' de three fingers an' put all in dat Hearts Cologne. [A three-roots rite.]
(Three fingers?)
Yes sir, an' put it in dat Hearts Cologne and yo' know, like sportin' womens put it all ovah dem. Dat's gon'a grow money fo' dem.
(Take this juice off those roots and put in that perfume.)
That's right.
Entry 2268
Ah've taken some salt an' black peppah an' stuff an' went to skin game an' ah've let mah han' git wet an' take an' jes' put it all ovah de cards an ever'thing an' ah've taken salt an' sprinkle it all roun' peoples lak dat, an' been in a game an' ah win money lak that.
Entry 2359
If this fellah heah had three or fo' hunderd dollahs an' ah had three or fo' hunderd dollahs, jes' take that salt an' sprinkle on each one of 'em, an' jes' go on tuh gamblin'. Well, when de deal is done, if they ain't sharp, yo's got all de money. Or either yo' kin be a gambler an' say, "Well, he's lost his luck - done lost his luck an' de biggest part of yore money." If yo' ain't taken it out where yo' kin git salt an' stuff, why take a lil chamber lye an' jes' rub it on yore han's lak dis. Rub it all ovah yore han's lak dat, an' come back dere an' shuffle de cards up an' draw one, an' den dis othah man kin git his'n. Have anothah deal down an' yo' got practic'lly all de money that is in de game.
Entry 2410
If yo' wanta take a trip somewhere, a long trip, an' yo' wanta go an' try tuh make money, 'fore yo' leave home, why yo' take yo' a bath an' comb yore hair, an' have yore room shet up an' burnin' incense, an' take yo' a bath in sugah an' white lead - dey call it white lead, it looks lak sugah, too. Den yo' take a bath in dat watah. When yo' git out yo' rub yo'self down in olive oil an' comb yore hair an' clean yore comb out. Den walk to de front do' an' open it an' jes' let de air go through yore house.
(You put this white lead and sugar in the water in which you take a bath?)
Yes, jes' about a half a teaspoonful - white lead an' sugah. It's kind of a medicine lak.
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 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 2706
A bucket of pee. Dey puts Van-van in dis pee an' dey throws dat on de banquette an' dey take a bucket of watah an' dey rinses dat - dat urine an' dat van-van all ovah de banquette. Dat keeps de banquette damp. Ever' now an' den dey'll come out an' throw fresh watah on dat tuh keep it freshened up, so when yo' pass or anybody pass, well yore feet will get dampened by dat dere - walkin' in dat damp spot. Well, dat'll draw yore attention into dis place. If yo' go home an' yo' need anything, yo' won't go to de othah places tuh git any- thing. Yo'll go tuh dis place where yo' undah de influence of dat van-van. See, dat puts yo' undah de influence of spendin' yore money in dis place. Dat keeps de man's place packed an' jammed wit dis urine an' dis van-van.
Entry 2747
They goes to a woman across the creek over there right in front of the Catholic cemetery and they got five gray candles. (Is she a young woman or an elderly woman?) This is a woman around forty, jes' a little older woman than me. So they goes to this woman and git five gray candles, as I was told - of my next experi- ence of that kind of work. An' they'd taken those five candles and they wrote my name and they put my name under each one of those five candles. They burn one on Monday for me. De one that was burned on Monday for me that I would be disappointed at de first day of the week. They burned that one all day Monday. That's when ah went out to work that ah'd be confused - nuthin would go right with me, that ah'd lose out, ah'd lose mah job, couldn't keep any jobs. The second one that would be burned on me would be burned on Tuesday. That candle was burned fo' me. That was always mah lucky day when ah wanted to put ovah any business or to go to anyone for any favor. Ah would always make Tuesday mah business day to go fo' money or to transact any business. That Was to defeat me from having any business - to making any progress in any business. The one that they would burn on Wednesday, which would be the third candle - that usually was my general work day, that ah did mah washing and mah ironing. That was to take mah energy away from me that ah couldn't work on Wednesday. Ah would jest pass that day away as a no-good day. Thursday was always a time that ah usually would go to clubs and do different things like that. The candle that they burned on me fo' Thursday would be the candle that ah wouldn't have any vim to do anything in social work, as I have been doing. The one that they burned on me Friday, the whole week that has been wasted, that ah wouldn't have any money coming in to meet my demands for Saturday. And those candles was called hard-time candles, as ah was told. But ah kin tell yo' from self experience ah certainly was hard-timed. Ah've had some of the very best jobs, which at de Country Club, for the Penn Mutual Life Insurance man, at Ryker[son?] School, and would walk away from them without any reason, an' have came to the place that I has nuthin besides three dollars worth of work to support mahself and four children. So ah jes' atchly been hard-timed.
(When did they do this? How long ago did they burn these candles?)
Oh, it's been about - all of this trouble that I have had, that I can atchly relate to you, I have come in contact with it all in the past two years - from one degree on to another.
Entry 2749
Dey way 'twas, him and her was frens' an' he got holt of her pocketbook and he stole 'em out dere - took 'em, yo' know. He stole 'em out of her pocket- book. (Took what out?) Papers whut b'long to a car or automobile and some keys and she had two dollars an' he'd taken that. Well, she was doin' that - wanted to make him come back but he wouldn't send 'em. She sent after 'em and he wouldn't send 'em.
(Why didn't she go after them?)
She was 'fraid tuh go, an' she went an' got a man [hoodoo doctor]. He tole her he'd make him bring them back.
(Was this man her husband or?)
No, dis man whut took de things was her friend. An' dis man, after she tole dis man about it, he said, "Well, ah'll make him bring dem back." He went to de drug store and got two candles - red ones. He say, "what is his name?" She told him. He wrote his name on dere, on both de candles, and after he wrote his name - he wrote 'em jest like he wrote 'cross - dey would come right back crossways again on dem candles. He burns out one and start on de other - he give 'em back.
(What happened then?)
Didn't anything. He brought her paper, her keys and her money. And den he went on about his business. Got rid of him. She ain't been bothered with him since.
Entry 2772
She tole me she had been kind of worried. She, you know, have a busi- ness - a cook shop, she had. An' it wasn't no real good business. She was doing this to help support her children and herself, and she tole me that she had a lotta competition. Dey was trying to make her go in [into the city arrangement] you know and she Was paying license [to someone] you know out in de suburbs, and of course de city men hadn't come out tuh her yet. Dey turn her up dat she hadn't paid her city license and she was just worried to death, she tole me. She went to see this fellah and while she was there she wanted some luck. She told him she wanted some luck and she wanted him tuh help her out on dis case - see whut he could do fo' her. So he tole her if she would give him three pieces of silver, which that [is] three fifty cents - er [or] a dollar and a half, that he would burn a candle. Now, he read cards fo' her and told her this: And in these cards she saw where it was three pieces of silver - de silver dollar mixed up in dere - [and he] fixed it out [interpreted] so she'd have to pay the three pieces of silver [to him], and he tole her that this man what was in the cards would come in at the time [soon] and speak to her. He say in the cards - he was reading the cards.
(She had to give him three pieces of silver - fifty-cent pieces.)
An' everything would come out all right. He guaranteed it, he told her, and she wouldn't have to pay dis heavy fine.
(How much was the fine?)
$10. An' dat dis man [in the cards] would come in [court] an' speak for her. And jest as she got in there, she had to wait till others paid and de others went off - and instead of closing her up like they had threatened to do, she didn't have all of her money - jest as it was her turn to come, this man, the policeman that served her de warrant, came in and while he was there an' she was telling about herself, he heard it. He came in and told her it was jest a little kitchen affair - was not a big display of it but if she could help her family. An' then he tole her to pay him $2.50 and then pay him a dollar a week or pay him a little bit along, he would be lenient towards her, an' she could open her a big shop if she wanted tuh, but he would give her that chance for the effort that she was trying to make fo' employment. An' of co'se she had all confidence in this man [hoodoo fortuneteller] because he told her that at ten 'clock when she reached this place that he would be burn- ing the candle.
