Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-03
A A EXPERIENCE
Was It Spirits, or Second Sight, or
Mind. Reading, or C~lairvOyance, or
Necromancy, or what7
Detroit Post and Tribune.l

o. ANHA 49,
Something which ] have %recentll
read has recalled wildly to my mint
some events which, happening nearl,
fifteen years ago, | have never beer
able to explain satisfactorily. Before
detailing them | desire to make a per
sonal explanation, / am not a Spirit
ualist; in fact, the whole system Of
seanees. materializatiOns, spirit mani
feStations, etc, is entirely opposed to
my methods of reasoning. / do not
believe that the departed souls Of our
friends can find nothing better to do
than to revisit the scenes Of their for
mer existence aud tip tables, or in-
dulge in the performances which are
usually classed under the head of
spiritualistic manifestations. also
wish to add that if any ono doubts the
absolute truth Of every statement
hereinafter written he may write to
the editor of this paper, who will give
him my namo and address, and if, on
account OF non-acquaintance with me,
that is not a sufi cient guarantee of the
truth of what ! relate, ] will give
names and dates which must prove
cOnolusivcly the trustworthy charac-
ter of my statements. With this OK
PLANTATION | will proceed, simply prom
ising that the names ! use are, for
obvious reasons, assumed.
In 1865, in company with several
others, RESIDENTS of my adopted State
of Michigan, | found myself at Pit
Holes, in the then newly Dissolved oil
field of VenangO county, Pennsylya-
MIA. | became somewhat largely in
terested in the purchase and shipment
Of oil from the wells to Pittsburg By
water. | would ride from Oil City to
Petroleum Center, and thence to Pit
Hole, on horseback several times
each week, and, while en- route, would
make many purchases, the oil to be
delivered upon full payment at ten
days. | had made one of these trips.
and had purchased at Cherry river
300 barrels Of oil. Upon reaching
Pit Hole | found that | could not de-
pend upon the absolute certainty Of
receiving a payment of $1,000 within
the ten days time in which was to
pay for the recently purchased 1000
barrels of oil, and | was consequently
a little worried over the prospect. |
stopped at the Michigan Exchange
Hotel, then kept by a Mr.. Thurber. a
Flint man. While there | got into
conversation with an old college friend
at Ann ArbOr, whom | will call Col.
Gray | related to him the events Of
the day, and expressed a fear that |
would not be able to meet my pecu-
mary liability on time; that | would
lose the purchase and the profits,
which | believed were sure upon the
sale Of the oil.
told him / could soc but two ways
out of the dilemma first, to 60 to the
men of whom ! had bought and ask an
extension, or to telegraph to a friend
Of mine in New York asking permits
sion TO draw on him for $1,000 for a
limited time, The colonel said
Why not 60 over and ask Professor
Colchester about it?" Who is Pro
fessor Colchester" He is a man
who knows all things; and. unlike
most o%racles, he tells what he knows
! for a %peeuniary consideration Of 80 y
was the reply.
After talking of his wonderful OK
PLOTS in that line | decided, in a
doubtful mood, for the sake Of the
experience, as | put il, to go to this
wonderful man and ask his advice, 10
accordance with this decision | com
municated 10 the colonel that | was
about to start, TO learn from a stran
ger what course to pursue. Well,
said the colonel, 20 10 your room
and prepare twenty questions; write
them upon heavy paper with a lead
pencil, carefully fold them, then place
each question 10 a thick yellow en-
yolope. seal it. then put them in your
pocket, get a SO bill ready. and 20
to bis rooms. You will find a crowd
already there. Take your proper
place, and when your turn CONES to 20
in, you will leave as many behind you
as you found in waiting when YOU got
there | followed his instructions.
These are some of the twenty ques
tons so prepared:
What will oil be worth in Pittsburg
on the 10th?
Shall ! telegraph Dunstan?
Shall ] ask extension Of time on oil
purchased?
How much time shall | ask
" hen shall ! be married
Where will | be married
Whom will ! marry?
How old am I?
Is nay father living
Is this S~piritualism ? etc.
When ] reached, finally, the sane.
tum sanctorum of the professor. I
found a square room, a simple table.
two chairs. and a short. red faced.
thick-set man, wearing a big diamond
pin, a silk hat, aud smoking a cigar.
His feet and legs were covered with O
PAIR OF long top-bOOts, much affected
in that %oleaginous land, and they were
elevated on the table near which he
sat. had never seen him before.
lie bad never seen me, | think. As
entered, he looked up, then glanced
neryously around the room a moment.
and said Well. Mr.. Brown, what
shall ! do for you?' Without open.
ing my mouth. ] threw the sealed en-
yelopcs on the table. lie at once
placed part Of them in bis hat. and
part IN mine, took a package If com
mon white paper. reached for an en-.
yclope' held It in his hand a moment.