The Oregon daily journal., April 21, 1907, SECTION THREE, Image 40

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Fbreanelel ens of ( . : ik .
nnrai ann; nnn-' - r r if i (i -w itabi . . street
Clients.
rjlO PEER into the dim, mystertouj
future', seeking to learn one's fate
. ,' or fortune during the . coming
days; to satisfy curiosity and pre tare for
evil or rejoice in promised . good -in all
countries and among all people this de
sire teas uppermost in the minds of .men
'long before Saut consulted the Witch of
-Eior..;-;-.::---;;r;-.;;;v..;;:.v;
Today, in the East and the West, the .
fortune-teller still holds sway, as of old. , -In
China the geomancer' is consulted
regarding every act and event -of life; in
r- j: . ti- t.v. ....L, n. l.MM1;y
. .l- ...I i.if:. I.l.j :
i 'tc future, men itety u iuiu njyn-
ing laggards tvith lovej or inflicting harm
on enemies; iu Egypt sorcerers are con
sulted both by natives and travelers just as
they tvere in the days of the Pharaohs. .
Strolling gypsies still find a profitable
avocation, in Europe and America, in read
ing the future for credulous visitors, uhile
at seaside and other resorts palmists, card
readers, clairvoyants ' and Jlindu astrolo
gers ply a paying trade. ' '.', : . '
A study of the fortune-tellers of vari
ous lands is a never-failing source of inter
. est to the tourist. , '" :"
HEBE is. more: or less, an element of
superstition in most persons, no doubt,
but while many would not pay a debt
on Monday or begin an undertaking on
Friday, few of the Western world ' entertain
the fanatical belief in the necromancer as do
the people of the East. ' ,v
In the Orient his prognostications are de
voutly believed ; so devoutly, in fact, that if
they do not come true the people attribute the
failure to their own lack of faith rather than
to the fault of the aeer. v ;
The Oriental regards his soul ss a pos
session for which good and evil spirits are con
tinually waging battlp. " '
He feels the atmosphere permeated with
mysterious influences. ; He is tempted he csn
feel the wicked spirits forcing their way into
his heart. He suffers misfortune ; there is a
day of ill-luck the evil ones have been yic
. terious. They must be placated.
With the faith of a child in fairies and
roblina. tha airrmlft Oriental seeks th assiAtance
of the fortune-teller. Both rood and evil coir-
1
its must be worshiped; he must keep the good fiT?-' From India have come exalted phil-.
will of both ; he must obey their wishes, meet 1 1 osophies and deep expositions of the develop
their desires. But how is he to know their v ment of tho human soul ; yet in India flourishes '
Willi -'
'. About the streets of any city in China are
strolling fortune-tellers. ' They are regarded as
: arbiters of good and evil; as men in communion
with the unseen : with eyes that can see into
the distances ,of time. . ; ; . .' v. '
flighty lord and lowly coolie alike consult
ue iortune-ieuer. ms aavice is asxea on any
contemplated action. He names lucky days for
business ventures." 1 He tells a sick man the
name of-a physician who" can cure him. . It is
believed that he can locate stolen property. He
telJ a son when to bury the body of his father,
so that the spirit of the. decedent may have an
auspicious passsge -to happiness. ; :
, THE WAY OF THE CHINESE SEER
He sits before a table covered by
ix.-nrujs cnuiuisuo luttcrj mu aesignsft SSgS-
cions looking mcuviauai, wearing hugo; tortoise
shf Jl glasses.
Ireinbling with fear, a pijMfailed coolin
epjroaclies. lie prays o b-t6Td how he can
natisfy the evil spirit which has been haunting
him. He would do anything., Giving the.aecr
t)ie required coin, he awaite eagerly the words
vt tlie wie man. ' ' ' r .