(He would be burning this candle while she was in the courtroom?)
While she was in the courtroom. And he guarantee that this would happen. [I would not say the doctor actually burned the candle, but I am guessing that his psychic power knew the policeman "would be lenient towards her" in court - "a little along each week.]
(Did that happen here in town?)
Yes.
Entry 2880
(Did you ever hear of them using black candles for anything?)
De black candles?. Yeah, ah've heard dey use black candles. First of all, yo' use these black candles fo' yo' - now, yo' wouldn't use 'em fo' yo'self. Well, if ah was envy against yo', wal ah would git a black candle an' put your name on it five times and burn it till it go out. Well, wherever yo' are in de world, yo always be worried an' no matter how much money yo' get yo' cannot keep it. Dat's wit dat black candle.
[After turning off machine, I evidently ask, "Burn them any time?"]
Oh, no - yo' only burn dat on Friday: But mostly dey burns 'em on Thursday
[night].
Entry 2889
If you out of a job and you want a job, you have to take and burn your candle for so many days. If you couldn't get a job and it's real like times are now - you can't get a job [this is during the Great Depression of 1930's] - you really have to burn candles if you want a real good job. Of course, you can get jobs but they ain't paying nothing. But if a man want a job that's going to pay him something, he'll get him a candle. And you burn your candle, you burn your candle three times a day - keep a candle burning if you can. If you can keep it burning all day, it'd be better. Every morning you get to that candle and you say your prayers. You can light it or keep it lit.
(Oh, you keep it lit?)
You can keep it lit all day. It'd be best to keep it lit. But whichever you do at a particular time, you get to the candle and you pray. All right, when you pray at that candle, you pray like you got - you just say - well, you say th 35th [23rd] Psalm of David: The Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want. Make me lie down in green pas- tures and stir up my soul. Lead me in the path of rightness for his name's sake. Either I walks in the valley in the shadow of death - I'll fear no evil. Should I weakeneth, thou rod and staff comforth me. Prepare... (etc. etc. etc.) [Comment by transcriber]...and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. See. Well, all right, you says that. Now, when you say that, don't make the sign of the cross, see. Don't make no sign of the cross at all, cause you be crossing your ownself, see. Now, you say it maybe at six in the morning, twelve O'clock you do the same thing again. Three o'clock you do it, and at six in the evening you do it, see. All right. Now, for an instance, you do that at six o'clock in the morning - five or ten minutes after six, when you get up, see. Or if you need, you go on about your daily occupation or wheresomever you going. Or [if] you're looking for a job - you're seeking for a job - well, you go along, and if there's any jobs to be gotten anywhere, you'll get one. If it ain't but for the day, you'll get you one. That's the end of it. See, now you can demand your money. If a man wants to pay you $1.50, you can get $2.00, see. You'll get a job on that [candle and prayer].
(You burn a white candle for that?)
A white candle.
Entry 2920
A green candle's for money, see. (How would you burn that?) You take three green candles, just like this [demonstrates]. Fix 'em just like the - you know, kind of a round.
(You fix the three together? Tie in a circle?) [Tie into a triangle.]
Yes, into a shape. You cut the top of 'um off. You write the person's name nine times - whose ever name you wanta be on that candle, nine times. You put it in a saucer with some cinnamon, sugar, steel dust and quicksilver, and you let it burn out there. And whatever you want 'em to do, they come and do that, after that, after that candle's burned out.
Entry 3001
She's the onliest one what's in that favor. I tell you the saints - they have mighty good saints for the wishes that you wish. They have St. Espedees.
(What is he for?)
For a gambler.
(Well, what would a gambler do for him?)
Well, you see, if you gambling out for money and you're in bad luck, you goes there and you make a novena for nine days; and if you get your wishes, you gotta give it. If it's a dollar you promise, you have gotta give the dollar to it; if's a candle, a dollar candle light you have to give it to him.
(I see.)
Then you get your wishes.
Entry 3010
Now, all right, St. Joseph. St. Joseph is a man, yo' uses a light tuh him. Yo' kin take St. Joseph an' use yore man. Write his name three times, yores once to de top, all straight, an' put it in dere [container] wit Toulouse Syrup an' steel dust as ah tole yo', an' use dat cup-light. Yo' kin use de cup- Light on dat, an' put it fo' St. Joseph an' say to St. Joseph, "Father, give St. Joseph power to make me successful in whut ah'm undertakin' tuh do." Now, dat's St. Joseph, an' he will draw dat man to yo' wit dat money. Ah uses dat now.
Entry 3031
St. Peter, he'll open the door for you.
(Well, how would you do that? What would you do for St. Peter?)
St. Peter, you carry him a key.
(Where? To the church or?)
Yeah, to the church. But if you got a key to your house - and you tell St. Peter to open the door for you, you give him that key. Well, you've got to give him that key. And if you tell St. Raymond to do good for you, you give him a flower or piece of money - dime like that, you give him that. Whatever promise you make him, you got to give it to him though; and if you don't, he take it away from you.
(Where do you buy these keys to give St. Peter?)
You have to buy it from the store. But don't let nobody use that key, but get that key and buy that key yourself.
(You can't buy those keys at the church then?)
No, you can't buy them at the church. (Now, if they have these saints at home, how would they do - what would they do wi th them at home?) They takes 'em and puts them on the mantelpiece - sometimes they puts 'em on the mantelpiece, sometimes they have a little altar. You know what an altar is. Well they have a little altar and they have a candle at each one of those saints, burning in there.
Entry 3046
Ah know somepin 'bout St. Raymond. St. Raymond is de saint he's lucky fo' money: Some people makes a novena to him fo' nine Tuesdays, Thursdays an Saturdays. Dey gives him a green candle, if dey use a candle. If yo' want flowers, yo' gives him any kind of flowers. He's fo' money.
(You make that on nine Tuesdays?)
Nine Tuesdays fo' St. Raymond, or nine Thursdays, or nine Saturdays. Them his days. Yo' burn it [candle] straight, lak yo' would go into a church [and burn it] or anything - jes' lak yo' buy it in a sto', where yo' see de wick at, yo' jes' put a match to it an' light it. But chew don't blow de match out. See, take yore han' an' dampen it wit some spit, eithah one, an' mash it out. Yo' don't blow no light out when yo' light it lak dat, see.
(Where do you burn this candle?)
Right in front of St. Raymond [in your home].
Entry 3186
Or jes' lak yo' be wit 'im an' yo' love 'im. Yo' don't want 'im go out. Keep 'im from havin' othah women. Yo' git a bran'-new pocket han'scuff an' yo' be wit 'im. Yo' let 'im use dat han'- scuff an' yo' full it wit salt an' roll de fo' cornahs to yo', an' bury it undahneat' chure steps. He goin' bring dat money home when yo' git 'im lak dat.
(He isn't going out with other women.)
He ain't goin' bothah wit 'em, he cain't.
(That's the way you take his nature away from him then?)
Yes. [Brunswick, Ga., (1201), 2016: lla.]
Entry 3236
Jis' lak if yo', yo' know, take yo' a little small towel. All right, an' yo' an' 'im do business togethah - at least [I mean] yo' don't do no business wit 'im yo' undahstan', he do de business, see. Well, if yo' goin' do de busi- ness, yo' do it aftah he do it. Undahstan', don't do it wit 'im. Well, yo' take dat towel an' yo' takes it an' ROLL IT TO YO' NINE TIMES, jis' lak yo' do a snake [demonstrates], yo' know [see later]. An' aftah dat, all right, yo' take nine needleS an' yo' PIN DEM NINE NEEDLES IN [IT], YO' KNOW, COMIN' TO YO'. An' den aftah yo' pin de nine needles in it, well yo' take it den an' roll it roun' nine times lak dat an' den git chew a fruit jar.
(You mean you would roll it around like you would coil a snake.)
Yes sir.
(The first time you roll it towards you nine times?)
