VOUDOOISM.
JL Remarkable Set of Ignorant
and Superstitious Blacks
Near Now Orleans.
Tho Hideous and Woird Scenes with
Which Thoy Oolcbrato the 24th
of June.
Tlio Voucloo Qtiocn.
Tiio Now Orleans correspondent of
Tito Nashville Union writes: Thoso
who arc not thoroughly familiar with
tho cosmopolitan population that fills
tho ancient city will find it hard to be
liovo that in tho nineteenth century,
with nil our boasted enlightcnmont
tho charms and Hiiells of voudoo still
havo a powerful inllucnco over tho
miiuls of many in this remote corner of
tho nation. To bo sure, tho supcrsti
lion is most prevalent among tho nc
gTocs, nearly all of whom aro believers
In tho power of tho "voudoo" man for
evil, but there arc many white people
Df tho least intelligent class, of courso
who hold tho charms of this peculiar
evil genius in great awe.
Tho voudoo queen, Mario Levcau,
died years and yours ago, and since her
demise the followers of tho horriblo
faith have diminished in numbers,
though tho belief scorns to have grown
stronger in tho breasts of thoso who
survive. The talcs that have been told
of tho weird scenes witnessed in tho
jwamps on tho shores of Lake 1'onteh
artrain on tho day sacred to voudoo-
SU John's eve, tho 2-ith of Juno must
not be nil attributed to fancy, for that
these scenes havo occurred 1 can my
jolf bear witness, having had ocular
demonstrations of their truth.
The present queen of tho voudoos is
a little, shriveled old negress, n dwu
in stature and a monstrosity in mal
formation, who lives in :i little hut in
ho swamp half a mile back from tho
road lcadmg along the shores of tho
lnko between Spanish fort and Meilno
burg. Her nanio is Alice Lesouor, but
her faithful followers call her only
"tho mother." In tho midst of rags
and squalor, in a room not six feet
square, she lives the life of a hermit,
none knowing of her existence savo
somo half-dozen old darkies, men anil
women, who believe devoutly in her
power us to do the nuns in the teach
ings of good Archbishop Lurny. These
huniblo boliovors carry food and drink
nt rogulnr intervals to tho mother, and
at least ono of them keeps guard in
front of the hut night and day that the
sacred prosonco of tho queen may not
bo entered by unbelievers.
High revel is held by the voudoos on
St John's eve. Early in the evening,
as the shadows of tho live oaks aro
lengthening and tho hooting of the owl
mingles with tho swish of tho alliga
tor as ho tosses to and fro in tho slug
gish waters of the Hayou St. John, tho
followors of voudoo silently gather
nbout tho hut of old Alice Losouor and
prepare for the annual propitiation of
tho feared deity. Tradition tells of
human saerilices on those occasions;
but tradition is not always reliable, and
it has probably drawn tho long bow on
this subject. Tho voudoos aro silont
and quiescent; only a few of tho
younger ones aro stirring, and these
draw up a pirogue or eanoe, from tho
bayou's surface, and unload lightwood
knots tied into fugots, bottles of bran
dy, nnd dozens of small packages, dono
up in parchment, and anything but
agreeable in odor. Tho last thing to
be taken from tho pirogue Is an Im
mense iron pot, holding probably ten
gallons. Tho work is onrried on slow
ly, and by the time tho task of unload
ing the small boat is iinishod tho night
has worn to 11 o'clock, and tho moon
ridos high in tho heaven, ousting n
ghostly light over tho swamps and
making all things look unearthly. Tho
pine knots aro piled in circular form,
the iron caldron placed upon them, and
n match applied. As the tiro begins to
Iwrn briskly the negroes squat about it
Sn u circle, nnd begin n low, monoton
ous chant in ti language that none but
themselves understand. Fresh wood
is piled upon tho ilainos and tho water
in tho pot begins to seethe and bubble
under tho limit. Suddenly tho negroes
rise to their foot an by ono impulse, and
just ns the caldron bolls tho midnight
boom of the clock in a far-away stooplo
is heard. With tho sound a complete
transformation comes over tho vou
doos. Tho door of the hut is thrown
open, nnd, supported by two women as
ugly, old, and misshapen ns herself,
tho queen of tho voudoos steps out into
glare of tho tiro. The circle nbout the
lire opens, and tho negroes fall back
until thoy nil face tho queen. Sho
raises her hand, chatters ti few words
in the patois of French and Spanish
known as "gumbo," nnd tho
fall prono upon their faces. Tho
(juooit 6teps up to tho caldron, empties
ono of tho bottles of brandy Into it aud
sots lire to tho liquid. As it burns with
a blue 11 a me, she breaks op on ono of
(ho pnekages done tip in parchment
nnd slowly poms Its contents into tho
.brandy Humes. A powerful, yet not
disagreeable odor rises, and as
it burns with n reddish green
flame tho queen shrieks out
half a dozen words in "gumbo;" which
re echoed by the prostrate negroes.
