Tradition of The Horseshoe

1895

How It Came to Be Protection Against Evil Spirits

In Morocco iron is considered a great protection against demons, who are the lineal representatives, after all, of the hostile spirits. Hence it is usual to place a knife or dagger under a sick man's pillow, his illness being, of course, attributed to demoniacal possession. In India the mourner who performs the necessary but somewhat dangerous duty of putting fire into the dead man's mouth carries a key or a knife in his hand to keep off the evil spirits. In short, a bit of iron is a very useful thing to have about you at any time if you desire to escape the unfavorable attention of the ghosts, the trolls, the fairies and the demons generally. This is good reason for buying a pocketknife. It is also a reason for nailing up a horseshoe. "But why a horseshoe in particular," you ask, "more than any other odd piece of iron?" Well, primarily the good luck depends more upon the iron as iron than on the special shape or function of the horseshoe as a horseshoe.

But there are also many reasons why the superstition should happen to fix itself more particularly upon horseshoes. We must remember that in Europe at least it is the cattle, the horses and the domestic beasts in general that are specially liable to the hostile attacks of "the little people." Therefore the elves and trolls are most likely to be dreaded on farms or in the country, where horses and cattle most do congregate. Now, if you went to nail up a bit of iron as a protection against the fiery darts of the evil ones on your stables or cowhouses, which is the place where one oftenest sees them, nothing is more likely to come handy to your purpose than a cast horseshoe. Besides it has obvious congruity for the place and object, and it can readily be picked up in the road almost anywhere. Furthermore, it is provided beforehand with convenient holes, by means of which you can readily hang it up, either over your own house door or over your sheds and stables. These various advantages of cheapness, ease and readiness for fixing would have given the horseshoe a fair start in life, it is believed, as a charm against fairies, trolls and evil spirits generally, even without any other and more special advantages. — Cornhill Magazine.

Balky Horse Starts a Blaze

1920

Kicks Off Hot Shoe, Sets Blacksmith Shop on Fire

SANDFORDS MILLS, N. Y., Feb. 26. — Upon his arrival in town, Abner Gesner, who lives near here, led his horse into W. A. Wirts' blacksmith shop to be shod. Mr. Wirts prepared the horse's feet without trouble. When he raised the left hind foot of the horse it resented having the red hot shoe applied to its hoof and began jumping and kicking. The horse kicked the hot shoe into a pile of shavings at the end of the shop, igniting them. Wirts had to call out the village fire companies to extinguish the flames.


Blind Coroner Enters Vaudeville

ATLANTA, Ga., Feb. 26. — Paul Donchoo, Atlanta's widely-known blind coroner, has gone into vaudeville. Besides being a coroner and a lawyer, Donchoo is an accomplished musician.


Take 585 Gallstones From Man

HAZLETON, Pa., Feb. 26 — Five hundred and eight-five gallstones were removed in an operation from John Koda, at this place. The man felt much relieved after the operation.


At 91 He is a Movie Fan

CALDwELL., N. J., Feb. 26. — Augustus Bogert at his home in Hanford place, Caldwell, passed the 91st anniversary of his birth. Mr. Bogert was born in New York. He is a movie fan.

Horse Gets Shoe Repaired

1910

Animal Leaves Barn, Goes to Blacksmith and Returns Without Owner's Knowledge

NEW YORK. — "Old Joe," if he is blind in one eye and weak in the other, possesses plenty of real horse sense. For years he has hauled an express wagon over a fixed route, his only side trips being to Carroll, the horseshoer, in Christopher street, between Washington and West streets.

The other morning Joe was left in the stable because his right forefoot shoe needed fixing, and Dan Barry, Joe's driver, had no time to take him around to Carroll's before business hours.

"Half an hour later Joe stopped in front of the Carroll blacksmith shop. "Ain't that Barry's horse?" asked Carroll of his assistant. "It sure is. Must have run away," was the reply. "Run away nothin'," said Carroll. "That horse never runs away."

Joe raised his right forehoof as if it hurt him. Carroll looked it over. "That hoof's all right. Only needs a new shoe," was the mental note of Carroll. The new shoe was fitted. Next thing Carroll knew Joe was trotting away.

"Well, what d' you think of that?" exclaimed Barry, when he came back and found a new shoe glistening on Joe's foot in his stall. "He went and got himself shod, and I'll bet he told Carroll in good horse talk to have it charged."

The Village Blacksmith

1895

Progress is seldom picturesque. Science and sentiment disagree. It is, however, with, a certain, lingering regret that we stand by and watch all the old time ways and customs swept away one by one.

Even the blacksmith's forge, with its glowing embers and the comfortable roar of its huge bellows, will be missed. But it is doomed now — doomed by the success of the electric bath metal heating apparatus, which will bring a bar of iron to white heat almost instantaneously.

It is one of the peculiarities of the processes, and manifestly one of its advantages, that it is possible to heat a horseshoe or rod of iron without affecting any part of the tongs which hold it. It has been demonstrated in a most definite manner, that the work can be done not only more quickly but more economically than by the old fashioned process. This is sufficient.

The village blacksmith must follow the rest and become an electrician. — Family Magazine.