{"newspaper_name": "The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser.", "edition": "01", "page": "p4", "byline": ""}
{"character_count": 1095, "word_count": 192, "ccnet_language_score": [0.9897000193595886], "ccnet_perplexity": [2236.60009765625], "fasttext_language": ["en"]}
Suherstitious.-A scene of the most ludc-
rous and gross superstition took place late
ly not many miles from Perth. A wealthy
old farmer having lest several of his cattle,
by some disease prevalent at present and
being able to account for it in no way so ra-
tionally as by witchcraft, had recourse to the
following remedy, recommended to him by
a wierd sister in the neighbourhood, as cffec-
tual protection against the attacks OF the foul
hend. A few stones were piled together in
the barn yard, and wood and Goals having
been laid thereon, the fire was ignited by
wll.fre that is, fire obtained by friction. The
neighbours having been called in to witness
the solcmnity, the cattle were made to pass
through the flames in order of thex dignity
and age, commencing with the horses and
ending with the swine. The ceremony hav.
ing been duly and decorously gone through
a neighbouring farmer observed to the en-
ightened owner of the herd, that he, a.
long with his family, ought to have followed
the example of the cattle, and ''the sacrifice
to Balial would have been complete"


Perth Courier.