Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1859-02-12
a Darkey's Spirituaiisn.

Never having witnessed anything to
proselyte US to the doctrine OF spirltu
alism, we are not prepared to vouch
for the truthfilncss Of the experience
as related by colored gentleman,
whom we Glanced to overhear, but
will give the experience for what it is
worth. Our readers may believe what
Samuel says or not, just as they please.
Should we ever witness SO plain a man
Hesitation, as Samuel says he did, we
ghall have our skepticism removed.
We give the story of Samuel as
nearly as we can, in the language that
he used in relating it to his friend JOSH
ua, which was verbatim 2s follows:
'sWell, SAM" says Joshua, ''what
does YOU tink ob dis ting dey call spir-
itzisln and the mejums, testations, and
all such rs dat; does you tink dar is
troot in it or not p
'sWhy, JOSH" says Samuel, very
cautiously, Il is not OBJ de pinion OBJ
some oh de white folks on de subject.
tinl1 dar. is troof in it; but, Josh, if a
man spress hcself Oh dat subject, and
say he believe spirit festations am true,
den de folks ebry whar say, dat niger
is crazy. So you see, Josh, dat does
not like to spress myself, or tell what l
has seen, till I know who | is talkin
to tiIst."
dat is de fact, SAM" replied Josh
IA, ''for [ hear Massa John say dat all
de folks in Makum is crazy about de
spirits; but if you spress yourself to dis
niger afore God I neber tell it to no.
body"
"Den, JOSH" resumed Samuel, 81
tell you my sperience Oh de subject
is a mejum myself golIy is for sar-
tin-an' when you hear my sperience,
den you bleve in spirits too. Now,
Josh, I gwine to tell you de troof, an
what | tell you, is what | seen wild
desc eyes, an heard wild dis mouf-no,
no, | mean heard wild my years. Well
l went down de riber swamp, one night
bout tree weeks ago possum hunting;
dare was nobody wild me, but dat dog
you do see dare, and we freed q big
old possum in dc biggest old black gum
tree you eber see III your born days.
Well, links | to myself, ef has to cut
dat tree down to get dat possum for
sartin. Well, | set down for mint
or two, and scratch my head. Den |
say to myself, now Ise gwine to see is
dar any troof in de ting dey call spirit
festations. So [ goes up to de tree an
struck my Ak, as hard as could, an
left it dare, an slept off from de tree
an sed If dar is de spirit here Of any
bracz man dat is dead, what has eber
bin postum huntin' wild me, will tank
him to let me know it by cuttin' down
dis tree, an afore | could snuff my
torch, away it was gwine cuttin' like
blazes, jest like somebody, but | swar,
Josh, dare was not soul dare but me
an de dog. Oh course / knowd for
troof it was spirit. My dog he brus-
sells an growled; l made him lie down
an hush he mouf. Bime by, arter the
ak had cut big keert, it stop an set
down on the groun', Jest like when you
stop to blow an rake de chips out oh
de place dats cut wild your hand, you
know, and de chi ps fell out oh de
place, but ! couldn't see no hand or
muffin.
Well, I want skeert bit: I stood
dare an de ak stood dare jest leanin'
up ginst noting. links I, dat mus be
Bill Chizzum, dat used to go wild me
possun huntin', afore he died. See !,
is dat you, Bill Chizzum an when ]
say dat, de AK fall down on de groun'
an all de 'suading | could it neher cut
anoder bit. Den I knowd it WIS Bill
an he tink I gwine to ak him for dc
quarter dollar he owed me when he die
an he cut out for good. l tell you.
Josh, I didn't cotch dat possum-no
stree, bob; dis chile takes he ak an
cut for home, sartin. Now, Josh, dare
is troof in spirltizum for sartin, but
don't breve dis ting to nobody, for
don't want no man to say dis niger Is