Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-10-08
From the Boston Union.
Mysterfo1s Locomotive.

Is Virginia with Richmond and tide water, ar
just at this particular dubious period, in mo-
fearful state of trbnlation, in consequence of I'll
t regular arrival of a Phantom train at the Stsur
ton depot, each evening, at the hour of mic
5 night.
Stanton Is very pretty village. amid th
u mountains Of the Blue Ridge and Allegheny, 81,
2 uated in Augusta county, near the intero
of the State 1t is in the neighborhoOl of Il,
3 latitude where the Blue Ridge and Alleghan
, conlminge peaks and melt into each other. tn
general grade constituting the great SUNNI
level of the Old Dominion, where bubble up tn
sources of tile James and Shenandoah.
Saunton il on tie head waters Of the latte
river, and shingle, there set ahoat upon til
bosom nf the stream, finds its way to the ocea
: via Harper's Ferry, tile Potomac and Chesapeak
! Bay. 1t slides right along BY Washington al
ways.
; The vicinity of Staunton is therefore sort O
) Alpine region, combining the weird and startlin!
scenery of the Hartz mountains with the solemn
grandeur of the Catskill, and legends of all sort
) of hocrls pocus wltclcraft, and other superna
tural diablerie are exceedingly rife amid th'
deep and wooded valleys, but sparsely dotte,
with traces OF civilization. Each dark ravin,
has attached to it q supersritiols romance, ant
each solitary crag is made terribly conspicuous
by Legendary goblin horrors
The advent of the rail track and locomotive
to these remote and hitherto silent businesses was
Ia the simple inhabitants. an era of wonderlnen
and sometimes of actna fright. The laundering
jar of the car wheels and the deaf ming shrek o
the steam whistle awOke most unearthly echoes
which rllnbled and rolled, and howletl, ,reverber
aling from precpce to precipce, peak to peak.
answering, and anon sweeping up the long,
slia,lowy des with denionlcal Inu. tering!, and
many of the praying nggers in the mountains
snelnnly believed that the "Jugnunt day hab
come tor s,lrtn!"
But the solid farmers of Staunton soon became
accustomed To the new uproar, aud knowing the
cause, merely laughed AT the unpllilosophical al
fright OF their neighbors in the more rural dis
trict>, and bidding the monntiineers to trust III
Providence, raise tall corn and esclew wlliskey.
they cohtipued the "even tenor Of their way,
witliour further anxious thought.
Lately, however, another and most strange
trouble has arisen even among the Staunrunian'
themselves, and the receIlt singular developments
seem to porlend that the powers Of the air. com
bining with tile wicked and ungodly spirits Of
the earth, are preparing to deliver tile entire re-
zion over to the tender nel cies of the Evil One,
and that al untatholnabe catastrophe is most
inevitably imbryo!
Within the month past, the villagers in the
central portions of the town have each ni2ht,b
tween eleven and twelve o'clock, been disturbed
in their slumbers by the seeming arrival OF
heary train Of cars which, the usual signals,
,eenS 10 stop at the Staunton depot!
1t will be recoected that, as a common thing,
the inhabitants are ali in bed before ten o'clock,
(the niggers have to slide to r0ost ut eight,) and
after that hour no night trains arc due. The
first supposed arrival of this extra train elected
considerable inquiry OH the subsequent morning.
But nothing in the least satisfactory could be
CLEANED either from the baggage masters, ticket
agents, or stray conductors. Indeed the ques-
TONERS were assured that no truin 0f cars could
hare arrired! The depot had not been opened,
dd all the Snitches soere sloeng TO the "turR out"
and locked Tie next night the same disturbance
again occurred-a similar inquiry was made in
the morning. and like answer was the result.
This was very strunye. Perhaps, ,however.the
Railroad Company has business Ot their own
mixed up in the matter, into which the citizens
had no right to pry too inquisitively. and al
though the marvel was thus partially nlleyated,
Yet the affair did not seeln exactly square in all
its ASPECTS.
But when on the succeeding midniglIt,and the
merit, and the NEXT, that same runhng jar came
down tile valley, swelling in volume and distinct
liess, u, it approached The vllage-when, finally,
tile warning prolonged scream of the locomotive,
and its two abrupt signal shorts to 6rdEe up,
flew loud and unInistakingly through the Stun
beIing town, and then ot u sudden the uproar
was checked and all WIS still ,;ls though the hot
and fiery monster had arrived 1t his cOoling of
place-and when the heavy roar Ut the escape
pipe plainly SPOKE train arrived; when a
ths had happened for an entire week, and hun
dreds had hear it, and hundreds had consulted
together, and hundreds had asked whispered
questions OF the depot employees, and always
with the same allswer-''no train !-when at
length the railroad men themselves began To
wear an air OF seriousness, and even at times
NERVOUSNESS, us the subject was broached-when
these mysterious circumstances were all taken
in account, the matter began 10 assume u ser-
ou,nrss which demanded real aud convincing
Investigation.
Hundreds, therefore. determined to sit up to
wait around the depot and watch for thi, mystic
rious train. They have performed this duty faith
fuy, aud the result has been such lis 10 send d
thrill OF feverish auxiety aud trepidation through
the whole community.
Ii is Il serious TRUTH that it the hours when
these singular sound, nave occurred, 10 trails
have arrived in Stanntnn nor have there been
any UPON the road in the vicinity. The mystery
Is unuccuunIable. Nearly tile entire population
ni the town would make oath that 10 almost ev-
cry sellse, save absolute touch and sight, that
phantom train las arrived regularly y.lor the past
Two weeks, and yet u necer has drTtred!
The pllenoInelia is curious aud lnexplicable.-
Ine scene, OF still midnight, OIL the occasion of
the advent Ot one or These yiewless excursion
trains from the Spirit lane, is represented as pos
>essing a soleinnlty bordering Oh tile suprrlla-
tural Around tile depot are assembled tile cltl-
zeIs of the entire neighbor!ood, OF all ages,>exes
and colors, together with numerous strangers,
brought thilher by runor OF the strange occur
rence.
The men are gathered in groups upon the
platform and alongside ot the track, conversing
IN low whispers, aud gravey endeavolnig 10 ac'
count tor these singular and startling events,
wml. ever and anon an dCait courier goes tor
ward in,o the gloom which rests down upon the
rails 10 ascertain if he cannot lea the first faint
murmur OF the expected mystery
In the depot itself are coigregated the women
and children, the sicky light OF d single conduc-
TORS lantern purtiully illuminating faces made
ualid with awe and superstiliouS misgivlng>.-
Very few words are spoken amid These, but ner
yous. mute and shrinking. tile Sllawled niat'o's
,it. while around them cling tile younger nen-
oers, many OF whom ars too infan'ile To under,
,luud TN. nature of tile universal panic, yet all
seemingly Impressed with trembling collsclous-
ue,s OF ililpendlng ILL., Occasionally an anxious
lace appears at the open window, peerins out
INTO the darkness, and listening ear, with u
trsnuIous palm behind ii, is turned toward the
western niuuntalIls ;,
Ono. in u wuile young girl slips out and
uiuv., with tile waiting tlirJrs upon the plat
nruI. "a. herring stray bits OF sage oplliloIl' her
.ur,e,t eyed aud orel-lnoutlled couiileI'unce up