The Portland daily press., 1867-08-07
Miscellany.
A Philadelphia Ghost.

The inhabitants of the city OF Brother.y
Love have been disturbed OF late by appari-
tions in the vicinity of Tenth and Poplar
streets, and Forneys Press with its usual en-
terprise sent reporter to the haunted house,
to record the sayings and doings Of the ghost
ly visitors. We copy his exciting narrative
The excitement consequent upon the ghost
story, which had its origin among two or
three boys, few nights since increased to fe-
yer heat, and residents in the vicinity of
Tenth and Poplar streets were almost fright
ened from their propriety. Some of them
have not been able to sleep at night, because
OF 6adiy-ventilated tenements, hot weather,
ana nocturnal phantoms. Even the flicker
ing OF gas-light, making shadows dance IN.
on the wall, cauIed much alarm anorn tfe
neiShbors, whose nerves became uustrun9 nm
der the power of Imagination. Children are
afraid to appear on the streets in that yicini-
ty, even in the cool of the evening"
The word ghost will cause them to fly aWay
upon the wings of fright. This has been the
conaltion OF tnlnSs every night since Monday.
On Tuesday and Wednesday NIGHTS several
hundreds of people assembled in the snectre-
inhabited locality, all awaiting the appear
ance OF the spirits, but none were seen nor
1eit excepting that class which people are IL
censed to retail at so much per glass. But the
affair was not simply an advertising do,loe 7
There was something that looked yery much
like ghost, and the optical deIuson was so
perfect as almost to make even stern pbIloso
phy tremole on its throne. The subject was
one Iof curious reflection, and cminently fit
" oe Hivestlgated by any philosophical genius.
one OF the reportorial staff of The Prose in
tently devout in his Investigations Of causa
ana efiect, undertook the pleasant task of re-
duclng the mystery through the alcbemic cul
clDle OF his brain. In other words he was to
delineate that peculiar principle involved in
lnsubstantial invisibilities, or s'now Won see n
and now you don't" - 80 ~ ~
forts. '0>''' 'i'"neu MS e.
lie entered the house alone, and thus aston
lshed even the police officers who o1,arlIaJ tt,o
door. He wandered about the several anart ny
ments In the dark, but could see nothing He
nad 10 MS mouth an lnlighted ten-cent cigar
Which was seized upon in an upper room as fhe
medium of brilliant corruscation. While
standing near a cracked white,marble wall
there suddenly appeared blue flame. which
issued IN sort ofundulatingc course to the end
OF the cigar aforesaid, and, nothing daunted,
tle reporter pulled away at the other end, and
the next moment he was enjoyinc The refresh
ing luxury of a smoke. The blue fame that
tnus afforded him such enjoyment was yery
aprOpos to ghost stories.
NOT being able to see anything like spee
tire up stairs, he descended, and finally after
some time expended in melancholy medita-
tons, he discovered piece of loose paper
dangling from the ceiling. This he found was
Esnected upon by gas lamp in the street,
that shone through the transom over the front
door, and cast shadow upon the wall. A
sho1t distance lent enchantment TO tbe view
The shadow looked like a frescoed statue
with outstretched arms, from which dranery
hung In well-defined festoons. The effect bt.
came subdued upon approach. and a shapeless
SHADOW remained. The opening of door
admitted more light, and COMPLETELY DESTROYED
tne beautiful effect. So it seemed to the re-
porter that the ghost vanished upon walking
towards wa me wall or opening the doorway.
Ihe ghost therefore turned out to be moth
ing more nor less than a piece of harmless
wall paper, which moved with the least breath
OF ar, and thus shadowed movable figure.
But how about the blue flame up stairs
mster? anxiously inquired an aced woman
one OF the listeners TO our story, !i II
NAT, madam" reblied the reporter. to
ease her mind, was nothing more nor less
than striking friction match against tbe
lwalf and lighting my cigar-a thing yery east
ly accomplished You should remember that
~ this world OF nature like causes will pro-
quce hke effects, and that every effect must
have natural cause
The piece OF dangling paper having been
removed, the phantoa has disappeared for
ever. The locality, of course, has been re-
stored to Its usual tranquility. VI H.