Yassuh. An' git chew a package of brand-new needles [demonstrates]. (And after you get these needles in it, then you take that roll like a jelly roll, a cake, and you make it like the coil of a rope [or lak yo' do a snake].) Den yo' take an' git.chew a fruit jar an' put chew jis' enough watah in dere to covah dis heah towel, yo' undahstan', an' den take an' put chew a little sugah in dere an' airtight it, an' take an' bear [bury] it undah yore steps. He goin come back home - bring dat money.
Entry 3264
[You] kin take a new han'chuff an' put it in a man's left-foot shoe an' let it stay dere all night long aftah yo' done had somepin tuh do wit 'im. Yo' use dat han'chuff an' put it in 'is left-foot shoe, see, an' he cain't fool wit nobody but chew.
(Well, he would find that handkerchief in the shoe, wouldn't he?)
No sir, yo' supposed tuh take it out.
(You get up before he finds it?)
Why certainly. A new han'chuff dat's nevah been used fo' anythin' but de business.
(What will you do with the handkerchief then?)
Bear [bury] it.
(Where?)
Put it undah de house. Dat make him always wanta be comin' dere. He won't fool wit nobody an' bring de money home.
Entry 3272
If yo' have a man an' he don't give yo' money lak he should, yo' buy yo's a bran'-new pocket han'schuff an' yo's fool wit 'im when yo' use him an' have a intahco'se an' yo' take de pocket han'- schuff an' put a silvah quatah in de pocket han'- schuff. Fold de pocket han'schuff to yo' - lay it in dere an' fold de pocket han'schuff to yo' an' weah it in de shoe, an' he kin be mean to yo' but he'll give yo' his money.
(You wear that in either shoe?)
Eithah shoe, it don't make any diff'rence.
Entry 3277
Sech as, yo' know, havin' a intahco'se wit a man - yo' know, yo' wanta keep 'im an' have 'im tuh bring all 'is money home lak dat. Yo' have a intah- co'se wit 'im. Yo' git some brown sugah, yo' know, an' put it up lak yo's goin' take a douche. Yeah, put it up yo'self, yo' see. Jis' lak yo' goin' have him dat night, why yo'd put it up dat evenin', yo' see. An' den yo'd have Intahco'se wit 'im dat night.
(What will that do then?)
Dat would make him bring all 'is money home. But yo'd have tuh use dat as often as yo' have him, see. If yo'd have him twicet a week, yo'd have to do dat twicet a week.
(You put this powdered sugar itself?)
Yes - no, dis gradulated [granulated] brown sugah - don't mix it wit nuthin. Jis' take yore fingah, yo' see, an' run as fur as yo' kin up yo'. [SHE USES BROWN SUGAR BECAUSE: fo' colored [[person]] yo' git brown; an' white [[person]] yo' git white sugah, says Nahnee, a master of color symbolism, p.1351, line 22.]
Entry 3377
Well, jes' lak yo' has a husban' an' yo' don' wan' 'im tuh make no co'se [intercourse] wit no othah woman, yo' go somewhere an' yo' steal a dish- rag - doesn't use yore own dishrag, yo' steal some othah woman's dishrag. An' why latah in de night when yo' wit 'i, make lak [pretend] yo' also wit 'im an' yore not. See, yo' git yores an' not his'n. Well, yo' take yo' a piece of money an' tie it up in a rag an' yo' wipe 'im off wit dat same dishrag. Well, ah would tote it an' ah wouldn't throw it away. An' he couldn't have no othah woman den but chew [me].
(You say he doesn't wipe with that rag at all?)
No sir. Yo' wipe him, see. Yo' don't wipe yores atall. He won't undahstan' whut chure doin', see. Yo' don't make connection wit 'i - may pertend yo' do's. (And you put a piece of money in that rag and TIE IT UP IN A CORNER. WHY DO YOU PUT THAT MONEY IN THAT RAG?) Yes - well, de rag will keep him down. See, dat's money, an' dat makes yo' git de money.
Entry 3475
They tie knots in a string. If they get a new cord, you see, and tie that, and that's for to make a man or a woman come under their control. They wear that around the waist. You doesn't buy a new ball [of string] for that. Just like you go to the grocery store or some store, you see, and you take it and just break you off a piece the length that you want. And each knot that you tie you make your wish, vbatever that you wish 'em to do. If you wish 'em to get the money, or wish for them to stay away from a certain home, or you wish for 'em to come to your home all the time, each knot that you tie you make a wish. And then the last knot that chew tie, if yo' want 'em to come under your control, you wish then for them to come under your control, to be controlled by you and you alone. And then you tie that around your waist, you see, and wear it. You do that on the last quar- ter of the moon.
Entry 3568
Git chew some black thread, an' jes' lak he be's drunk or eithah sleepin', yo' measure 'im. An den when yo' measure 'im yo' double dat thread nine times to yo' an' tie nine knots in it an' tie it in de middle of de [bed] spring, an' yo' got 'im. [Middle of de spring, like center of bed, room, house, etc., is quincunx magic.]
(What will that do to him?)
Make him stay dere an' bring 'is money home.
(Will it take his nature away?)
No sir, not fo' yo' but othah folks - he won't care fo' no othah one but chew.
(For no other women.)
Entry 4658
Take dat bow an' make him bring all 'is money home tuh yuh.
(How do you do that?)
Jis' take it out, see, an' put it in yore shoe, de bottom of yore left shoe an' wear it, an' dat'll make him bring all 'is money home tuh yuh.
Entry 4668
Take dat bow an' git a silvah dime an' wrap dat bow aroun' dat silvah dime, an' wear it undah yore gartah in yore stockin' yuh know, an' dey say dat'll make a man give yuh money.
Entry 4802
Put a leak in yore pocket, jis' lak yuh hang yore clothes up. An' dey kin go dere wishin' yuh bad luck, an' put a little pin hole in yore pocket, jis' lak anythin' kin leak through. Not enough fo' a nickel tuh git through, neithah a penny, but jis' a small short one. Well, yuh nevah pro- tected, an' yuh'll nevah hold no money. (They simply put a little pinhole in my pocket and I'll never be able to hold any money.) Yuh cain't drop no money in de pockets. Evah time yuh git it, it gone.
Entry 4842
Jis' lak a man go out, yuh see, an' yuh cain't make him stay at home. Well, yuh take his undahsuit an' yuh scrape dat cotton lak dat - yuh see, dat lint. Take dat lint where yuh kin scrape it, see, an' put it in a little bag an' some sugah, an' wear it on de side an' dat'll make 'em stay at home. Wear it on de side nex tuh yore skin, jis' eithah side - ary one. Dat'll make him stay at home an' give yuh 'is money. "
Entry 4847
Or dey kin take de seat out dere undahwear an' wear it aroun' yore waist an' let it drop down - a woman kin wear it roun' 'er waist an' let it drop down, an' he'll give yuh evah penny he kin rake an' scrape up - an' she use Hearts Cologne wit it.
(What do you mean by drop down?)
Let it drop down roun' de navel - jis' wear it slack, be down roun' de navel. Dey'll give 'em ever' penny.
Entry 4955
Take de man dirty socks, or de woman's dirty socks, an' makes 'em tuh stay home if dey have de habit of runnin' out. Takin' sugah, cinnamon, a snail, an' puttin' it in dat socks, an' tyin' three knots in de socks, an' puttin' it in a closed place, where he won' find it. An' if he's a man accustom tuh spendin' 'is money 'fore he come home, finally, in a couple of days he'll start tuh stayin' home an' he don' know anythin' about it.
Entry 5280
Jes' lak yo' wanted tuh be lucky in keepin' dis job at dis place. When evahone is gone, take off yore left shoe an' turn it bottom upwards on de stove or somepin of de kind. Use a little tin pan, jes' somepin dat will keep from burnin' yore shoe sole. An' yo' put two or three drops'of cinnamon oil on de chairs. Git dese Ole Banum[?] Tears.
(You put some of these on this stove lid?)
