The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-10-08
MISCELLANY,
The Hermit Of Wall Lake, Michi-
VOu.

The Hermit OF Wall Lake, NIichi-
A correspondent Of the Chicago Times
tells that on the shore of Wall Lake in
Barry county, Michigan, lives one Jack
Strand, Familiarity called in the nelghbor-
hood "The Old Sailor,' who owns small
piece of land on which he has lived in
lone log house. He is apparently about
80 years old, but says he is so. lie is a
man Of sound mind and large general in.
formation, full OF interesting reminiscent
ces and free talker. His popularity is
strange hallucination to which h. ad.
here's unchangeably. That is, that from
boyhood he possessed the power Of going
into trance state, when he could free
his spirit from his body, glide to and fro
through space and witness things transpir.
ing in remote localities. Often, he says,
he had lowered over and about his own
body, when in the trance state, and seen
it laying as if in a sound sleep. The mo.
ment any person disturbed or approached
his apparently sleeping body, his spirit
would return to it i'll an instant, no mat
ter how remote the distance from the
body. Space and distance seemed
nothing, as the spirit Travelled like flash
of electricity. Generally it was while he
was off duty and lay in rcveric upon the
deck or in his hammock that he fell into
the trance state, ana while in this condi.
tlon frequently visited the scenes Of his
childhood and his home, and silently and
unseen saw the loved ones there.
On one Of his voyages his ship was
wrecked OFT the coast Of Cornwall. lie
wildly remembers terrible crash. After
that all was a blank. His first consci.
BUSINESS was realization that his spirit
was out of his body, and that some hours
had passed since the wreck, as it was
night when the vessel went to pieces, and
it was then broad daylight. The impulse
to return to his body came suddenly and
forcibly upon his spirit, and he sought
his material abode. but it was missing
The spirit part of himself failed for the
first time to locate the whereabouts of,
or to DC able to take possession. of the
material part Of himself. On the shore
lay the body of a stranger, who, with
several other gentlemen, had taken pas.
sage just for the novelty of voyage on
merchant ship. This gentleman had
been injured, and he was
Just returning to consciousness
Strands spirit attempted to take posses.
sion of the other mans body, when a
fierce struggle ensucd between the two
spirits Tor its posse and ownership.
Each spirit seemed conscious of the 9th.
er's thought. Strands greatest incen.
tive to longer earthly existence was his
great love for wife, children and home,
while the others was the dread of a life
atheist to pass from the known to the
unknown Terror and fear of what was
to come in that hereafter which he had
always pro:esscd to disbclieve in, caused
the atheists spirit to struggle with the
strength Of spirit demon. A fight be.
tween two spirits! How strange to think
OF. Strand says that to describe spirit
combat is simply impossible for the hui
man tongue. 1t is not in the reach of
the widest imagination to picture the
same. 1t is awful, fearful, more terrible
than battle between two armies in the
material world. While the conflict was
IN progress between the spiritual for the
possession OF the material, the body which
was being contcndcd for was horrible
sight to behold. With protruding ewes.
projecting tongue, frothing at the mouth,
and distorted features, the BODY
Wrlthed on the sands of the sea-shore
like person in commissions. Strands
spirit conquered, took possession Of
the body, and drove the other spirit from
Its own abode. AS the last chance OF
possession was rclinquished the atheists
spirit gave one long, piercing, unearthly
wal. This spectre wail,' as Strand
calls 1t, has ever since haunted him, and
OF all things terrible, he says, there is
notning that sounds so appalling or strikes
terror to: the heart Of nan as the vail 81
. lost spirit. " 'A' wal "
VI all the crew Of the God ship. Strand
was the only survivor. Rescued hu
wreckers, no succeeded ut last in re,cS.
ing Liverpool. He experienced str,,ro
feelings and felt out of place in his new
body, but after a lapse of time he hc
came more accustomed to his new SELF
oh'pp'ngtfrom Liverpool he, after som,
months, arrived at Boston and started r.,
his homeswith ardent hopes and lows (
see his wife and children. At his rate h,
met his little boy and girl, but thev tnrn
ed away from. him with fright, at tn,
sight of stranger. His wife. too. I'll,
one OF all tho world he loved the best, ne
)ected hi mas an impostor. His appear
ance wasiso changed that there was n,
possibility Of recognition. Agitated ane
excited' he attempted to explain to hi
Mie the cause Of his changed appearance
nut MS strange looks and actions and still
stranger story only confirmed her suspi
c.ons 'hat ne was some unfortunate luna
tic escaped from tho asylum, and sht
started to call for help to eject him from
the house. Then it was that he brokt
eWaY from his own vita an1 oh;id,o.