The Republican journal., 1873-07-17
Letter From Boston.
Correspondence of the Journal.


BosToN, July IA.
BUFFERS CAMPAIGN.
was rather sorry to see the editorial in your
issue of the Sd inst. headed 'Ben Rutlerlsm''
for had just screwed myself up to the point Of
going for honest Ben. my level best and for
several reasons, one being that if you can't get
what you want yourself, aid your enemy in
getting the worst possible. And in this case,
in choosing between two evils, take the worst,
that good may sooner follow. think Butler,
with the help of the administration under the
leadership of our soldiery Post Master, stands
a fair chance, and though the leading temper
ance men stand in awe of him fearing he may
enforce the laws, which they far from desire,
his chances for the regular nomination are
better than any other mans.
COL. KNOX AND HIS NEW BOOK
| notice, in your Hartford correspondence,
mention of new book by Col. Thos X. Knox.
Having been acquainted with the Col. for many
years can assure your readers that anything
emanating from his pen will be both interesting
and instructive. His correspondence from the
army of the Potomac to Il New York paper was
copied by the press generally the country oyer.
The Colonel was with the party that went out
to build the overland telegraph line to Europe,
and published most readable book in connec-
ton Herewith, which greatly took with the
public.
SOMETHING ABOUT sPIRITUALIsM.
have Just been reading the Danbury News
Boston Correspondence of last week, in which
is given spritualstc experience of the writ
al in1 Of 81, I,
Now every one who knows me, knows that
am one of the most skeptical concerning spirit.
ual manifestations, and will readily believe that
| have seen something wonderful when [ tell
them that am puzzled. Some ten or twelve
years ago, attended Seance not many miles
from your city, and was appointed on a COM
mittee of investigation. The medium request
ed Us TO write the names of such deceased
friends as we wished to converse with on slips
of paper, fold them up closely and lay them ON
the table. We did so, | writing over and over
again the name OF II deceased telegraph friend
hoping that out of the many, The medium might
pick up one OF mine. And sure enough, among
the first she picked UP was one Of my folded
slips and without any hesitation wrote the
name contained in it, [ then ene..ned if the
spirit OF the party was present, and was instant
~ answered YES" by three loud rapS | ell
quired if he would converse with me and re-
celyed promptly the same reply. then stated
to the audience what had done and nay OBJ
Ject. Said |, "this spirit, when in the flesh,
was a telegraph operator, and if he can so east
ly rap once for no, and three times for yes, |
can see no reason why he cannot rap ont the
telegraphic alphabet, and if so, as have some
little knowledge of that language, can con-
verse with him, and am forever after Il spirit
ualist.'
The medium Immediately sprang from her
chair declaring that this committee was so
skeptical that the spirits would not respond to
them. And she declined to proceed further I'M
til they had left the stage. | retired to my seat,
still skeptlc. But from little experience |
have lately had am led to think she was nm
duly alarmed.
few weeks since | learned that deceased
telegraphers were nightly conyersing in their
own mysterious language with their friends in
the nesh, at gentleman's house in this city. [
expressed a desire to witness the same and
received an invitation to be present. II is too
five deceased telegraph operators wrote their
names IN null in telegraph characters when
called for-on the hoor--on the wash boart-the
table, and on paper box lying under u table.
All was done in we'll lighted room The
medium sat in the middle of the ROOM her arms
folded on her lap, heavy tapestry carpet well
W added under her feet, and could see no way
possible for any deception. One of the operators
in his day had been a wild Youth and a remark
ably rapid operator, as many living can testify.
He was requested by one of his old companions
who was present to write some word contain
ing nothing but dots, giving us a specimen of
MS on style. He on the instant ratified oil a
word, not mentionabIe to ears polite which
went to show that his advancement in the spirit
world had been slow, and that ii was not for :.
moment presumable that the lady medium had
any knowledge of what was being written.
ana TO show that she had not, we tried the ex-
pertinent OF two of us joining hands under the
table and out of sight of ALL tapping a word
geographically upon each others hand, which
the spirits would instantly repeat on the places
mentioned. ] remarked that | wou)d much
like to call up -, mentioning his last name
Inc medium, who sat at the time with pencil
and paper in her hand, Immediately wrote
something, and looking at it asked does any
one here know who Asa is2 Now, though that
was the first name OF my friend il had not been
mentioned, and doubt if any one present ex,
ceptlng myself knew it, and when he died the
medium must have been but "A child
Many questions were asked and many strange
things occurred, which time and space forbid
recounting. As for myself | can only say that.
though sadly puzzled, am still skeptic.