The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-12-26
A FAbE or A -lIo eIT,--.
a sTRANoEsT STORY OF a no.
IN PENNsFLvANr,, = AZ

a STRANGER STORY OF uor-,-
IN PENNsTIvAN-,.- iA-
A correspondent Of ibs p,..
Times, writing from Danyifi.i iiiiae
In the southwestern part or 'a.
" there IS a remarkable sfrs-t-.< Ut
known as Black Creek. Its - - 9
perhaps dozen yards, while -
very dark and extremely suinI..- Nf'
n nsIl cs,ililot I'VE, Whlle frog ct Snst
INTO the stIeahl instantly turns fga-
away, dead. 10 risps s0lnevgb.,o.'eT a.
Ton ana about SIX miles from lis So -
deep mountain gap, which il foiI.
furthest extremity and soon ss, 4uIgi
black current with the iimr;J 80 - ili,
NescOpeck creek. which n Iit+l.at.ei
joins the wide SusquehauDa. T.lli
gap trayerSed by this stream !. .'1 llJf
most dismal places to be found In ~ Sle
Only narrow stretch OF skv i =; - g, .-
below, ana tins IS almost aiwars e.
haze, which The Sunheams -i.e
penetrate. When the sky han
clear II Is not sunrise iu the paptiii,s
While at Z the sun goes dow,
gray bOulders abound The orr
cred with ashes and trunks nj - - 3 e
charred and hlackened bv mo+,,-.t5ll
which yearly sweep oyer the pIacg I
ing, sometimes one across the 81 .. c.
nous snakes crawl over the roel.-tsll. a
the Shiny pools. The only traes ~. y. "a
pines. which grow out from he,s
rocks. 'Htct
In addition to the gloom and ds..,-..
Testing the place, il has. acror,ji-.l.it
people thereabouts, been sadly -
witches. One OF the stories har5lE
from generation long in their r,rs..- -.
thus: Much less than a huudrs5 a't
Black creek was a beautiTui .-st' yea
stream The skies above h ~. ,-.'s la-
other skies. Green moss thicEIvec.-.s
ground and rocks, and birds sam, 80
branches OF the trees. The ean -
time was the favOrite resort of f,,..--
one individual, owning a large tract
tain land including the gan had -. 7
cabin IN II Tor the accOmmodati5. -
and friends during the huuting s.--.- nus
happened one day that the owner ~ -.
got into quarrel with a strargs-
wounded deer, each claiming thsf
fired the lucky shot. During fbs - =
stranger struck a blow and receiya55I ':-'-5 az
one that leveled him to the earth u.! u
TiOuslv hurt, he was carried int, 80
and word sent to his friends Wbo -a', I.
some distance. In short time bis -
rived, a black-eyed girl with jCr- Z
hair. On the same day he died. and ~.
cursed the young man who had del. ~
tai blow in a manner that made ~
impression on ali present.
In short time the waters OF The .-s,t
came black and sulphurous. the sl-. -
dim and haZy, while the Gan &c.,
abode of Serpents and a scene Of do.
The black eyed girl was afrarvs-5'
quently seen-SOmetimes waking ~.
the gap at midnight, enveIopad IN ~
black cloak at other times in tie r-;5..
the TEMPEST, on the top Of the Ioftis., !,
swaying to and fro, with her long blset 3
streaming in the wind So the poo5 =.
Of the long ago came to regard The rIss.
bewitched by the yindictiye sister srF
one cared to be found in the dismal ~,
night. But an important road. rgtra..
the Tomhicken and NeScoueck vsIisr.
right through the bewitched gan. ami
consequently not always possible Ia arr-
The road was always beaten hard and IN
best Of order. Net farmers. i'm passfD--
It on their return from market. viii
horses attached TO an empty wagon u
often come suddenly 10 a staudSrH T
the farmer would crack his whip. the b7
would throw themselves into the harness
scratch the ground for a foothold. hg.
wagon would stand as though rivfted n
earth beneath some invisible weight
farmer would then know that ":he wit
were riding his wagon" and simply wal
they got on, when the team would trv-
as easily as before
About ten years ago 4 mining caurar-
gan operations four miles I'D the rgr
there was no success predicted for II In
place. And little later Simon KaSe
his new railroad right through the
About this time Henry Crul. who OUn
valuable farm out in the Ng~cuuecE V-
sold his property for a large sum. and
ing neither Simon kaSe nor tire vifrhs,
cided TO build q large hotel rich. IN The n
tain gap. His friends eXpUStuIatpd
him, reminding him that he could Tot
ceed there. He went to work. however
in short time had the new hotel urda.
The new coal mines attracted a great q.
travel, and before long CroU was oil
iOuriShing business. lie had ten sons.
he built house for each Of them nea
own. Other relatives followed. so TIA
place soon came to be called "Cr0lit0
Al the end OF two wears the town cont
fifty houses, and had besides the hotela.
lime kiln, pOst-uflice and q school 0
Soon after this Crull began g. show
strange eccentTicities He became
quarTelSOme, and without any apVareu
son would forbid his best customer
house. \ large portion Of the pOVu
mad found employment Al the neigh.
coal mines, which, owing TO some cau-
longer afforded constant work. CTp'
his village began TO 20 down hill toe
The unfortunate landlord then afrp
his property for sale. but when per,n
peared Ia buy he spoke so Unfavorably
place and its surroundings that tFsv
away disgusted. lie now did no bush
all. The people had become iudGlsH
Indifferent, and the storkeeper was dr
on toward ruin. Their school teacher
after year got the blues and left tie
before the school term had expired
seated in his bar room, diSheyeled and
gard, surrounded BY 4 crowd 0f ln
would discourse on his approaching rui
lie knew how much he was worth.
his loss was per day, and consequently
lOLg it would be till lie was q begrar
seemed determined 10 fail to be "
ruined and made no effort 10 avert Dbl
fortune. He frequently reminded the
burner and the merchant Of the place
similar fate awaited them, and told the
actly how long they would last Vt the
he predicted, the Sheriff came along and
him ont OF house and home lie then q
back into less pretentiOus dwelling.
has since resided there, often Nithouteu
to eat. The whole place has beccm
abode of misery and wretcheduesS.
IL Is remarkable fact that few
ago in this region a belief I'm witchcGtt
almost universal. The most absurd 81
were credited. Even now not few o.
be found who believe that Croli and his
are laboring under the curse Of the b
eyed girl, or are, in other words, bewit