On the' table are a number of, bottles, Jars
and boxe. Over these the seer slowly, sol
emnly raises his hands. IT closes his eyes and
mosns nn inenntstion. He moves the boxes,
look into the bottle and smiles. ' The omen is
propitious. . :
Then, with rolling eyes, ba speaks 1n sm
THE. OREGON ' SUNDAY
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5 fifeS
biguous phrases. -Like the oracle of old Delphi-
he speaks so that one can never tell etactly
what he means. Usually the credulous one in-'
xerprets me woros tojhh ainueu; ix mo pre-
dictions fail to come true, the umorant coolie
. becomes conTinced that be took the
wrong
; . meaning. ' ;,'.'.' - : -." -
No one doubts the fortune-teller in China.
, His word is regarded as infallible. When he
-becomes rich oo the offerings of the credulous,
the Chinese, reader of the future installs him
self in luxurious apartments. There, in a dark
ened room, the wealthy visit him just as the
coolie did on the street. , - i
' Even a Westerner becomes impressed with
, the sense of mysticism when he enters one of
' these chambers.: About the wall hang red or
' black curtains,, embroidered with Chinese char-:
: acters. Strange, hideous, faces-of bronze idols
peer from dim recesses;. wavering lights flicker
. and cast portentous shadows. Spiral rings of
incense ascend and evolve ; into mysterious
shapes. ':'j .''. 5" V .;.;..'!, ..:.!
In the centre of the room sits the .specta- V
clcd oracle. Before he talks some one in the'
distance begins beating tomtoms ; there are
ghostly cries as he consults the spirits, but as1
.' he begins to speak in a monptone other sounds,
; discontinue, and one can almost hear the knees.,
a of the, superstitious patron knocking together in .
the semi-darkness. r , v
Most revered. of the craft are the astrolo- t
gers. Their charges are the highest. , The Em.
peror of China has staff of fortune-tellers at
, tached to his court. To interpret the meaning
of his dreams is the duty of the chief, . ; .-
r " PALMISTRY RULES IN JAPAN '
.'A Japanese fortuhe-teller wears a white
towel about his head and carries with, him a
, sword and a fan. ' He burns incense, regards the .
"palm of the applicant, and consults a book of
divination. ' Upon the advice which is given the
- uneducated Japanese regulate the doings of
their dsily lives. . , ' 1 '
One thinks of India as the land of the oc
culta land where wise men have learned tho '
secrets of life and explored the mysteries of the
a system of augury and fortune-telline that has
been productive . of much harm among the
ignorant. , . - : . ' '
By v maltreating . themselves the " Indian
fakirs pretend that they attain spiritual powers.
Some lacerate their flesh and fill the sores with
ashes. "" Others wear heavy chains about their
' bodies, which cut them as ' they move about.
' Many severparta of their limbs, bum their flesh .
. with fire. The power of these oly men" over
"the people is almost absolute. r
'4 Recently, an Indian' fakir, took his stand
: under a tree outside the house of an American
in Calcutta. - Wearinglittle clothing, his body
covered with sores.and his brown'face with an
. unkempt mat of-bair, the old man was anything
but anMtractive sight. - . - . .
ade was bad; few persons, visited him. .
To add to his discomfiture the American order
ed him away.' Turning in -wrath to the serv-
ant who gave him the word of the master of
the house, he declared: "Before the sun sets tho
third day hence this tree will die and never
more bear fruit" '
Several Indians who stood nearby beard him.
! Taking up his chair the fortune-teller moved to
.another quarter, of the city. . The day after
ward the leaves of the tree began turning yel
. low.- Those who heard the prophecy of-the old
man; told others; on the second day a great
crowd gathered, and to their dismay saw' ths
' tree withering, the leaves falling. On the third
day only few leaves remained on the limbs.