Put chure shoe - turn yore shoe bottom upwards an' burn dat on dere, an' yo' make yore wish concernin' what chew want. If yo' want so much money, an' yo' make yore wish fo' dis or dat. An' it may be if dis person seem tuh be angry tuhwards yo', or treatin' yo' indiff'rent anyway, yo' wish fo' bettah coopera- tion. An' yo' burn dis an' yo' postively will see a change. An' if someone have dismissed yo' from yore job, yo' drop dese nine grains of spice in de bottle as ah have tole yo' [several days before in another rite]. Now tuhmorrah when ah come ah can demonstrate dat bettah tuh yo', jes' how dat is done. An' den all de times when yo' meet these partic'lah people, yo' wanta drop a drop or two on yore hands an' rub yore face before yo' come in con- tact wit 'em. [Mrs. Brady, one of my contact people in Mobile was a capable woman familiar with the hoodoo-fortune telling world. I had interviewed her several days be- fore, but the recording being bad she had returned for another interview.]
Entry 5885
Take yore hair an' - cut a little piece yore hair out chure haid an' cut dese thin's off heah [demonstrates]. (Those fingernails.) An' offa dey toenail, don't chew know. An' take dose thin's an' parch 'em an' den mix it up togethah. An' aftah it parch, yo' mash it up, don't chew know, an' take a rag an' tie it up wit a white rag an' use it in de tea - anythin' dey drink. An' dat will make yo' have good luck. Dat's de way dey do it.
(Just good luck? What kind of luck?)
Hit will make 'im brin' yo' de money, or make 'er brin' de money to yo', yo' know.
Entry 5936
Well, ah've seen dis happen. Lived in West Palm Beach [Florida]. Mah home is in Savannah [Georgia]. Me an' a pal, a boy, we goes down dere durin' de season. Yo' mighta remembah when de boom wus on in Florida. Well, now it wus kinda of a rich girl dere, yo' undahstan', an' he wanted tuh git in wit 'er, git a chance tuh beat 'er out some of 'er dough. AH GUESS YO' UNDERSTAN' WHUT AH'M TALKIN' ABOUT. An' so he wus in love wit 'er yo' understan', an' so he got some of 'er hair an' he goes tuh de Ten Cent Sto' an' git 'im a tall bottle of dis Hearts Cologne an' he take dis ball [curl] outa 'er hair an' puts it in dere an' totes it in 'is pocket. Well, jes' as long as he kept dat hair dere, she would be jes' wil' [wild] about 'im, an' evah time she could git a dime from 'er mothah or 'er fathah, why he got it. Why me an' 'im both got it an' spent it in enjoyment. De girl like tuh went crazy an' ah had to take it 'way from 'im an' throw it away.
Entry 2129
My wife was sick all the time and she came there to the house and when I came in she wanted to sell me a hand. She said I could get a job any time. So I bought the hand from her. It was nothing more than a piece of red flannel made in a bag and some kind of hair. It wasn't no count. I paid a dollar and a half for it. She told me to carry that in my pocket and if I wanted a job to ask for it and I would always get it. That's what she told me. I didn't do it.
Reported purchase price of a dollar and a half. The narrator calls the hand no count and says I didn't do it. The source specifies no coin, banknote or money-attraction purpose and establishes no employment result.
Entry 7523
Listen, yo' kin go tuh de cemetery an' go to a grave dat chew know, know who it is dat's buried dere. Yo' kin git chew five pounds de dirt off dere, if yo' know who dey is. Take dat dirt but leave a ' nickel. Listen! Stick it in de top of dat grave an' jis' spread de dirt back ovah it. See, yo' payin' 'em fo' dat dirt, yo' see. Yo' bring dat dirt back in dat tin pan an' set it in de no'th cornah of de room. Ah don' ca' [care] who move dere. But let dis dirt come outa de colored cemetery, not de white, becuz white rules de while an' colored rules de colored. An' set it in dere an' cain't no- body stay in dat house, until dey goes an' moves dat dirt - whoevah puts it dere take it out an' destroy it.
(You would see that dirt in there wouldn't you?)
Yes, yo' would see de dirt, but if yo' would disturb dis dirt - yo' could throw it out, why you couldn't even stay dere. If yo' destroy dat, yo' jis' take it outa dere, yo' bound tuh walk an' git some of it on yo' feets. Dat's jis' as well as puttin' it in de house. An' s'long as yo' keep it roun', it disturb yo', s see.
Entry 7624
Now, if yo' wanta go tuh a cemetery, somebody daid dat chew know, take 25 cents 'long wit chew, tuh de haid of de grave an' push yore arm down as fur as yo' kin git it. An' leave dat quartah down dere an' bring up yore three fingers of dirt, an' take dat long wit chew. Dat'll give yo' luck. [Instead of picking up a pinch of dirt with two-fingers, thumb and index fin- ger, a method mentioned elsewhere, some other informant says pick it up with three fingers: thumb, index finger, and middle finger.]
(What do you do with that after you get it?)
Wrap it up in a piece of paper or a piece of brown cloth an' put it in yore pocket an' keeps dat 'long wit chew. Well, dat's one way tuh git chureself luck.
The informant describes paying a quarter at the head of a known deceased person's grave, taking three fingers of dirt and carrying it in paper or brown cloth for reported luck. Hyatt compares two-finger and three-finger collection methods, referencing another informant; that comparison remains editorial.
Entry 7820
Well, yo' kin take a envelope an' go tuh a cemetery, well maybe 'long about dis time a-day, or maybe 'bout eight a'clock in de mawnin', an' yo' kin git some dirt offa de grave- yard. An' yo' takes it back home an' put it in dis enve- lope an' write chure name down nine time an' [demon- strates] write chure name heah nine time, er, one time, an' her name heah one time, see all de way down. Well, yo' go on down an' let chure name be firs' all de time, all de way down. Well, yo' go on down till yo' git dat nine times.
(Each one nine times?)
Yessir, yores nine an' mine nine times. Well, yo' takes dis envelope an' yo' cuts a hole in de mattress an' put dis envelope undah dere, undah de feet or eithah at de haid, or eithah where de body lay on de baid, see. Well, dat'll make him come, if he's workin'; an' if he ain't been bringin' 'is money home, dat'll make him come an' give his money tuh dis girl or 'is wife. An' den, when yo' do dis, put dis envelope undah dere, why yo' kin take...
[I interrupt.]
(Now, which side do you put it under, his place or under your place?)
His place where he sleeps. An' den yo' take dis aig, newly-freshly-laid aig, hen aig. Write chure name [demonstrates] heah one time, an' hers heah once, until yo' write it all de way round nine times.
(Each one nine times?)
Dat's right, each one nine times on dat aig, an' on de envelope, an' yo' bury dis aig undah de do'step. All right, whenevah he comes in, he gotta go in ovah dis aig an' he gotta come back out de do'. Dat's all tuh dat story.
Entry 7825
If yo' wanta be lucky, dey tell me yo' kin write a lettah tuh a fellah, lak yo' know a real bad fellah dat died. Yo' kin write lettah tuh 'im care of hell. Go tuh de graveyard an' write de lettah tuh 'im. Come back an' put it undah de haid of yuh baid dat night an' yo'll dream about 'im. Yo'll be lucky an' git money, lucky tuh git a job - anything. [In general folklore to dream of the dead is lucky - see FACI 2nd ed., Nos.8271-8272, 8274, p.367.]
(You write the letter in care of hell?)
Yassuh.
Entry 7874
Yo' want sompin fo' luck or sompin lak dat, take some graveyard dirt. Depend on how much yo' want. Now, yo' don' wanta make a plastah of graveyard dirt fo' no sickness or nuthin. Yo' take a tablespoonful of graveyard dirt an' a tablespoonful of salt an' git chew some bluestone. An' mix dis up in a quart bottle an' use it in 'er room or in a hall where it's private. Now lak if it in yore room, use it in yore room. But yo' gotta git out an' use some out dere too an' not let 'em know nuthin about it.
(What do you do with that after you put it in that bottle?)
Shake it up an' use it jes' lak yo' would perfume, yo' see - jes' lak yo' do perfume. Yo' kin use it on yo'self, go tuh baid an' use it.