Jumping to their foot, tho voudoos
form a oirclo about the lire nnd the
queu nud, joining hands, begin a
duvil'0 dance that, lor muscular oxer.
tion and fury, is equaled by nothing
outside of tho cavorting or tho fiends
in the Inferno. Hound and round they
circle, throwinir arms and feet in the
air, throwing their bodies backward nnd
forward and sideways until they appear
to havo lost all control of their mus
cles. With each motion they yell,
scream, croan. and howl, and over all
is heard tho piping treble of tho queen,
who, like tho others, dances about tho
fire in a satanic waltz. Worn out and
exhausted, tho negroes drop out one by
ono and lie down on the grass, rolling
their eyes and twitching every muscle
in their bodies. The last one finally
succumbs, and tlio queen, too, sinKs to
the earth, and for a few minutes noth-
ing but tlio affrighted bullfrogs disturb
tho solitude. As tlio voudoos recover
they gather around tho lire silently
waiting for tlio queen to regain con
sciousncss. When this comes sho Is
taken in charge by the two old women
who lirst attended her and seated on
tho ground a little distance away. The
caldron is lifted off tlio lire, fresh fuel
put on, and as the blazo again leaps
upward a perfect representation of
tho witches' scene in "Macbeth" fol
lows, only there are more than Shaks
pcaro's number of witches, and some
of these are of the masculine persua
sion. Une by ono thoy approacii tno lire,
ind from the pockets of the men and
from various portions of the apparel of
the women are drawn forth all tho
articles that went to make up the hell
broth brewed to make Duncan's slayer
king of Scotland. in very truth,
"tongue of newt and spawn of ifog
are there, with such other oddities as
rabits' feet, snails, alligator toes,
snakes, spiders, and oven human bones
these were cast into the lire by tho
necroes, and as tnoy mini anoincr
mournful chant rises on tho air and
lloats out across tho bayou and lake to
greet and startle the fishermen who ho
at anchor oil' the light-house.
After all have offered up their
sacrifices to voudoo, thoy seat them
selves in a circle about the queen and
silence falls upon tho group. The lire
is allowed to smolder, and its fitful
llickerings reveal only tho passing of
bottles containing brandy from hand to
land, the ciueun taking her share with
the rest. Tho liquor is evidently drug
god for the occasion, for no boisterous
ness follows the copious draughts. A
score of bottles aro emptied, and ono
by one the blacks sink down in tlio
lamp earth and relapse into uncon
sciousness. I no old queen ioiiows tno
oxnmplo of her subjects, and tho soft
gray dawn in tlio cast creeps slowly up
to tho zenith, tho " sun rises on
the still, motionless forms, nnd tho
rituals and weird scenes of St. John's
eve aro at an end, lo no repealed tno
next year in the same form.
These memories havo been raised by
the recent death hero of a young man,
(Joonro A. Forschler, under what his
friends solemnly assert was a "hoodoo"
spell.
