East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1864-04-27
THE 9;8O UP-TRAIN.
A GHOST STORY.

In q well-apthanticatad ohast stary
names anu dates should be distinctly
specified, In tho following story
am unfortunately able to give only the
year and month, for have forgotten
tho date, and / do not keep diary
With regard to names, my own fig.
ures at the end Of this paper, as Of the
principal parsonage to whom the fol.
lowing extraordinary circumstances
occurred, but the minor actors are
provided with fictitious names, for
am not warranted to make their real
ones public. / may add that the be-
lever in ghosts may make use of the
facts which relate to establish his
theories, if he finds that they will be
of service to him--when he has read
through and weighed well the start
ling account which / am about to give
from my own experiences.
i On fine evening in June, 1860, i
paid visit to Mrs. Lyons, on my way
to Hassocks Gate Station, on the Lon
don and Brighton line. This station
is the first out of Brighton.
AS L rose to leave / mentioned to
4 the lady whom / was whiting that
expected parcel of books from the
town, and that l was going to the sta
ton to inquire whether it had arrived.
"Oh," said she, readily, 81 expect
DIR. Lyons out from Brighton by $50
train; if you Like to drive the pony
chaise down to meet him, you are
welcome, and you can bring your par
eel back with you in it."
/ gladly accepted her offer, and in
few minutes l was seated in little
low basket carriage drawn by hand
some iron-gray Welsh pony.
The station road commands the
line of the South Downs from Chan
tonbury Ring, with its cap of dark
fire, to Mount Harry, the scene Of the
memorable battle of Lewes. Wool
sopbury stands out like headland,
above the dark Danny woods, over
which the rocks were wheeling and
caw'ng previous TO settling themselves
IN foi the ni9ht. Ditehling In. -.
It's steep size ptsneu Win tnalk pits
was family flushed with light. The
Clayton wind-mills, with their sails
motionless, stood out darkly against
the green evening sky. Close beneath
opens the tunnel in which, not long
ago, there happened one of the most
fearful railway accidents on record.
The evening was exquisite. Tho
sky was kindled with light though
the sun was set. A few gilded bars
of cloud lay in the west. Two or
three stars looked forth-ono mo
ticed twinklipg green-criimson and
gold, like gem. From field of
young wheat hard by, L heard the
harsh, grating note of the corn crane.
Mist was lying on the low meadows
like amantle Of snow, pure, smooth,
and white; the cattle stood in it to
their kncss. The effect was so singu,
lar that / drew up to look at it atten-
lively. At the same moment | heard
the scream of an engine, and, on look
ing towards the downs, i noticed the
up train shooting out of the tunnel,
its red signal lamps flashing brightly
out Of the purple gloom which bathed
the roots of the hills.
! Seeing that / was late, whipped
tho Welsh pony on, and proceeded on
a fast trot. o.I r.
i About quarter of a mile from the
station there is turnpike--an odd
looking building, tenanted by a strage
old man, usually dressed in white
smock, over which his long white
beard bowed to his breast. Tho toll
collector-he is dead now-had anus
cd himself in bygone days by carving
life-size heads out of wood, and these
were stuck along the caves. One il
the face of drunkard, round and
blotched, leoring out of misty eyes al
the passers byj the next has the
crumblod features Of a miser, worn
out with toll and moil; a third has
the wild scowl Of the maniac and q
fourth, the stare of an idiot. 3.r
/ drove past flinging the toll to the
door, and shouting 10 the old man tc
pick it up, for l was in q vast hurr,
to reach the station before Doctor
Lyons left it. / whipped the littl,
pony on, and no began to trot dowr
cutting in the green sand, through
which leads the station road.
Suddenly Taffy stood still, planted
his feet resolutely in the ground, ant
refused to move a peg. / "get-uped'
and "tah-ed," all TO no purpose; no
step would the little fellow advance
1 saw that he was thoroughly alarm
ed; his Aanks were quivering and hi
I ears were thrown back. j was OF
, the point of leaving the chaise whcl
the pony made bound on one sid
and ran tho carriage up into tn
hedge, thereby upsetting me on tn
: road. picked myself up and tool
tho beasts head. 1 could not con
ceive what had frightened him; ther
. was positively nothing to be seen, ex
( cept puff of dust running up tn
!. road, such as might have been blow
along by passing current of air.
= There was nothing to be heard exceI
: the rattle Of gig or tax-cart with on
t wheel loose; probably vehicle
this kind was being driven down tn
; London road which branches up .
Q the turnpike at right angles. I'll
: sound became fainter and at last die
!, away in the distance.
The pony now no longer refused
, advance. 1t trembled violently, an
o was covered with sweat.