[To shake it up, a magic rite, excites the spirit in the bottle to action.]
(What will that do?)
Make him love her, git all de money she wants.
Entry 8034
A bone from a daid pusson depends whut chew wanta use it fo'. N Now, yo' kin use a bone from a dead pusson fo' two diff'ren' thin's. Yo' kin use it - well, say three: yo' kin use it fo' gamblin', yo' kin use it fo' tuh hahm [harm] somebody or somepin of dat sort. (How do you use it for gambling?) Well, now, yo' take a bone. If yo' kin git de bone an' yo' can't beat it, if it's too hard fo' yo' tuh beat, yo' take dat bone an' yo' git chew a file an' yo' file dat bone. An' as yo' file dat bone, yo' file it intuh somepin, a clean piece of white papah where yo' kin git all dat dust yo' file [from] dat bone. When yo' git all de dust yo' want tuh, offa dis bone, yo' git chew a silvah dime an' yo' cut fo' holes - not holes, but ah mean marks in de dime, jis' lak whut is aroun' dis ole piece of ring ah got heah [shows it and demonstrates]. Yo' cut a hole dere, one dere, an' one dere, an' one dere - yo' cut fo' holes.
(Sort of a notch, like you cut a piece of pie.)
Yes, sir, a notch.
(Cut a little piece off of it.)
Yes, yo' cut fo' lak dat in dat dime an' put dat dime in dere wit dat powdah. Yo' git chew some steel dust, see. Yo' git de steel dust an' dis dime an' yo' put 'em in, an' yo' git chew three needles. Yo' take dem three needles an' yo' put 'em on a piece of flannel - red flannel. But chew put one lak dis an' one dataway. Yo' cross 'em. An' yo' put de othah one 'way up above it dataway in dis position. See? Now, yo' wrap dis needle up here, yo' wrap it ovah dis way firs'. (Now, Wait a minute. You have these two needles crossed like that [I demon- strate], and then you put one above it like that?) Yes, sir. (One - this top one is just like you're making a "T" out of it. One, this top one is up above the "x" [the two crossed needles] there.)
[These 3 needles are now folded 9 times in a complicated rite:]
One's above de othah, yo' see. Well, dat's de one yo' fold, yo' see. Yo' fole dis othah one - when yo' fole dis othah one, yo' see, it'll fole right from dere tuh dere. Yo' kin covah dese othah two needles, yo' see. Now, when yo' fole dis way, dat one fold. See, when yo' fole ovah disaway ag'in, dat two folds. Yo' foles disaway, dat's three foles. An' disaway, dat's fo' foles. Now, yo' got fo' foles dataway. Now aftah yo' fole 'em dataway, yo' take an' yo' fole it ag'in. Dat's five. An' yo' fole disaway. Dat's six. An' fole dataway. Dat's seven. An' fole disaway. Dat's eight. See? An' yuh last fole, de ninth fole, it'll be about dat big. Dat's yuh las' fold. An' yo' fole jis' lak dat. Dat be yuh las fole an' it's goin' tuh be jis' - not a bit biggah dan what de needles, de length of de needles are. See, when yo' git through foldin' dat, dat'll be de length of de needles. Yo' put dat in yuh pocket, or yuh pocketbook rathah. An' now yo' got dat in yuh pocketbook, be sure dat chew got anothah small piece of coin dat chew kin put wit dat besides dat silvah dime yo' already have. Now, if yo' got anothah silvah dime, yo' put dat in de pocketbook wit dis othah stuff dat yo' jis' finished. Yo' put dat wit dat. Now, dat steel dust an' dose two silvah dimes, an' dose needles is tuh draw money, see. Yo' kin go an' shoot dice, play cards, anythin' yo' want. Yo' needn't tuh worry. Yo' might a-go dere an' lose de firs' dollah yo' have, yo' might even lose de firs' fifteen or twenty dollahs. Don't worry about dat. Yo'll make dat back in de nex' two plays yo' make. Yo'll make double of dat, yo'll make triple of dat. Dat steel dust an' dem dimes an' de needle is done draw yuh money tuh yo'. See.
Entry 8046
An' den, yo' could take a dead man's fingah.
(A dead man's finger. Which finger do you take?)
The decical fingah. It's de only fingah dat is any good [demonstrates].
(Which hand is that?)
The right hand.
(But the little finger of the right hand.)
Yes, an' dis j'int.
(The first joint.)
Yeah - no - yeah. Dis one, de second j'int. Dis [demonstrates] de firs' j'int an' dat's de second j'int. (I see, the second joint at the top of the finger. All right.) An' yo' take dat an' carry it wit chew in yuh pocket. Ah could come right tuh yo' an' long as ah has dat, but ah have tuh have - now, dat's de decical fingah of de dead man. Ah have tuh have mah decical fingah on dis bone in mah hand, yo' see. See, ah'm goin' have mah hand shut, but ah gotta have mah fingah right on dere, mah decical fingah tuh, right on dis bone. Ah could come tuh yo' an' ah say, loan me a dollah, loan me five dollahs. Yo' will be, yo' couldn't hesitate at all.
(Almost anything you want, you get.)
Entry 8613
Yo' git chew some honey an' some sugah, some brown sugah - gotta be brown sugah. An' yo' write dat person's name nine time, yore landlord name nine times, an' yo' puts it in a bot- tle. Put enough on it, in sugah, where it will ovahflow it, yo' see. An' stick it in de left corner of yore bed. See, lak yore bed's at de left way, yo' take it an' stick it right behin' dere where no one wouldn't see it. But don' put de bottle dis way [demonstrates] turn it upside down an' leave it stay dere. An' yo'll stay dere fo' a long time an' yo'll nevah worry about movin'. Nevah Worry about money dat chew got. He'll nevah worry yo' about it.
Entry 8622
(Suppose I want to keep the law away from that bootlegging joint, what would I do? How would I keep the law away? Any particular way?) Well, they have several dif- (4) ferent kind of way to keep de law away, if yo' want de law dat is on dis beat. Now, well, let's fix up - we want de law away. Of course, if we go to work an' work direct on de police on de force, dat Wouldn't stop 'em from raidin'. Now, listen! Let's see what we going to do about stoppin 'em raidin' in general. All right. Yo' going to get de chief of detectives, yo' goin' to get de chief of police, yo' goin' to get de captain's name, yo goin' to get everybody dat's in authority over dat group, which, if they goin' to raid, dey'd have to go up to dese particular men before dey can make a raid. Do yo' get de idea?
(I see.)
It got to come from dem. Well, we'll start wit dem. We are not concerned wit de ordinary man, dat is, de common ordinary police officer. We get de head of 'em. Well, we take dat head in dere an' we are goin' to draw a round ring six inches from de centah - a round ring. We goin' to place all dose names in dat ring on parchment papah.
[No ordinary paper for the important police!]
(Six inches from the center - that is, the diameter will be twelve inches then?) Yeah, just de same [demonstrates] if yo' say six inches from here [center of circle] an' yo' just hold it [a string] dere an' yo' go aroun' [draw the circle].
(The circle is twelve inches in diameter?)
Yeah, twelve inches in diameter.
(All right.)
Now, yo' going to take each one of dose officers - see, de twelve of 'em dat's in authority. [Informant is surely thinking of the 12 signs of the Zodiac rather than the 12 Apostles; the signs to protect place of business from police all year.] Yo' goin' to place 'em direct in dat center an' yo' goin' to sweeten 'em up. An' aftah yo' sweeten dem up.
(How do you sweeten them up?)
Well, yo' can takd dis Lureen Oil [surely Zuring oil, an oil to lure the police], dat Oil of Lureen, when it come for anything beneficial, all good things, this is to use for dat most particular purpose [beneficial to oneself]. Like yo' can use seven drops of dat Oil of Lureen, an' aftah yo' use it round in dere, why yo' goin' to take what yo' call a tappan[?] beans come from Central America.
(What kind of a bean?)
Dat's a bean come from.... Central America, from Las.... G....de capital of Las....