The young man had what appeared
to be paralysis, his limbs wore stillened,
and ho declared that u tram of curs
wore racing up and down in his head
(It! I I 1 . All ((.. .1
une iirm nonet oi mo victims iriouus
and relations was that ho was under
tho spell of some emissary of voudoo,
who had buried some oliarin or fetish
bout his promises to kill him. When
first taken sick his symptoms wer
merely thoso of a bud cold, nnd a phy
sician was called in, but Ids medicine
fulled of ellect. 1 lieu an old negro
doctor was consulted, who, after diu
nosing t lie case, declared that tho man
had "been given something to hurt
him." On St. John's eve Forschler
was sent for by the negro doctor to go
to the lake and bathe, and he would ho
cured. The sick man was carried out
to the lake, but the colored physician
failed to appear. 11 was now determined
to call in a medical man whoso skill was
extensive enough to combat the spoil
wrought by the voudoo. Another
negro. Dr. Cluplon was brought to him,
and he emphatically stated with hesita
tion that the slok man had been "hoo-
ooed." What followed is given in the
exact language of Forsehler's father.
On tho -r)th lust., in the evening, 1
equestod Mr. Claplon to seo if there
is anything like a voudoo fetish bur-
led on the premises. Mr. Claplon ex-
mined tho premises, and found that
thom was something buried under the
louse, and that it was necessary to cut
the flooring to get at the buried fetish.
This was dono by ono of my employes,
nd, after half nn hour's work, Mr.
Clapiou caused the charm to show it
self, aud took it out. It consisted of a
package showing red silk cord, wrap
ped around gold leaf, stuck full of large
steel noodles in all kinds of positions,
the whole enveloping a bottle. Mr.
Claplon took hold of tho package and
unwrapped it. The silk cord was of un
usual length, fully sixty feet. Tho gold
leaf was folded square In four folds,
and the noodles rudely represented the
shape of a star. Tho bottle was un
corked by Mr. Claplon, who found it
to contain a mixture of vinegar and
gunpowder, with other substance whoso
nature was not ascertained."
Tho charm, or fetish, was carefully
carried to the river, soulud up In a can
nnd weighted with bricks, and deposit
ed in the rnpldly-llowlng waters. For
a tiiuo the patient unproved, but Clapl
on declared that tho fetish hud been
working evil so long that hn could not
overcome its iutluonco, and suro enough
tho next day tho man died.
Claplon thus describes his ancestry
nnd his powers
"1 was the son-in-law of Mario Lc
Vf.ni, queen of the voudoos, who died
several 3-cars ago. I learned at her
house to exercise tho power of tho gift
I had received, and since then I have
studied the art. 1 never do harm to
anyone, nor do I charge a cent for my
services. When I am called I go and
do not ask for recompense. My trade
is that of house and sign painting, but
if my services to heal tho sick or ac
compfish some good act are needed, I
am always ready. I do not profes,
medicine ns a calling."
Juvory member of tho dead man s
family, as well as hundreds of his
friends, believe that ho met his death
throtiirh a'voudoo enemy's power, and
thoy are talking of urging the authori
tics to institute a rigid search for tho
"murderer."
Tho most remarkable part of this af
fair is that tho Forschler family aro in
tolligcnt and educated. The dead man
was a skilled pharmacist, and Kept a
drug store in the French quarter of tho
city.
Liabilities of Dog Owners.
A savage dog is a possession which
demands from its owner extraordinary
care. Knowing, or being in law pro
sinned to know, tho dangerous naturu
of tho property ho has in charge, the
owner will bo held liable for all damago,
director indirect, which may be caused
by such property. It has. however,
been held Hint the fact that a dog is
known to bo savage, and that it has at
tacked animals, is not enough to make
its owner liable to a man who is bitter-
by it, unless he can show that such
owner had knowledgo of the dog's pro
pensity to bito.inon. A ferocious dog,
accustomed to bdo mankind, is a
nuisance; and, if found at largo, may
bo killed by any one. But he must noi
be killed on his owner s premises, un
less about to attack somo one. A do
not naturally savage will sometimes
bite, and in such cases his owner
liability will depend on the facts of the
case, if tho dog, "to gain some pri
vnto ends," has chosen lo bito an unof
fending man or beast, his owner must
pay for it; but if a person will not "lot
a sleeping dog lie," or otherwiso tease?
or provokes the animal and is bitten
therefor, the dog's owner may invoke
tho doctrine of contributory negligence.
A well-trained and good-natured dog
may cause injury to persons or prop
erty; should he do so under direction oi
his master, the latter will of courso bo
responsible. American Agriculturist.
