Evening Star Newspaper, October 27, 1936, Page 8

Traveling Around in Europe Modern “Witch” of Devon Forsakes Toads and Flames and Plies His “Trade” by Radio. This is the second of a series o/ articles on people and places in Englend and France, as they appear to a Star reporter travelling at random. AXMINSTER FACTORY T up and resume the revelries he left off in Exeter these centuries ago.” We were insistent about the white witch, and finally, after a conference of the city council, we were referred to Jan Stewer. Jan Stewer, in case your knowledge of modern literary England is as scanty as ours, is the pen name of A. J. Coles, & playwright who is & master of the Devon dialect and an authority on such things as white witches. Leaving the Official Information Bureau to the scones and pots of steaming hot tea that had just been brought in, we ven- tured forth again. More Difficulties. Mr. Coles was most courteous as we explained our mission., There was something in the intonations of his voice, however, that presaged more difficulty. Then we learned why. “The white witch,” said Mr. Coles, “died not long ago.” We felt a sudden depression. “But will there be & new one?” we asked desperately. “I don’t think so0” About then should have known the only remaining witcheraft would be in darkest Af- rica, But there are so many strange things in a foreign country that you are ready to believe anything that is told you. That is why it is well to know what you are about if you wan- der off the beaten path of tourists. Even on them, however, there are strange tales on the lips of your guide. As these things went through our mind Mr. Coles must have suspected, for he was kindly. He “saved our face.” “It is true, howgver,” he sald, “that some Devonshire farmers have writ- ten to a Mr. Paynter in Plymouth asking him to cure their ailing cattle or banish some evil eye. You see, they have heard him make talks on the wireless about the white witch, and, with such knowledge, they be- lieve he could work cures.” Next—Music in the streets. HE EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1936. FIRE CHIEF BAGS BUCK WITH BOW AND ARROW ‘Wisconsin Hunter Trailed Animal for a Mile Before Bringing Him Down. By the Associated Press. PORTAGE, Wis, October 27 —Fire Chiet Chester Sroka returned from the ridges of Columbia Couitty yes- terday with the first buck deer killed by bow and arrow in the Columbia- Sauk ares set aside two years ago for that type of hunting. ‘The buck, weighing 180 pounds, was trailed for a mile before it was brought down by the fire chief's arrow. Two years ago more than 60 arch- ers registered for the special season and none got a deer. This year 90 are registered for the one-week season. | FOR 3 DAYS ONLY G'JNTHER'S BEER Steinie Bottles Standard Bottles Kellincd Cans we had the uncomfortable impression | that if we were Mr. Coles we would | be laughing at us. He, however, was | most sympathetic. “You see, there | is really no need for one. For a long | time now his incantations were only | a ritual. Only a few very ignorant | people actually believed he was magic. | His cures were just colorful ceremon- | EXTRAORDINARY—HALF PRICE SALE A Value Beyond All Comparison —Quantity Limited to Material on Hand TABLE PADS GUNTHER'S ALE BY I. WILLIAM HILL, Stafl Correspondent of s he Star. XETER, England—It was 7| am. We were sitting in the dining room of a small and | unpretentious English - hotel. A man in white tle and tails ap- proached. Ah, we thought, in our | misty early morning way, & “gay dog” | about to taper off an all-night spree | with eggs and coffee. But no. It was the waiter. He placed a menu before us, for which he said “thank you.” He brought our grapefruit, for which he thanked us. Ditto for our fish, our eggs, our cof- fee. even our jam. Always “thank you" and “thank you” again. It was| unbelievable, this dignified courtesy | @t 7 am. We began to think any-| thing was possible in England. There- | fore, when we heard of the *“White Witch of Devonshire” we were not surprised. | Post Cards as Guides. A Plymouth post card seller told us, when you are in a small and un- familiar foreign town, and the thought of purchasing a cumbersome | guide book is disheartening, it is li good idea to spend 10 minutes in a | post card shop. Looking at the pic-| tures for that length of time will give you a very good idea of what you want to see. On this occasion we began talking with the proprietor, discussing places and things that might make stories. We had in mind visiting gthe town ©of Axminster, home of the Axminster carpet. But it turned out Axminster hadn’s made carpets since 1835. The factory had become a club and the town was busily engaged in manufac- | turing toothbrushes. | But the post card seller was help- ful. He suggested Awlington, where laborers who have brought up their families without aid from their parish throughout the year are given calico | at Easter. Or Beer—that was where the lace for Queen Victoria's wedding dress was made. Or Dunsford— where lived