(What do you call those beans, what is the name of them?)
Santoine[?] beans.
(Santoine[?] beans and where do they come from?)
Central America.
(From where? You said some place in Central America?)
Well, sir, G....is the capital of Las....but dey bring 'em from G....to Las.... an' dat's de seaport.
(I see. All right.)
Now, why each one of dose names I done going to take pure white thread. It made kind of like wit four corners an' it grows in a bean [pod] an' dere may be twelve in one bean [pod], eight or ten, like dat. Yo' take it an' yo' sew it right in de center of dat name. Like my name would be Paul B. Dickson. Where the "D" at, yo' could write it twixt de "D" right in de center. An' whosomevah [whatever policeman] go back there [in your place of business, you complain to him] an' say, "Well, this is a quiet zone an' they raisin' Sam an' singing over there. Ah can't sleep at night. How yo' want me to work an' I'se lonesome an' all of that stuff." "Well, all right, " [says the officer] "we'll take care of dat." An' before he [officer] gets out of there [your place of business], dat stuff [you prepared] got him. (How do you do that? You sew one of these beans on each one of those names? Then what do you do with that parchment, then?) On [a bean on] each one of dose name. Den yo' take dat parchment an' yo' just fold it in like that an' just take it ovah dere an' put it in [your] show- case. Just keep it anywhere. Then it has a tendency to - wheresomevah your funds at, yo' can keep it right in yore funds an' it has a tendency to draw funds.
(You mean, the money?)
Yeah.
(In your money box where you keep your money?)
Yeah.
(I see.)
Entry 8659
You take his name an' write it nine times, an' git choo a he an' she lodestone an' put it in there with his name, an' git a silver dime from 'im. An' he'll give yo' ever' nickel of money he kin make or scrape. (What do you do with that after you get this stuff together?) Yo' make it like in a little bag an' yo' pin it on yo'. Yo' see, yo' write his name first, yo' make yore wish jis' w'atevah yo' want done, yo' understan', an' den yo' wrap it up to yo' an make yore wish an' sew it up an' wear it on yo'.
(What do you do with this dime?)
Put it in there with dat - dat lodestone. Draws it, draws his money to yo'.
Entry 8695
Take some red peppah an' put it in his lef' shoe, an' write his name on a piece of paper an' lay it over that red peppah. Dat'll make yo' [a woman] get his money.
Entry 10001
Den ah heard dat when show people come tuh town an' dey winnin' a gang of money out dere [at the show-grounds], yo' know, dey have some of dat stuff. Well, yo' kin put a frog in yuh pocket an' go on out dere an' win all de money yo' want. Dat'll keep down dat. Whut chew call dat stuff?
(What do they call that now? It's a powder of some sort?)
Dey call it, yes sir. Some kinda powdah dey use. Ah jis' can't think of de name of it. (Is it goofer dust?) Yes sir, dat's right! Well, dey [the show people] sprinkle dat down roun' de place dere an' yo' can't do no winnin'.
Entry 10199
A candle for luck and success you burn to St. Peter. He hold de key in his hand. All right dat opens. They call that open the way for you, you see. St. Raymond that's money. You burn to him and he keeps you with a piece of money; and you got to give him a piece of money, and he keeps you with a piece of money. That's the Way that is. (Do you know any other saints? St. Micahel? Any other saints they burn candles to?) Yes, St. Micahel. They burns to St. Peter, St. Raymond and St. Anthony.
(What do they burn to St. Anthony for?)
They burn to St. Anthony for to bring people back, mens back to - women back when they done quit. You make a wish and burn that light to him. Go to the church anywhere and light a light, if you don't have the saint at the house. If you have had the saint blest and put at your home and you prays to it three times a day, that's to bring anybody back to you what done left you.
(Do you mean three times one after the other, or?)
Three times a day, twelve - say six in morning, twelve in the day, and six in the evening. That's three times, you pray to this saint. And have your light burning. It'll - in nine days you see an improvement.
Entry 11067
Or eithah his pants, yo' know, jis' take - yo' know where that seat is in there in de pants, in de seat of it - an' yo' take that an' wear it aroun yore waist, or either place it in yore purse, an' that keeps him an' makes hin give you all his money.
(You can do it with either the seat of his pants or his underclotb ing?) Yes.
Entry 11123
If someone dies, a person whom you have mistreated, put a piece of money in the coffin and he or she cannot come back to hant you. Must stay and guard the money.
Entry 11170
A piece of de devil's-shoestring an' put it down at de do' where de person gotta travel back an' farwards, an' dey'll have bad luck an' can't git hold of no money much.
Entry 11251
It's a woman heah from Florida an' she claim dat she kin do all dese things, yo' know. An' she say if yo' be goin' with a man an' he don' love yo', say she kin make this man love yo'; an' said she'll fix it so dat chew kin git every penny he makes.
Entry 12141
Well, ah wuz sellin' whiskey once mahself, yo' see. Ah got me one bottle of Hearts Cologne an' put it on a table an' some powder. (What kind of powder?) Well, ah got dis heah regular bath powder. An' ah put it dere on de table where it would perfume roun' in de house. Mens comes in, different ones comin' in, well, de luck's on de house. Dat heart is lucky perfume yo' understand. Well, dey spends lots of money.
Entry 12342
Yo' take an' yo' gets a piece of cloth about four inches square each way, an' yo' take [he and she] lodestone an' mash it together. An' den yo' get yourself, take some of your own perspiration, yo' know, an put it in dere - dampen it. Yo' kin take de end of a piece of your own clothes an' put in dere an' fold it together. Fo' instance, if yo' got a piece of silver money, yo' kin take a piece of your sil- ver money an' put it in dere. It will be a piece about dat wide an' about dat high [very small size] an' yo' take dat an' sew it to de inside of yore under- clothes - under your arm, under your right arm. An' yo' wear dat dere fo' three days. An' yo' don't feel no 'fect from dat until de third day, an' den yo' be- gin to see it. Den after de third day yo' kin go in any gambling game or any kind of winning game yo' wanta, an' yo'll win money.
Entry 12750
Ah hear dat if a man wanted a job an' he couldn't git none no way, he go an' git one - ah ain't nevah tried it but ah hear de fact of it. Ah don't know whether yo' ever hear tell of dis rattlesnake marster root an' burn it into a powder, an' yo' take dat powder, jest lak dis is yore job heah. Well, ah come to de job an' ah sprinkle dat powder round dere. Den ah git me some of dis shame brier root, a little brier dat grows dey call de shame brier. Ah don't know whether yo' evah hear tell of it. [For shame brier and its various names, see No.2290, p.646f., v.1, and elsewhere.] An' ah'll take dat shame brier root an' den ah'll chew it, lak ah'm talkin' wid chew, [and say] "Ah wants a job, Captain." Why all de time dat me an' yo' talkin ah be chewin' dat root an' spittin'. Dey tell me if yo' do dat, why he'll do jest 'xactly whut chew tell 'im to do. He'll give yo' a job. Or if yo' wants money, yo' take dat shame brier root an' dat rattlesnake marster dust, after yo' pound dat root up, an' keep it in yore pocket whilst yo' talkin' [to boss]. Spit an' chew it an' have dat dust - throwin' dat dust out, yo' know.
Entry 11159
Ah saw in there [in a book?]. It says if yo' take a piece of devil's- shoestring an' put it in de Bible, an' let it stay ovahnight, an' put it in a man's path where he walk, he won't have any mo' money - yo' know, jes' as yo' tell 'em to go, he'll go an' do. [Reference lost!]
Entry 2905
A pink can'le is lucky - a pink can'le will bring yo' prosperity. A blue candle is fo' health an' prosperity in de home. Black candle is death. Dat's bad - a black candle is bad. An' a white can'le brings a beautiful life - all de way down yo' past life, happy times. (Do you know how people burn these? Any special way?) Yassuh. Now yo' kin burn de can'les and after - when yo' start tuh burn 'em, say, "Name of de Father, Son and Holy Ghost." [Informant makes sign of cross.]