Tho Dark Shadow's Demands.
Matildy Snowball, a colored lady oi
Austin, hearing that Mrs. Col. Yerger
needed a cook, applied for the position.
On being asked what her terms were.
Matildy replied with dignity:
"1 wants a nicely furnished room to
myself for do gennerinens what visits
me. Dey am geiinoriiinns from way
back. Dey belongs to do hoo roloy."
"Anything else you want?" asked
Mrs. Yorger.
"I wauls Saturday afternoon and all
day Sunday tor 'muse niysef."
"Is that all?"
"No, indeedy, dat an't all. Monday
and Wednesday afternoons 1 goes out to:
tend do reglar ineetln s of do Mystorm
Order ob do Sebon Wise Vurgins.
Tuesday urtornoon and Friday arter-
noons do Hallerluyer quiio of de ISlnc
Light Culled Tabernacle has reheui'Mils.
1'se de sopraner. 1 has ter he out mos1
ob do day on Friday, became dat's do
day I returns calls. My wages am $1."
a niuinf.
"And you stay away, nioio or los-i,
live days in the week?"
"Yes, muni."
"Well, what 1 want to know is. how
much a mourn will you charge u
you stay away altogether?"
iV moment Inter a dark shallow parsed
through tho front gate of tho Yorgoi
mansion. Texas Silings.
Progressive Uudortakors.
Two rival undertaking houses ol
Indianolu are engaged in quite a com
petition and aro "cutting prices" and
offering other inducements to funeral
parties at a lively rate. One of them
publishes this squib in tho Advocate-
Tribune:
Johnston & McCowan have made
prices on metallic caskets never before
known in tho county. Now is the tinu
to buy.
Tho other liouso comes up smiling
with the following puff:
Walt Kiehoy has just bought a new
bourse team, a pair of hue bays. Ihev
iro showy animals, of good gait and
carriage, excellent travelers, yet quiet.
tractable and safe. A splendid team
of roadsters, ami especially adapted U
an undertaker's busiuos. Sam will
hold the linos over them with a quiet
pride as ho goes about on his solemn
mission. J)e.i Moines Saturday Mail.
A Torriblo Revenge.
Dauber, tho artist, hns a private
grudge against Komlcllpper, the bank.
cr. i onversiug wan a irionu on inu
subject, Dauber remarked:
"I'd like to play him somo trick thai
would iiiako him a perpetual object ol
ridicule."
"I tell you how you can do it,"
"How?"
"I'aint his portrait. That will make
him bqulrm."- Texas Sif tings.
fell
Absolutely Pure.
This powder never varies. A marvel ol
purity, Htronstli and wlioloMomcncss. More
Bconomicnl tliiin tlio ordinary kinds, and
cannot bo sold in competition with tho
multitude ot low test, short weight alum
or phosphnto powders. Sold only in cans
ItOYAIi Uakinu I'owdkii Co., 100 YVull St.
N. Y.
ENTEHIAL HOTEL BAR.
E. MILLER, Proprietor.
Ilavinc fitted up tho Centennial Hotel
Dnr-rooiu, uud rcmovwd my stock ot
Wines, Liquors & Cigars
to Hint place, I am better prepared than
ever to entertain and regalo my customers
I keep none but tho best of
liunlcrn Kilqiiorn, Milwaukee. Yl'nlla
Wnlln, and Union ISccr.
Also, the Finest Brands of Cigars.
-COMMERCIAL-
Livery ail Feefl
Oitositi: Ci:ntkn.mai. IIotw,.
JOHN S. ELIOTT.
l'KOPItlKTOR.
Having furnished this old nnd popular
hostelry with nniplo room, plenty of feed,
good hostlers and new buggies, is better
prepared than ever to nceoininodate cus
tomers. My terms aro reasonable.
COVE TANNERY
AnAlI CllOSSMAN, l'ltOI'MUTOR.
Has now on hand and for sale tho best of
HARNESS, LADIGO,
UPPER and
LACK LEATHER.
SHEEP SKINS, ETC.
Pnid for Hides and Pelts.
