Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1884 — Uncle Billy’s Superstition About Brooms. [ARTICLE]

Uncle Billy’s Superstition About Brooms.

“Es you put a broom in de cornder always let de broom part be on de flo’ an’ de hanel stickin’ up, kase if you don’t bad luck gwine come to dat house des as sho’ as you do it; ’deed it will.” This was a queer statement, in the opinion of the market men, and, the idea being ridiculed, Unole Billy appealed to a colored man whom he called Dick, whereupon Dick enthusiastically indorsed his old partner by declaiming: “Unk’ Billy is talkin’ de right sort er talk, gemmen. He am tellin’ de truf, es ebber she wos spoke. Whatever you do, doan oome ter my house an’ set a broom up de wrong way, an’ let her stay dat way ober night. ” Dick further strengthened his testimony on the broom question by saying: “Es you think dis ain’t de truf, doan let man make pass at you wid a broom what bin settin’ up de wrong way ober night, kase, es you does, you gwine ter jail, sho’.” “Go to jail!” some one exclaimed. “Yasser, go ter jail! Dat’s what I said, an’ I knows what I’se sayin’, kase I done bin dar. Man made pass at me wid a long-hanel broom, an’ bless grashus ’fore de nex’ night I was in de calaboose. ’Course, tain’t no hurt ter have ’im make a pass at you wid a wiss broom, kaze dat’s no harm.” “Hear dat!” said Uncle Billy, as he hugged his fish tighter and started to walk off leisurely, while the Teutonic fish-vender laughed immoderately and repeated his former assertion that they were a set of “grazy goons.”— St. Louis Republican.