The Republican journal., 1871-04-20
The Ex-Mayor's Wagon Again.

copy the article as we uld L former one, |
save that we don't care to lumber our col
umns with pointless drvel. 1t is false, |
and Mr.. Hayford knows it is, that we
slackened any efforts in behalf of the road, |
because it was not built to reach some |
real estate in which we are interested. |
The road was located from the Sanford |
wharf to Brooks, two years ago last
January. 1t was not built below the |
present depot because of an alleged |
lack of funds. We never made COM
plant, no more than have others who |
were urged by him to subscribe to the |
stock of the road, because ii rus 10 be 50
batiN, and did subscribe. 1t is the /!
belief of all those who We're thus cheated |
that the road would have been extended |
if certain itching palms had been amounted
There are certain persons here who,
while gesticulating with one hand and
decaiming of their honesty of purpose,
had the other one behind them with
reckoning fingers toward any man or
any corporation that could be made to
bleed. The wharf proprietors, if they had
understood how to pull the strings, could
have found some one, happily uniting the
opposite functions of President of the
Road and Contractor for building it, who
could have made matters agreeable.
SO far from having been strenuous
| about the extension of the road, along the
whaves, Mr.. Hayford has repeatedly eX
pressed his surprise at the ease with which
the point was yielded. and that he wouldn't
have given it up so.
The directors know, and the records of
the company will attest, that the editor of
this paper during the past summer, time
after tirne, spurred up the tagging Presi-
dent of the company, by resolutions in
work-that it was far behind, and could
not be completed by Nov. LIST. 1t had no
effect upon him. There was more than Il
suspicion that he did not intend to have
the road done. At length it became APP
parent that it could be finished only by
working at night. Mr. Hayford promised
night gravel trains, but they were not put
on. On the 18th of August, we published
a letter from Col. Wildes, saying that
night trains should be put on at once.
In accompanying remarks we said
'In this emergency. as one of the Directors
we feel it to be our duty to say to the people OF
| Belfast that they should DEMAND that greater
| energy be put into the prosecution Of the W ork."
That article aroused a feeling that Mr..
| I[ayford dared not attempt to stem, and
he was compelled to urge the work
And the eX- Mayors wagon is trotted
out again, with different occupants. All,
that vehicle seems destined to become IA
nous, even to Immortality. We are not
informed by any good authority that
wagons pass to @h0Stly and intangible
state of existence. but their occupants do.
Ii is more than whispered that this wagon
of the Ex-Mavor's is connected with a
supernatural display, which often takes
place along the highway leading from the
residence of its proprietor. The street is
actually haunted by the apparition of 4
horse and wagon, with occupants. 1t has
been seen by belatcd way farcrs, who
have stood rooted to the spot. their tcrrors
making their
1.-TWO eyes, like stars start from their spheres,
Their kuotted and combined locks to part.
Aud each particular hair to stand on end,
Like quilts upon the trettnl porcurine."
The first appearance of this remarkable
appariion, on the occasions when it has
| been seen, is that of a sleek and wcl-ap-
pointed buggy, moving briskly toward
the steam boat wharf. In ii sits Il burly
| driver, and by his side a dark complex
toned. thick-set man, bearing q remarka-
bic resemblance to the late Shepard S.
Stevens, as he appeared on that eventful
| September morning, when he was con-
ycyed TO the steamer after having been
| the midnight guest Of the Mayor, at his
residence. The two shadawy occupants
appear TO be in a hilarious and .oylully
| satisfied state of. mind, gestculating and
| grinning ghostly laughs. The wagon
disappears over the hill towards the
steamboat landing.
Another stage of the apparition is visi-
BILE AT a later hour. The ghostly horse is
seen Juggling the shadowy vehicle back
again, as if oppressed with u great load
OF sin and SORROW There is no sound of
wheels. no voice of driver. 1t moves rs
silent and solemn rs a funeral The figure
of the driver sits on the seat, his head
| bowed as if overcome with shame and
terror. Beside him is the apparition OF
Il sheeted corpse. His head is fixed on
one side. as the body stit1ened in death;
the fatal rope is about his neck his Jaw
is fallen; his eyes stare wide open and
protrude from the head; the face is livid
with the last struggle. Between the two
is u bag labelled Omitted States Bonds.f
And so the wagon moves off and dsap-
pears in the distance.
What these ghostly appearances may
portend, if anything, is unknown. Be-
levers in the supernatural assign some
previous connection Of apparitions with
haunted localities. We have all read OF
the Wandering jew, Of the Flying Dutch
man, and Of Washington Irving's Head
less lIorscman. Is Belfast to become
famous as Il haunted locality?
The Bangor Wing, in giving an ac-
count of an accident on the European
road, by which an engine was thrown
from the track, and Il man killed, says
A dispatch ut sent TO this city. and
Superintendent Lunt Immediately started for
the scene of the disaster.
1t will be seen that Mr. Lunt does not
follow the illustrious example of our Bel
fast Superintendent, and run the other
way Neither will he get wounded in the
back by his own machiner5.
We like the pluck of Mayor Garcclon,