The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-08-22
Ghost-SIricken Schuylkill.

1t is only on rare occasions that the people
of Schuylkill county take any stock in ghost
stories and when they do the witness must be
of unimpeachable character and not given to
exaggerating. Such story, however, comes
from reliable authority at the foot of Broad
Mountain, on the Centre turnpike, and those
who have heard it are inclined to believe it.
The two young men who had their hair curl
ed by the appartion are James r. Porter
and Henry Redinghouse. On one occasion
they drove out of Newcastle to visit the
house of friend named Kirshlings' who
lives on Broad Mountain, and they left Kir-
shilings' about II O'Clock for home. After
driving mile or SO, Redinghouse noticed
that the horse was trembling violently and
evinced desire to stop. He applied the
| whip freely and under its influence the horse
moved on few yards but then came to a
standstill and refused to be either coaxed or
driven further. While the occupants Of the
wagon were debating who should get out and
lead the horse, Potter locked down the road
and to his horror saw strange white object
rise out of the ground. Redinghouse saw
the apparition about the same time but sup.
posed it to be COW. The horse now became
perfectly wild and uncomfortable and the
wagon was backed off the road until the hind
wheels rested in a gully. In the meantime
the spook took the form of a gigantic man,
clothed from head to foot in white, aud
marched toward the now thoroughly fright
ened men with majestic strides. When the
figure was within about fifty yards Of the
wagon it stopped, and beckoned the men
to approach. 1t is perhaps unnecessary to
say the invitation was not accepted, although
Porter asserts that he did not feel as frighten'
ed then as he did when the spook vanished
The figure remained in the road about ten
minutes, Mr. Porter thinks but Reding-
house is confident that it was there much
longer. The men also differ in their stories
about the way the ghost disappeared. Port
er, who by the way seems to have been the
lion of the party, states that after remaining
in the road about ten minutes it walked slow
ly to the west side and melted into cloud Of
mist that foated away on the midnight air
On the other hand Redinghouse affirms tina,
the 'spook,' afler walking to the side of the
road disappeared in the ground and out o.
the hole through which it made its exit came
the cloud of light smoke that Porter saw watt
ed away by the wind. Redinghouse also want
| it distinctly understood that the apparitioI
was at least 10 feet high, had green eyes an'
wore long top boots, but Mr.. Porter remem
bers none of those characteristics of his ghost
} ship. After the figure disappeared the mel
whipped up the horse and drove to New Gas
tie, where they told their strange story before
going home. Both men were sober wheI
, they reached New Castle, and they state tina
no liquor had passed their lips that night
Although this road has been travelled a
. all hours of the night, that is the first stor.
. of the kind ever located in the vicinity o
. Broad Mountein, and consequently many per
t sons do not accept the story as gospel. Potts
. viAe Journal.