(Cross yourself?)
Yassuh, and after you say that you git down [on your knees] and ask fo' jest whatever yo' want - makes yore wishes, yo' know fo' whatever yo' want and that will sho' bring it tuh yo'. Burning de candle will sho' bring it to yo'. An' then yo' burn on Thursday. Always yo' burns a green candle fo' money, understand. But you always have to make the sign of the cross.
Entry 4187
Me, fo' mahself, dis whut wuz tol' me tuh do: tuh git two needles, two bran'-new needles, an' put urine in de bottle, mine. Put it in a li'le bottle 'bout dat long, jis' big enough tuh hol' dem needles, yuh know, an' - ah kin go an' git dat an' show it tuh yuh where it's right dere now in mah trunk, ah kin show yuh - dat [2 needles and urine in bottle] an' some red peppah an' some salt an' some spice. An' put it all in a bottle an' stop it up tight, an' wear it on yuh. Dey said da' chew go tuh any man or any woman an' secure a job, see. Well dat somepin tuh git money.
(WHO TOLD YOU THIS?)
SOME OLE FORTUNETELLAH FELLAH DAT HANG AROUN' MAH HOUSE RIGHT - SEE AH LIVE UP DE HILL DERE.
(DID IT HELP YOU?)
NAW, AH DON'T SEE DAT IT BENEFIT ME ANYTHING.
Entry 4594
Take dat bow an' dress it wit Hearts Cologne an' wear roun' 'er wais', an' jes' as long as she keep dat bow an' wear it, yuh can't stay from roun' 'er. An' she kin git all of 'is money an' kin treat chew any kinda Way she wants tuh an' yuh nevah will leave 'way. An' if she wears it till she lose it, den dere where she lose yuh lovin'.
Entry 13250
I stayed at a place up north. Every morning when I kindled de fire- I gen'a'ly made de fire - they had a package of sulphur there on that stove. When it was hot, they would sprinkle de sulphur on it, to fumigate de house with sulphur. They said that kept off the evil spirits and give it luck. (Every morning?) Every morning they'd sat- urate dat stove, when ft. got hot, you know, so that sulphur Would burn, they would sprinkle some of that sulphur on the stove. Said that kept off the evil spirits and give them luck. Druv [drove] the evil spirits out of the house, which, you know yourself, that there are more evil spirits than there are good ones. We are told by the Bible that many's the soul to walks this earth, visible or invisible. What they meant visible ones is the ones that we want to get rid of, don't want to be bothered with 'em. Well, now, we'll go back to de sulphur question. When you go to dig money, you make a circle around, all de way around de place yo' goin' to dig. Now a fellah tole me this to be a fact. Ah never seen it. An' sprinkle sulphur all around it [circle], an' yo' dig inside de ring of sulphur. When de evil spirit comes up there, he can't get inside that ring over that sulphur.
Entry 13325
It some kind of a rod dey got an' dey say wha'evah way dat rod turn - it won't turn until yo' git right whar de money is. An' it will - dat needle point right down whar de money buried at, an' dey go dere an' dig it up.
Entry 13457
Dis pullin' bone in a chicken, yo' take dat bone an' yo' do a lotta different things wit dis bone. Yo' take dis pullin' bone an' keep it in yore pocket an' it gives yo' good luck. Sometimes yo' git a job or yo' find money. An' yo' take dis pullin' bone again an' break it an' stick it through de do' at de first man dat come in. Dat'll be yore husband.
Entry 162
[They] said dat a evil man had died an' had some money buried, an' he come back an' be visitin' where dis treasure he had buried.
(That is, this whirlwind?)
Yessuh.
Entry 911
Tell yo' 'bout us fellahs gittin' a han' fo' gamblin' once. We wus down in Sumter, So'th Ca'lina, an' we walked from Sunter down tuh Florence. Both of us wus broke an' we wus in town an' wus goin' to a fellah lived on No'th Darling Street, an' he goes roun' there an' he tole us, say, "Ah'm goin' give yo' a han'. Dis han' will cost yo' ten dollahs." Say, "Yo' haven't got de money, now?" Say, "No suh." Say, "Ah'm goin' give yo' a han'," say, "when yo' git de money ah'll know it." Says, "Aftah yo' gits it - aftah yo' done made," say, "yo' take but ten dollahs an' envelope an' seal de envelope up, seal it at de sunrise. Yo' walk out an throw dis envelope up towards de sunrise an' ah'll git it." So he made a han' an' we came on an' went to de [something] Lumber Company an' on payday, about two week aftah, we had about $175 or $180 [from gambling] an' he hadn't been havin' any luck atall. An' dat Monday, he said, "Well, ah lak tuh see yo' try it - if dis money come back [after thrown into air], ah'm goin' keep it." An' sho' 'nuff, he put dis money in de envelope an' seal de envelope up ah wus standin' dere lookin' at him - an' throwed it up, an' I an' him haven't seen de envelope since. An' that Thursday, we got a lettah from No'th Darlin' Street, thankin' us for de money.
(North Darling Street?)
Yes, No'th Darlin' Street, at Florence, South Carolina. (He went over there to Florence to inquire about this root doctor to get that hand from him?) Dat's right an' he got de han' an' it did jes' lak de man say.
(And the envelope disappeared up into the air?)
Disappeahed up in de air - ah wus right dere lookin' at dat, 'cause ah got afraid after he did it. Jes' as he tole him tuh do, an' it jes' out of de way. [At the end of informant's interview I made a note at the time and transferred later to the transcription: "That story he told about the envelope, throwing it up into the air and having it disappear - he said that the root doctor was old Doctor Harris (see Index) down in Florence, S. Car."] [Fayetteville, N. Car.,
(1429), 2378:11.] [See Payment and Air in Index.]
Entry 3005
They pray to - wait, I'll tell you the saint to pray to to put 'em in bad luck - Expedee. Uh huh, that'll put choo in bad luck. Yes, sir.
(Suppose I want to put somebody in bad luck. What would I do?)
Well, you go there [to a public hoodoo shrine] and you pray and you light a black can'le to 'er, you see, an' ask 'er what choo want, choo see. And then at nine days, if it's success, zhoo go back and you give'r whut zhoo promised 'er.
(You only pray once, though?)
[My question means, you pray once when you set the candle, but you do not pray again during the nine days. She does not understand my question.] No. [The candle is her prayer.] Well, you kin put 25 cents in the box and that'll carry that light 9 days - you see, for that one light 25 cents in any Catholic church. [She is confusing the situation here. I do not think deliberately. She is obviously not a Roman Catholic - you do not buy a black candle in the Roman Catholic Church. But she knows a light can be set for a certain number of days.]
Entry 1855
[The preceding informant was correct about gaspergou and buffalo being confused:] Take a feesh, a buffalo feesh an' inside of that buffalo feesh's haid is two little pearls about lak that. Yo' git them little pearls outa there an' tote dem in yore pocket an' that'll draw money to yo', too. [Memphis, Tenn., (1541). 2787:15.]
Entry 2786
Ah've heard tell of 'em burning candles. Ah've heard tell of 'em burn- ing whut is known as de black candle in the house an' dey says that would keep it from being rented - make it very, very unlucky. Heard of 'em burning candles - red fo' bad luck or white fo' good luck. An' there is a gold candle dat chew kin burn that will bring money into the home. [For another meaning of gold, see 2776, p.797.]
Entry 2787
If yo' wanta git a job, yo' find out his name an' take an' go tuh de drug sto' an' buy yo' a red candie an' a yellah candle an' a white one. Yo' writes his name on dem candle an' burn dem three candle. One candle - de white candle is fo' success and de yellah candle is fo' money. The red candle is fo a wish fo' a job.
(Do you burn these all at once?)
Burn all of 'em all at once. An' again at five a'clock in de mawnin' say yore wishes.
(How long do you burn them?)
Burn 'em till de' burn up - let 'em burn up themselves.
Entry 7172
I have heard them say sometimes you [a woman] take a lady's difficulty and put it under a man's nose [while he sleeps] and he won't wake up until she removes it. And she can get this money and do anything.[Ocean City, Md., Ediphone.]
