Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1856-01-22

lnhale their odor, then holding it out to me
seemingly In the hope of attracting my atten
ton to it. I was, confess, very much puzzled
knew that Mr.. Van Koeren had in his lifetime
devoted much of his leisure to the cultivation o
flowers. importing from Holland the most ex-
pensive and rarest bulbs but how this innocen,
fancy could trouble him after death, could not
imagine. / felt assured however, that some i'm
portsnt reason lay at the bottom Of this spectral
eecentricity, and determined to fathom it if
could
" What brings you here" l asked audiblv
directing mentally, however, at the same time.
the question to the spirit with all the power of
my will He did not seem to hear me. but still
kept moving uneasily about, with the cracking
noise mentioned, and holding the pot of tulips
toward me-
1t is evident said to nvself :. that am
not sufficiently rapport with this spirit in
order for him to make himself understood by
speech. He has. therefore. recourse to symbols
The pot of tulips is 4 symbol. But of what ."
While rejecting these things, continued
20 gaze upon the spirit While observing him
attentively, he approached my bedside bv a
rapId movement, and laid one hand on NV arm
The touch was icy cold, and panied me at the
moment. Next morning my arm was swollen.
and marked with a round blue spot Then
passing to my bedroom door, the spirit opened
it noisily and went out, shutting it behind him.
Catching for a moment at the idea that | was
the dupe of I. trick, jumped out of bed and
ran to the door 1t was locked, with the KEY
on the inside, and brass safety-bolt which Law
above the lock, shot safely home. All was as
had left 1t on going to bed. Yet declare most
solemnly, that as the ghost made his exit l not
alone saw the door open but I sa,o the corridor
o'dSide, and distinctly o5serued large picture of
William Of Orange that hung just opposite to my
room This to me the most curious portion
door had been opened by the ghost and the re-
slstance of physical obstacles overcome In some
amazing manner-because IN this case the bolts
must have been replaced when the ghost was
outside the door-or he must have had a suffi-
cient magnetic rapport with my mind to impress
upon it the belief that the door was opened, and
also to conjure up in my brain the vision of the
corridor and the picture, features that l would
have seen if the door had been opened by any
ordinary physical agency.
The next morning at breakfast I suppose my
manner must have betrayed me, for Jasper said
to NE, after staring at me for some time,
Why, Harry Escott, whats the matter with
you? You look as if you had seen a ghost r'
SO have, Jasper"
Jasper, of course, burst into loud lit OF
laughter, and said he'd shave my head aud give
me a shower-bath.'
Well, you may laugh" l answered 8. but
you shall see it tonight. Jasper"
He became serious in 4 momeut-I suppose
there was something earnest in my manner that
convinced him that my words were not idle
and asked me to explain. 1 described my in
teryiew accurately as l could.
How did you know that it was old Van
koeren?" he asked.
Because have seen his picture a hundred
times with Alice" l answered. and this appa-
rition was like it it as possible for ghost
to be like miniature"
3" You must not think I'm laughing at you.
Harry" he continued, but | wish YOU wouId
answer this. We have all heard of ghosts
ghosts of men, women and children, dogs, horses,
in fact, every living animal but hang me If ever
l heard of the ghost of afower-Pot before"
!" Ny dear Jasper, yoS would have beard of
such things if you had studied such branches OF
learning. All the phenomena l witnessed last
night are supported by well authenticated facts
The cool wind has attended the appearance of
more than one ghost. and Baron Reichenbach
asserts that his patients. who you know are for
the most part sensitive to apparitions inyaria-
bly, feel this wind when a magnet IS brought
close to their bodies. With regard to the tiow-
erpot about which you make 50 merry, 1t Is to
me the least wonderful portion of the apparia-
tions. When a ghost is unable to find person
of sufficient receptiyity, in order to communi-
cate with him by speech, he Is obliged to have
recourse to symbols to express his wishes These
he either creates by some mysterious power out
of the surrounding atmosphere, or he impress
ses, by magnetic force on the mind of the per-
son he visits, the form of the symbol he is anx-
ious to have represented. There is an instance
mentioned by Jung Stilling of student at
Brunswick, who appeared to professor of l. ;
college with picture IN his hands, which pic
ture had hole in it that the ghost thrust his
head through For a long time this symbol
was mystery but the student was persever-
through the picture, until at last ii was discov-
cred that, before he died, he had gotten some
painted slides for magic lantern from a shop
keeper in the town, which had not been paid
for at his death and when the debt had been
discharged, he and his picture vanished forev-
ermore. Now here was a symbol distinctly
bearing IN the question at issue. This poor
student could find no better way of expressing
his uneasiness at the debt for the painted slides
than by thrusting his head through picture.
How he conjured up the picture l can not pre-
tend to explain, but that it used as a SYM
Dol Is evident"
Then YOU think the fower-pot Of old Van
Koeren Is symbol "
Most assuredly, the pot of tulips he held
was intended to express that which be could
not speak. ] think il must have had some ref
erence to his missing property, and it is our
business 10 discover in what manner"
Let Us go and dig up all the tulip beds,
said Jasper, "who knows but he may have