The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1852-03-27
For The Cecil Wh,g.
SKETCH OF TIE CROOKED TREE.

For The Cecil Wh,g.
SKETCH OF TIE CROOKED TREE.
"Or Brownies and of Boeles full is this book"
As The Wig seem. DESTROYS Of king note
of every spot in the county that has the least
claim 10 notoricty, | have thought that this
place might lay in its title for share Of public
attention, and consequently, will attempt IN the
absence ofyour correspondent "Hanslet," whom
the Temperance Ladg appears to have frightcn'd
Off, 10 give you a slight sketch OF the famous
''Crooked Tree, - which is Situated in the upper
end Of the 9th Election district OF Cecil county,
abo"t one mile soath Of Peck Spring village, ON
the Lancaster and Port Deposit road.
It's tRPposci that thousands Of mute Miltons
have gone down to the grave, whose names are
':uuknown, unhonor'd and unsung," but it is
fixed fact, that tens Of thousands of trees, have
grown aud hourished, spreading their branches
to the breeze and sun, Offering shelter TO the
storm-beatcn traveller, and shade to the weary
sojourncr, hom the melting heat o! the noon
day rays, then iullins before the angry tempest
or the woo1msn's axe, have crumbed into dust,
| iCdNilS uO ldI'. u ltGtHu, Ut gluSS-CONcitu
mound, to commemorate their existence, or mark
the spot whore once they grew, like man in all
his pride OF youth and stately strength.
The "Crookcd Trec'' owes its fame to the
fact, that IN former times, it was supposed 10 be
a ayoritc haunt for beings of the spirit land;
and. although it has long since gone the way Of
all the earth, leaving no visible tail where it
fell and crunhled into dust yet, the place where
1t stood is pointed out, and dire store, are told
OF grisiy ghosts and irightful hobeobins-thut
Internal orgies. Sometimes assuming the form
ofthat famous musician of the witch dance wit
messed by TaH 2'!&!antsr in KRIS. 4.N0uny,
''A towzr tykc, black, grim. and larcc;"
at othcrsn white horse or n hcadlcss corpse. And
again, those invisible creatures would manifest
their presence 10 terrestrial beings, by rafting o.
chains, or a ''cCnc-ld Of SWEEP sounds issuing
from some "nearhiy certify instrument, touched,
doubtless, by the cold fingers of an inlabtant
of the spirit land
lis t remarkable fact. that those who arc so
PruydcntiaIly hlcst as 10 be made witnesses of
such supernatural phenomena as are related in
ghost stories, have, with few exceptions, turned
their back on those visitors from the spirit land
and He'd ingIorously. This shocking cowar1icc
accounts for the unsatisfactory conclusion Of
4. the generality of ghost tales. | lave never
heard Of any, save one individual, who had suf-
hcient courage, 10 meet face to face. those
shosily beings who held their nightly rcvelS
round the ''Crooked Tree This gentleman
beng member oi the healing art, was accust-
omed (ii not 10 seeing spirits take their dcpar-
tufe for ''Thc undjscoycre'd country, from
whose bourn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at least to be-
hold their manifestations when about TO s:shuhle
OIL this mortal COLL" The nerves of the old
doctor being stceled through the agency of
habit or some other latent quality, he did not
demnre TO meet his old friends again on terra
, f'7ma; consequently, when passing by the haunt
ed tree one dark night, and hearing those un-
earthly strains issuing from its root, which had
ere now, allrghted so many valorous knights;
but to him, on the present occasion, appeared
marvelousy like the screeching OF a violin; he
wa in nowisc daunted: but dismountcd from his
horse, and making il fast to limb, proceeded
10 examine the premises; when, amazing to re-
lote he discovcred-not frightml hobgobn,
with deaths head and cross bones, neither ii
fairy OF the sylvan throng-nor ghost, far wan
dered from its unknown sphere, 10 mourn its
unlmcly exit from this earthly stage-but his
, old friend Tom of the one eye, seated very com
posedly on the haunted spot, saving on rusty
fiddle.
This scientific calculation oftho ghost theory
was discarded by the good cok for, in the first
place, old Tom had no business to play his fiddle
on enchanted ground; and, in the second in
stance, had the performer been real spirit from
the other world, the Doctor would not have been
able to discover in the artist being of flesh and
, blood so this philosophy was at fault because he
3 did not discover a ghost.
There have been no strange sights or sounds
seen or heard at this place for many ears its
r unearthly vsiters, apparently, having forsaken
III but the spot still retains its fame, serving as
: a convenient landmark for the country. A
knowledge OF the ''Crooked Tree' is likely to
pass down to luturity like most wonders of anti
guilty, by tradition and a transmission of name
TO other objects. One seat Of learning in its
vicinity is honored by the name Of the "Crooked
Tree'' School house. Another, the s'Crooked
Tree Lycenm," founded at place, short dis
lance from the haunted spot-called New Merico
and of which at some future time may give
you sketch-was organized last fall for the
purpose of cultvatng the oralorical talent of
! the nciehborhood, and | am told, il has been
E emnently successful. SHIPS