The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-03-07
SMITHS GHOST.
And How he got Quite Enough OF the
Spectre businessman Historical
Coincidence Found.

aOtncI0euce FOuuu.
From the n. Y. Times.
Latterly the ghost market has been
unusually dull. Owing, possibly, to the
repeated exposures of materiallzIng me-
diuyus," the demand for ghosts has largely
fallen of, and dealers have lacked cour'
aye to bring forward any new and at
trsctiye STYLES. A novel and interesting
ghost has, however, recently made its ap-
pearance at WakersvIlle, Wisconsin,
which really deserves to be brought to
the attention OF all enterprislng ghost
collectors. For a long time young
gentleman Of Walkersville, whose ldert-
ily may be concealed under the name OF
Smith, cherished desire to make the
acquaintance of d lew select and attract.
i've ghosts, with view to mutual i'm
provement. To this end, he placed him.
self under the tuition Of II Chicago med
ium, who undertook to retino his apirit-
ual vision to that extent that he would
be able to seq any specified sort of ghost
at any time or place. With the medium
Mr.. Smith had daily "Sittings" Tor sew
eral weeks, al the low rate of So per cit
ting, but when his first quarters tuition
WAS ended, and he had not seen so much
as the glow of Democratic ghosts nose,
he became indignant, denounced the me-
dunn as an impostor, and returned to
his rural home, 1t is only fair to say
that the medium indignantly repelled
his sccuson that he was an impostor.
He pleaded that watched ghost rare
bells, so to speak, and that the mere fact
that his pupil had not oeen able to see
ghosts on demand was no evidence that
he would be able to see them at some tu-
ture time. The justice of this defence
has since been established. Mr.. Smith
who could see no ghosts IN the med
ium's room, has since seen the ucst re-
markable ghost of the yesr--rot to say
of the century. A month ago Mr.. Smith
was sitting in his bedroom, wishing that
VIII III the landlady boiled cabbage she
would keep the kitchen door shut, and
vesrning for the infinite. The hour.was
IL o'clock P. NJ, and he was on the
point OF preparing for bed by throwing
something al the tuneiul cats On the
back fence, when he suddenly became
aware that the was not alone. A vague
mysterious dread, rs OF a large authletic
creditor with heavy club, oppressed
him, and he would probably have fled
iato the hail were it not that he would
nave been certain to fall over the house
dog, and thus excite the suspicious ot
that hasty animal. He therefore seated
l.
himself calmly in chair, with his back
against the wall, and remarked to him
self in soothing and explanatory man
ner, "rats." In another moment the
rat hypothesis was overthrow by ell
DERBY and fat female ghost, and quietly
floated before his aston lshed vision, and
gazed stesdfastly into his terrified eyes.
Female, fat, and elderly ghosts are by
no means novelties, but there was that
in the appearance Of TINS particular
ghost which was we'll adapted TO stsrtlc
the coolest ghost-seer. The ghost did
not touch the floor, but hoated about
four feet above it in graceful, wavy
manner. not unlike the swaying motion
of a captive balloon. What chiefly at
tracted Mr.. Smiths attention, however,
WAS the peculiar attitude OF this ghostiy
female. She was poised in mid-air with
her head downward, and her arms and
legs extended IN straight and rigid lines.
Her dress was voluminous black a.
psca, somewhat rusty, and apparently
wa,er-stained. and wide belt OF some
unrecognizab.e material was fastened
sround her in the presumed region o.
the knees, which preserved Mr.. Smith:
feelings from too violent q shock. Sway
ING gently to and fro, this peculiar ghost
smiled sadly at Mr.. Smith, and wlpked
at him in a manner so trying to his sen
sibilities that he could scarcely bear tc
look at her. Had she winked with bel
mouth and smiled with either EYE hi:
nerves would have borne the strain, but
there was undoubtedly something very
psjnflll in wink situated three or four
inches below the locality of the accom-
panying smile. Mr.. Smith had finally
achieved his longing to see ghost, but
after all, this reverse old lady failed L
give him any real comfort. 1t was i'm
possible to ask such preposterols being
any serious questions as to the Other
he, or to propose to her to become
his guardian angel and spirit wife
Still. he was determined not to b
afraid OF her, and so hastily bend
ing down the ends of his hail
with both hands ne requested her t
"avsunt"-such being, in his opinion
the most effective method of exorcism
But the ghost declined to do anything
of the sort. She merely fioated once
around the room, occasionally banging
her head on the edge of the trunk snc
the footbosrd of the bed, and then re
sumed her station at three yards dis
! tsnce from the too successful ghost
seeker. Now, Mr.. Smith was one wh'
firmly believed that he who lays hi
hand upon woman, save in kindnes
; and in reasonably dark room Is mar
, whom it would be unfair to call bool