' Whether the old man secretly administered
some drug to the tree or not wss a questious
JOURNAL, FORTLAND, SUNDAY
however, his fame spread through the city; rich
- and poor consulted him. His help was sought
by the raick?f amulets he sold hundreds; nis
inuomou, nvm uwuw u4 yiwn iuui
eru.
c t-j:. i v.-. j i j
art; the tricks of the fakirs are reduced to a ,
' science. There is .no power which they do not-;
claim, from expelling evil spirits to introducing
' a legion of devils into body4 ,. Vr.vj4,-'' '
v' V ' Many of the Brahmin priests pretend to' .-'
tell the future by readirig the stars. ..There are -
Jong pipes. By the shapes -taken by the smoko
as it ascenda they claim ttforetell th future
In some Oriental . countries Turkey, Per
sia, Egypt the soothsayer- booms business by '
walking the streets, moaning lamentations, and '
nim7"1 ' wno s.0 no C0n8UH . ;
If be is a prosperous prophet,' he . wears an ;;
'elaborate gown of many colors; if his means aro :
meagre, he adopts a monk's robe and a tall
sheepskin' hat. .;
i
r
:7i
i
12 Ctenalfrfzuie Tellers
With bowed head he walks about,. moaning
dismally. ' Ferhapa he sees, a native approaching t
him. " r ,;, . . .j-,.,.-.-
Toot man, ; miserable ; man, unfortunato
man," 'he groans, tears dropping from his eyes,
"woe unto thee I .Woe unto thee! - I would thou
' wert in the depth of the sea woe unto theel I
would thou wert dead on a waste 'plain woe '
unto ueei uniucicy xne aay tnou wert corn,,
, unfortunste man." ., . ,
Terrified, the native stops before the nia,
, of evil power, and on his knees begs him to avert
the threatened doom., j -.. ' :
Having intercourse with the spirits, the
soothsayer efter ' coin has passed his palm
makes intercession. - '
"Rise, fortunate one, ' he. cries joyously.
"The gods will be lenient unto thee. The gods
bars heard my prayer. The -doom that was.
I.T0RNIN3, AFRIL 21, 1907
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destined has been averted, Q fortunate, most
' bappy one.? . .;: , ; .. ' ' :
i. , Then he tells the beaming -native what the
. golden future holds for him. ;
' There are many women fortune-tellers in
; Egypt Some are really beautiful women. Their
features -are regular, their skin' dusky, their
Icyes large and dark, bright as beads. From un-
aer .a reciTiurDan' meir .oiacic nair flows oVbr
: their shoulders.
, About, the hotels of Cairo , they carry on
their trade. Of course,. their. greatest harvest
is reaped from travelers .whose great desire is
to scratch their names for the first time on tho
face of the Sphinx. . " :".
The seeress ususlly wears a long robe.' Her
facets unveiled. She tells fortunes by throw
ing a handful of coins, then" bending to ; the
ground and regarding their position, After she
JLaJZgyptian Prophetess
received an offering she begins to rant Kko
: n ancient priestess. . Vhile she is regarded with
.'amusement by foreigners, the fellaheen1 consult
her on all matters of importance. - ;V
T 11- 1
xn AMiiy puouo leiier wriir usiuuiy leu
trade. V: bitting, behind ,
corner' the'1
scrivener ' is a
unique, looking character. He wears a. black
coat and a high silk hat, ,' ' ." A 1 - t
v.'; Perhaps some young girl; , wishing to " send
a letter to her lover, employs him. - 6he tmrs
.him for writing the letter and gives an odd
rvcentesimo to have him predict her future.' Th,
, 'wily scrivener, who heard her secrets while in--'
' " diting the letter, tells her all about her lover.
reads her heart and promises a speedy marriage.
