Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1871-08-28
Trom the 3. r. Alt, on sulday.l

From the 3. F. Alta Of suldsy.l
1t Is q we'll known fact that gener.
ally ghost stories are eagerly sought
for BY both young and old, who gobble
them up with great avidlty, much 10
the damage Of their comfort and peace
Of mind. But why the history of q
ghost Is always Delegated as a story
We are unable to say. Many think
that the word "story" IL a mild term
to express the word "lie," the logic
Of which assertion would tend to prove
that all ghost stories are lies. But
whether such 10 the fact or not our
readers must draw their own conclu-
sions. Now, who has not seen q ghost
Of some description, at some period Of
his or her lite ? the slight Of which has
made their hair stand on end and the
blood curdle In their veins. as a cold
chill would sweep down their backs,
leaving them sparalyzed both In body
and mind? Who Is there while sit
ting around the hearth at home has
not heard their grandfather tell some
horrible story, the truth Of which he
vows in his gray hairs. We all cry
out, Oh! pshaw ! nonsense! Yet who
of you after hearing the history Of
some unfortunate ghost with his throat
cut from ear to ear, wandering about
In the midnight hours, has not been
the least little bit scared to 60 up
stairs to bed alone and in the dark 4;
or, If a dark and gloomy night, you
have a long and dreary way to your
home, you have not thrust your hands
down deep in your pockets and
whistled hard enough to crack your
throat In order to Keep up courage?
And # the sidewalk Is q little uneven
at any spot, do you not stumble ; and
by way. of change In the programme,
turn round and commence to swear
roundly at the offending spot, just that
you may get q glimpse behind you,
and to quiet the thrust Of conscience
with tho thought that you turned to
see the sidewalk, and not to look be-
hind you. But be that as 1t may, we
leave our readers to judge for them
selves of the following
aHosT STORIES.
On the Fourth Of July, two years
ago, n dreadful accident took place at
the old ferry slip at Oakland. BY the
breaking OF q defective casting $50
persons, young and old, were precipi-
lated into the bay, fifteen OF whom
met their death In o watery grave.
Recently, a Waterman has been en-
ployed at the spot, for fear of fire.
He Is said to BIO a temperate man, and
Ia spoken Of h the highest terms. He
never did believe in ghosts. On Sum
day, the 18th, he gave notice that he
could not watch at that spot another
night. When pressed upon to give a
reason he stated that for five consecu-
tive nights he had
Ht@ SEEN THE GHOSTS
OF a man and woman walking upon
tile wharf. The first night he paid
little attention TO them, thinking they
were o couple of promenaders trying
to play the part Of ghosts. But this
idea was soon dispelled when they
walked to the end Of the wharf and
there disappeared beneath the waters
without a splash. On another occasion
he chased them into a deserted station
building, where they mysterlously dis
appeared. After this the Waterman
LETT and another one took his place.
One of the ghosts paid him a visit and
asked him how he liked 1t. He an
swered by throwing a nall key through
him, when his ghostship disappeared.
It is also. said that the ghost and
ghostess assumed the forms of two Of
the persons drowned there, and who
were afterward drawn to the surface,
locked In each others embrace.
Now comes our side Of the city. On
Davis street, at the water front, there
is generally moro or less excitement
of some sort, and, not to be outdone
by any such place as Oakland Wharf,
they, too, have a
GHOST SENSATION.
His ghostship may probably be a
native OF Oakland Wharf, the fact Of
which has not yet been ascertained, rs
no one has been seen there answering
his description. AT any rate he now
seeks this side of the bay as q field for
his operations. Whether. he comes
over by the regular route or by the
opposition, has not yet been authentl-
Gated. It may have been that the if-
teen ghosts and g~hostesses have met In
council, when those who visited the
wharf, related their sad experience ;
how they were actually driven back In
the element, chased into a station,
where they had to squeeze through the
to get clear, and last, but not
least, howe keg Of nails had actually
been thrown through one Of them,
thereby spelling his powers OF diges-
ton. All this, no doubt, had Its true
effect OIL the assemblage Of ghosts,
when q resolution was offered that one
of their number be sent to the other
side of the bay to see If they would
not have q more respectable class OF
people to deal with. Our ghostship
nominated q committee Of one to
walt on US. Whether he was a bum
mer or not In this world Of woe and
misery, we are unable to tell, but GER
tain It Is, he has q passion for coffee
saloons on our city front, and one In
particular opposite the Oakland depot.
BE goes In there, asks for matches, and
disappears. 1t Is not positively known
what he wants with the matches, but
It might possibly, yea probably, be
that he Is collecting all he can, and by
scraping of the birthstone, Is manu-
featuring q little hell Of his own some
where In tho Vicinity Of Oakland
wharf. ..sg1'' q n
His visits, In a great measure, have
upset the steady and monotonous run
OF business on the city 'front.' and Gre
ated no little excitement, CaptaiU
Kentzel, Of the Harbor Police, havb, %
eye to the peace and prosperlr.y Of
his domain, and perceivinr, that
matches would soon Be soar ce deter.
mined If possible to oaptur his obost.
ship. So, detailing a %. ple Of shrewd
officers able to grape with a pretty
ghost, he awaited deyelon-
ments. Officers P.urke and Kelleysta-
themselves near bis ghostship's
favorite salon, but alas "Man pro-
poses and God disposes." A police
whistle sounded up street; the officers,
true to their instincts, started of for
the some Of action, but found no cause
for alarm. When they returned, they
that
HIS SATANIC Majesty,
The ghost Of birthstone and sulphur;
had been there and gone, Me city front