Money is a reported opportunity in a hearsay account, not a required material or a verified result.
Entries from source headings
These entries are listed under the following headings in the source volume:
- Money Gold Light — Volume 1, entries 390. Source context: SPIRITS → SPIRITS GUARD BURIED TREASURE.
- Money: Uneven — Volume 1, entries 2136. Source context: THE DOCTORS AT WORK: REPORTS FROM LAYMEN → HANDS: MAGIC HELPERS.
- RED-PEPPER PAYMENT INSTEAD OF MONEY — Volume 4, entries 7679. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → TALK TO OR INSTRUCT GRAVE SPIRIT.
- MIDNIGHT AT GRAVE - TALK TO SPIRIT IN 3 HOLY NAMES; PAY FOR DIRT WITH MONEY OR CORN [MAIZE] OR RICE: 3 THINGS; THROW HEADBOARD TO FOOT AND FOOTBOARD TO HEAD; ADD TO DIRT: SULPHUR - SALT - RED PEPPER: 3 THINGS; BURN 3 TIMES A DAY - DRIVE NEIGHBOR AWAY - BRING CUSTOMERS; WHILE BURNING - FUNNY ODOR - MAKES WISHES IN 3 HOLY NAMES — Volume 4, entries 7723. Source context: THE PHYSICAL HUMAN BODY ITSELF → DEATH AND BURIAL AND GRAVEYARD → GRAVEYARD DIRT MUST BE BOUGHT FROM SPIRIT → HEADBOARD AND FOOTBOARD.
- FOUR CORNERS OF HOUSE - SMALL SALT PILE IN EACH; NAME THEM: "MONEY" "PROSPERITY" "LOVE" "BUSINESS" — Volume 5, entries 9483. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → SALT AND ITS COMBINATIONS.
- MONEY - BAT HEART IN POCKETBOOK WITH - TO WIN — Volume 5, entries 10578. Source context: ADDITIONAL RITES AND BELIEFS → BAT - THE LEATHER-WING.
- 9 ANTS IN HIS LIQUOR FOR HIS LOVE AND MONEY — Volume 5, entries 10658. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- TIE UP SMALL RED ONION AND MONEY [SILVER DIME?]; WEAR ABOUT NECK OR WAIST FOR LUCK [SEE NO.12535] — Volume 5, entries 12534. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
- STONE IN SWALLOW'S NEST KEEP FOR MONEY — Volume 5, entries 13282. Source context: "CHANNEL DE WORLD".
Source passage
continuous interview or recording context · Source-local attribution; no resolved person identity is asserted.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
(I see. Well, how did your son become mixed up in this?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
My son didn' git mixed up...my son got in a teenage scrape, doesn' concern it.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
(Oh, I see. You've been trying to find this man...)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
To fin' somebody to he'p us git dem out. Yo' know, de people whut said could he'p yo'. Say dey could dress clothes an' he'p you git 'em out
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
[of jail]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
(Oh yes. I see.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
Dat's how me an' 'er came in contac' togethah.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
(I see. Some of the root doctors say they can get you out of jail too.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); supporting excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4495
Dey can. It one down in Williston, Florida can git choo out. ALL YO' GOTTA DO IS TAKE 'IM A OL FIFTY-CENT - DE OLDES' FIFTY-CENTS YO' CAN FIN' AN' HE WILL HE'P YO'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(What is his name, do you know?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
I don' know his name but.... Do yo' know him?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[Addresses this question to Cubby.}
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
I know where he is...
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4496
He's down in Williston. Somebody s'posed to take me down dere, but it's too late now. Dey done sentenced my son. Dere's nothin' I can do about it - not ha'dly anymore. Although I be right upon him. Ev'ry fourth Sunday I go up to see 'im
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[her son]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(I see.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
But this gurl is still workin' on her son - hard, hard
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[draws out this hard]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
. Yo' know Ronnie, don' yo'?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[Addressed to Cubby.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Got in dat trouble - his mother's Lois.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Oh, yes, yes. I know who yo' talkin' about.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Dat's de one. Yo' don' remember the gal who wus stayin' wit 'er? He had her about crazy one time, yep.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(Do you know where this fellow down in Williston lives? How far is Williston from here?)
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[Question addressed to Cubby.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Williston is not too far.
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[Miffin answers.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Williston is about an hour's drive.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah about an hour's drive. Because I have been bein' so broke, but they tole me if I git me de oldes' fifty-cent I could fin' an' go down dere an' take it I will git little Timmy some money an' keep me a little piece of money. Now I defin'tly know people dat go down dere.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(Now what does he do? Have you any idea? Has anyone told you what he does?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Well, dat's up to yo' an' dis main wha' choo do. Yo' know wha' choo wan' did. It's up to yo'.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(You take an old fifty-cent piece in silver.)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah, but yo' gotta have dat. Have yo' heard dat?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[Again asking Cubby.]
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); supporting excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yo' gotta git de oldes' fifty-cent piece yo' can fin'.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
I happen to know where he lives because I've taken a fare there before.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(You've taken a fare there. To see him?)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
But yo' know what? I know a woman dat got 'er son dead out of trouble goin' up dere - dead out. But I'm too late fo' my boy 'cause I didn' b'lieve in dis an' I jis' couldn' git myself up to go 'til it wus too late. Dey sentenced 'im an' ev'rything. My son got from 6 months to 20 years an' he was jis' 15.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(Oh, that's terrible!)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(That's terrible!)
informant · Miffin (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah, but he can make it out in another year if I understan' de parole. But dis main is good down in Williston, Florida. Have yo' heard he Was real good?
editorial gloss or commentary; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
[Again talking to Cubby.]
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah, I've heard he's very good.
uncertain turn attribution; attribution alternatives: Miffin (speaker in this passage), Cubby (speaker in this passage); attribution is uncertain; context excerpt; unresolved source attribution, context only · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah, tha's whut I heard too.
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(We'll have to try to see that man, Mr. Cubby.)
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY
contact participant · Cubby (speaker in this passage); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
We can get down there week after next.
editorial speaker label; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
HYATT TO CUBBY
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
interviewer · Hyatt (interviewer); context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
(All right. I'd like to see him.)
context only; context excerpt · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Nested source context: live participant knowledge limit · Vol. 5, p. 4496
CUBBY I happen to know where he lives because I've taken a fare there before.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4496
He's down in Williston. Somebody s'posed to take me down dere, but it's too late now. Dey done sentenced my son. Dere's nothin' I can do about it - not ha'dly anymore. Although I be right upon him. Ev'ry fourth Sunday I go up to see 'im
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Dat's de one. Yo' don' remember the gal who wus stayin' wit 'er? He had her about crazy one time, yep.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah about an hour's drive. Because I have been bein' so broke, but they tole me if I git me de oldes' fifty-cent I could fin' an' go down dere an' take it I will git little Timmy some money an' keep me a little piece of money. Now I defin'tly know people dat go down dere.
Unresolved source context: exact live turn attribution unresolved · Vol. 5, p. 4496
Yeah, tha's whut I heard too.
locally coherent printed subpassage
Attribution of several unlabelled continuations remains uncertain.
closed_printed_multi_participant_exchange
Unlabelled first-person speech about the son remains Miffin’s; named CUBBY turns do not absorb her following paragraphs.
The malformed closing brace in the Addresses this question note is preserved as editorial production markup.
Cubby’s taken-a-fare statement establishes his own claimed transport history, not direct knowledge that treatment worked.
They say, I know a woman, heard he was good and I heard too are differing reported-evidence claims, not verified efficacy.
The final HYATT TO CUBBY label is structural addressee information, not another spoken name.
Bounded passage retrieval, not complete corpus coverage or practitioner consensus.
Read the full source context: Vol. 5, p. 4493 · Vol. 5, p. 4494 · Vol. 5, p. 4495 · Vol. 5, p. 4496 · Vol. 5, p. 4497