In Italy, too, flourish' many of - tha old-
. time witches witches ' of' the kind that
' visited bv the Lord of the Burnins Belt in Bui-
wer Lytton's "Last Days of Pompeii." Yti will
find them in ill-smelling back alleys in any Ital
ian city. .You will find them with a pet; owl,
sometimes a snake, rand yon will tee , them
brewing strange concoctions.', v- '.','!,
V GYPSIES IN MANY LANDS A i
";, Best known of the f brtune-tellera f ' th
ffypsies. In' all countries Russia, Greece,' Tur
; key, England, France, the United 'States" the
old ear-ringed woman in her' gaudy shawl is
anniarfjgure. ... . ;-. j -.- ' '. ;
. . During the sununer, no doubt,' there will b
. . a gypsy encampment near your home and your
r borne may be in almost any part of the civilised
,;i world. ''k.; ' '. f.''fr. 'iJ'.' ',. '-'. ' -
- While the men trade horses the women win
" foeap coins by foretelling events As she followa
the lines of the band-with her Jnger, the gypsy
woman tells of "dark-haired" -men i'and "light
haired" women, of persons bearing familiar ini
tials and f oca of certain physical characteristios.
, ; : . She tells of trips which one is to take, of
, persons making trouble in the family. So gen
eral are her statements that the superstitious
woman who baa her' fortune told makes it ep
y P'y to her personally; Lhe will seek among bet
r acquaintances for friends with initials to com
spond and foea with blue, black' or brown -eyes.
' Gypsies, ss a rule, especially those of Eu
, ; rope, scorn a nationality , and know na native
' country. Each is a Bohemian by heritage and
-'a rover by choice. ' '' (''": .": ' ';i -v''-"
Being reluctant to give information about
. . themselves, a census of these people is difficult.
, to effect Careful estimates, however, place the
' number at 300,000 in Austriif-Hungary; 100,000
"; in Turkey;: 10,000 in Greece ;. 20,000 in Bosnia; "
150,000 in Russia; 50,000 in Italy; 200,000 in
; Portugal and Spain; 10,000 in.Franoe; 6000 in
England and 10,000 in the United States.-..' ,
' . It is stated that there are 50,000 members of
- - this "nomadio raceoa Asia and Asiatie Turkey.-
The gypsies travel i at any sesson of tho'
year that the spirit happens to move them. ' In ,
': this country they wsnder from New England to
; the Pacific coast; from the Great Lakes to the'
'Gulf of Mexico, their homes and families being
always with them.- ' .; ' . .'r.i''' ' .'
L,.':'". Some of the more prosperous own houses, -
and. perhaps, land, in the North, and live then
during the winter. ; : . .-' . i .
. Many others, however, winter in the South
ern States,, where5 , the - climate is not sevare
enough tcdrive them indoors. . . ' ' , ,
A, ROUTES CAREFULLY MAPPED OUT
When' gypsies start out upon the road they
- usually follow a oourse that has been mapped ,
; out in advance. " One band, leading .the way
through a country, will leave along the rosdside
signs that may never be noticed by the'ordinary .
traveler, but which catch the eye ofohe Romany. '
rover and convey to him a plain' direction. , .
v ' This ''patteran," or road sign, is usually
: little, carefully arranged pile of sticks, grass ot
. stones, placed at cross roads. - Tho gypsy sees
this pile, reads its meaning, and thus Las a mes
. sage from a band that has preceded him. . .
., Sometimes visitors , to gypsy camps' have
' . marveled at the seeming accuracy with which the
j roving soothsayers have told fortunes. -The
. truth is that .'palmistry plays little part with
- most of them. '..'"'; 1 'V
; r 1 They have wonderfully retentive memories,"
and accwnulate a store of information regard
'. ing localities upon which they can draw at any,
., time. ; . .' , . , ' ', "' - ' ; ; . .
Gypsies have their own language, which they
guard sealously, and only speak when they' aro
together. - In this country the fkalo jib,6 tho
"black language," spoken by one of these people
to another, is in purer form and nearer to the -original
speech of the old wandering Aryan
tribes than in any other country. '
Ja the cities of the United States supersti i
tion is bv no moans dead. Palmists and card
readers thrive. Of course, many appear in thai
records of the police, annals ; rather than in
. .rosgnzines Their methods fail to interest mem
bers of societies for psychical research.
In country towns 'old women who rsad
cards or tea leaves in cups are quite, common.
Many" believe in themselves . aa sincerely as -J
their credulous clientele.- - ?
.