Situated four miles west of Union depot
on Houth side of tho 0. H. it N. Co.'s rail
road.
L
In Coinfortablo Rooiiik.
Health for tho Sick, and Rest for tho
Wonry.
Especially adapted for the Relief of Wo
men. Js under tne supervimou oi ono wnu
has hud thirty years' ecperioure.
S. 1 NLW1IARI), Proprietor.
smoke OUR
PUfyCH
6
77
Best Havana Tilled
Five Cent Cioar. S
o
Jones Bros., agents, Union.
E. GOLLINSKY & CO.
5
A Positive Cure.
MKX. .von n c. middle-aged and old,
inglo or married, nnd all who suffer with
LOST .1SAIIOOH,
Nervous Debility, Spermatorrluea, .Seminal
I.ossei, Sexual Demy, Tailing Memory,
Weak Eyes, Mtunted development, lack ol
energy, impovermiieii union, pimples, im
pediments to marriage; also blood and skin
disease, syphilis, eruptions. IniU- falling,
bono puins, HnollingN, soro throat, ulcers,
cffectn of nieieury, Kidney nnd bladder
troubles, weak back, liiirniu: urine, incon
tinence, gouorrluea, gleet, Htricture, receive
searching treatment, prompt, relief - and
cure for liti).
lloTii Si:.ns roiiK'ilt confidentially. 11 in
trouble, call or write. Delays are danger
ous. Call at once; U.T years experience. Terms
Cash. Olllce hours t a. in. to 8 p. in.
DR. VAN MONUSCAR,
I'M KU Third St. Portland, Oregon-
SPRING BLOSSOM
BOILS, PIMPLES, BLOTCHES
And Eruptions of the Skin. Dvs
ptpsia, Sick Headache, and all
KIDNEY COMPLAINTS,
ICTTCJ nrf 1U CUONH, Uvrma, wrltm
l bate ud Bprlnr lllouom f-r P)ip p.l, Indite
llu anil Sick llcVUcIic nJ lic fuuiul It lo ci i&
mlrtblr Kcntla Aprtfnt uj liu l'littftrr. I
onIJcr ll unr,Uklvt. "You ut . Ittxrl kiitusi
Ltiu m tcXroceu"
Price, 60o Trial Sko, lOo.
Sold toy all Drucerjata
ITCHELL
(LIMITED.)
Factory. Rack Wis. Branch, Mai, Orion.'
Manufacturers
CARRIAGES, BUGGIES, PHAETONS
Buckboards, Road Carts, Spring Wagons, Etc.
MITCHELL FARM AND SPRING WAGONS.
CANTON LIPPER PLOWS, HARROWS. ETC.
GU CHILLED PLOWS. AND IDEAL FEED MILLS.
SEND FOR CATALOGUE AND 1TUCE LIST. FREE.
MITCHELL & LEWIS GO,, Limited.
192-191 Front St., Portland, Oregon. .
Piano
E. M. FURMAN, Agent.
WALLA WALLA,
HOWLAND & LLOYD,
Mantacturors ot
URNITITRB
Rflain Street, Union, Oregon.
Keep constantly on hand a largo supply of Parlor and Bed Room Sets, Bed
ding, Desks, Ofliee Furniture, etc.
Upholstering Done
Lounges, Mattresses, nnd all Kinds of
ago solicited.
Dealers in
Groceries, Tobaccos and Cigars.
Variety and
Watches, Clocks and Jewelry-
Musical Instruments, Picture Frames, Bird Cages, Baby Carriages, Etc.
Candies, Nuts and Fruits, Schaol Books, Stationery, I'criodicals, Novels,
Etc., of Every description.
Orders from all parts of tho country
PHOTOGRAPH
Jones Bros., x-tisi:Si
All Kinfls of PMortic Work
New Scenery and Accessories Just Received.
All Work Warranted
raWS OF RESIDENCES
& LEWIS CO.,
of and Dealers in
Organs
WASHINGTON TERRITORY.
in ihe Best Style.
Furniture- mado to order. Your patron-
Fancy Goods,
promptly attended to.
- GALLERY.
Done in a
to Give Satisfaction.
TAKEN ON APPLICATION.