The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-02-06
THAT HApNrRn, HOUSE.
AThOmas Cat,FIays Ihe Ghost to Per.
lection aud Thereby Causes Much
liRehinf.

AThOmas Cat,PIays the Ghost to Per.
lection aud Thereby Causes Much
Mischief.
Some days ago one Of our reporters re.
ceived and published the varied state.
ments regarding what purported 10 be the
strange freaks Of a supernatural being,
who from the other world, came back 10
our own miserable one of sin and sorrow
70 play mischieyOus pranks In On old fash.
Toned house located In our sister city.
The publication Of which was well
enough In its way, as q piece 0fnonscnsl.
cal gossip that had been In all earnest
pesss confaed to the reporter, and who
taking no stock In its truth, lust gave the
story as he had received Il from the lIps
Of one who evidently was foolish enough
70 believe In GHOSTS" As the house has
been located by those always alive for
sensations, and as the legened was dam
aging 10 effect, we have taken the pains to
inquire further into the matter, and TO.
day propose throwing little light upon
the mysterious manifestations already
chrOnicled. We should flrst.assert, how
ever, that Notwithstanding there Is wide.
spread belief In the possibility Of ETHEREAL
spirits coming, like Hamlet's ghosts TO the
world to work mischief, still there Is not
a solitary Instance authenticated where
spiritual beings did any such foolish
thing. All "gfIosts stories are capable of
being explained away, II rcasOn only
routes fear and superstition sufficiently u
permit calm and sober analysis of the
manifestations which afford them lounda-
tlon. In this instance Dame Gossip was
fortunate In tho selection Of the house
wherein TO Introduce the ghost or ghos.
tess, It being one Of the ancient landmarks
OF Allegheny, and just such Il looking
place rs the novelist might select with
which 10 associated story from his heated
Imagination. TWAS recently sold by the
owner, who moved out West. In the
household broken up there had lived a
cat whose age was great and whose
whole lie was such as that only enjoyed
by a pet raised contemporary with the
children. He was an eiIectlonate feline,
taught and trained to do everything that
1t Is possible for an intelligent cat TO do,
save talk. When called by name or
spoken to lie wonll new rs though he
wanted TO speak. Well, this cat was
presented by the lady, previous to her
removal West, TO neighbor living close
by, but he would not grow domesticated,
outside OF the old homestead in which.he
had lived so many years, but would es.
cape on very possible occasion 10 haunt
his old cosy places. Hero then, VIC found
in the patriarChial cat the full key TO all
the mysteries recorded regarding the
house. lie was tho villain making the
mischief. When the mysteries rapping
at the door was heard and the question
was prOpOunded, who's there" lie would
new "its.m.c," Just as he did when
spoken TO in his better days. He would
scamper away when the door WIS opened
just as all cats will shy at the approach oil
strangers. II was his glory to climb the
grape arbor at night time and play among
the branches which creepel along the
windows-thus producing those queer
midnigh noises charged to the ghost. The
sleeping chap who felt the cold hand
pressed to his cheek, while he was lying
on the floor, was only being iondl1e by
poor Tom, while the little babe so fright.
ened in its dreams may have been dislur-
bed by puss who wanted TO share with il, |
as he did in olden times, the warmth OF the
crib, md yet the story, charged these
things to supernatural agencies. So we
could go all through the wonderful mani. |
iestations and make the old cat plead |
guilty to every one Of them. He is re-
sponsible for the story, and il tho occu.
pants OF the house had been less nervous
and more inquiring they would have so
discovered. We now renounce that
ghosts story and assert that it had its only
foundation in the antics of a Maltese cat.