the Fulfords of Great Fulford, the last English family to keep a jester about the house. That sounded as though it might have possi- bilities, until it developed the last jester died 300 years ago. Centuries mean so little to these people. The Magical Witch. Then the post card seller men- tioned the white witch. “How long ago did she die?” we asked with some skepticism. “It's a man, sir, and he’s still liv- | Ing. I'm sure. He wears a white metal button and you'll find him in Exeter. Devon farmers for hundreds of years have brought their troubles to the white witch. A broken arm—ailing cattle, perhaps. It is no matter. The white witch speaks strange words. | The farmers go away. Soon all is well.” That was enough. Off we trundled by bus from Plymouth. Except for the white duster the driver wore, the | bus might have been an American one. Not so the 40 miles of country between Plymouth and Exeter. For some reason it gave us the impres sion of being miniature. This was | probably because the entire country- side appeared to be laid out by de- sign, like a garden. The fields were square and fenced evenly and sym- metrically. Each house had its lawn, not of grass but of red, yellow and white flowers, so arranged that with- out them the eve would have sensed something lacking. The road itself was Dparrow, often overhung with trees, and the miniature impression was increased by the smallness of most British automobiles, which, of course, are taxed for their horsepower. | As we approached Exeter the soil be- | Don’t Spend Money to Repair Your Old Radio . .. Get an Extra Liberal Allowance for Your Old Radio Relic As Is! e No Down Payment e Terms as Low as $4.50 Monthly o Unexcelled Service e Immediate Delivery les, maintained by tradition long after they had lost their original mystieal meaning. In America, I believe, you throw rice on a bride. That, too, is came & mellow red clay that also seemed to fit into pre-arranged design with the ilex trees, stately terraces and sandstone church towers. In the city our troubles began again. Search for the Witch. “Where,” we began asking the pop- ulace in general, “can we find the white witch?” The populace was polite, but didn't seem to know. Some of them told us, however, of the spells pronounced by the white witch. For example, if a man was suffering from a burn the witch would lay his hand on the in- jury and pronounce the following words: Three angels came from the north, east and west. One brought fire, another brought . ice And the third brought the Holy Ghost, So out fire and in frost. Sometimes, we were told, men came to the white witch and complained of being victims of an evil eye. In this case, the witch would counteract the power of the devil- by throwing a toad—an evil emissary—into flames. There was even a formula for ac- quiring the power to give people the evil eye. Here it is: “Go to chancel to sacrament and bring away bread | from the hands of a priest; then, next | midnight, take it and carry it around the church, widdershins—that is, from | south to north, crossing by east three times. The third time there will meet you a big, ugly, Yenomous toad, gap- ing and gasping, with his mouth opened wide. Put the bread between the lips of this ghastly creature, and as soon as ever it is swallowed down his throat he will breathe three times, and you will be made a witch for- evermore.” By now, we were beginning to re- gard the people of Devon as rather primitive, and incredibly gullible in their superstitions. But still, that de- sire of ours to see a witch who BUS FARES Phong District 5600 819 12th St. N.W. frptsh Slien GREAT EASTERN <= bus system Follow the Election Returns With a OLON RADIO CO. 4835 GEORGIA AVE. Col. 0067 OPEN EVENINGS | an ancient custom, retained because still in the profession kept increasing. | it is amusing. But centuries ago, | Finally we ended up at the Official | when it began, people believed that Information Bureau of the Exeter | rice, a symbol of fertility, would have City Council. It looked like any | the magical effect of bringing the | American chamber of commerce, and, | bride many fine children.” | asking after the white witch, we felt, We said nothing. Of course, as sheepish as if we were asking for & suit of armor at an F street tailoring | establishment. | | | The man with the nign coar ve-| | JEWELRY REPAIRED hind the counter upheld the unvary-| |mring it te a firm you 3 ing English custom of politeness, how- | | M o ever. He was a little hazy about the | whereabouts of the white witch, but | he did think we should write about Sir Francis Drake's old drum. | u beat it, sir, to this day,” he Sir Francis is supposed to rise | DUSTLESS POCAHONTAS COAL s‘l .65 Here's bituminous coal HIGH IN HEATING QUALITY vet priced low enough for the average home. It's all lump—thoroughly cleaned over modern electric vibrating shaker screens . . . chemically treated to prevent dust. Will not amoke or clog the flue. Saves you dollars on fuel costs. 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