National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-09-05
MISCELLANEOUS.
a GHosTLY APPfRITIoN,
iFrom The Minneapolis TrIbune.l

Or the Encounter of n Downtown Young
Man with n Hose.
from the Minneapolis Trlbune.l
The apparitlon which is so positively as
serted to have appeared one evening last week
in the neighborhood of Judge Vanderburghs
residence is thus easily explained IN the light
of more recent developments, without refer
once to the manipuations of spirit mediums,
&c. Mr. W., steady and ominontly upright
young man, and one who Is doing a respecta-
Bile and remunerative business in tho city, and
well known took upon himself on Friday
evening to sprinkle the lawn. He went cut
about o'clock, attached the hose to the hy-
drant. uncoilod the hose in a deliberate though
somewhat contemplative mnnnor, took the
nozzle in one hand and, returning TO the hy-
drant, turned on the water with the other.
The water shot right out, splashed tho side Of
his face, and took his hat of. He dropped tho
nozzle and turned Off the water. He then
examined the nozzle aud surveyed the whole
situation. He Strengthened out the hose
at lull length and went back and turned on
the water returning TO the discharge end of
the piablc pipe. he thought to get hold Of
IL and gain the mastery by stealth and not risk
another duCking, so he took hold of the hose
five or six feet from the nozzle and drew II
cautiously toward him. II was almost within
his reach. Thcn-but just as he was about
to clutch IT,, somehow he received something
less than bucketfull of water in his BOSOM
But ho finally got hold of it, aud went on to
sprinkle tho lawn. Time rolled along as he
proudly stood or moved about, with complete
control Of the fractions fluid. How pleasing
1t was to direct its course wherever he wiled,
by simple twist of the wrist. As his first
excitement died away in the reflections upon
his complete mastery of the science of sprink-
link, ho began to realize that he was becom-
ing cold, and his drenchod garments chung
unkindly to him. What If lie should catch
nm awful cold? To prevent it he should
hasten to take u bath. Yes, that is obvi-
ously the right course. He reflected 1t was
quito dark. lie would Just slip oil his sum
mer clothes aud turn the stream on himself
for Il moment or two. 'Twould expedite mat
ters, aud just be splendid. Right here Mr.. w.
displayed good qualities. He showed that he
possessed the faculty of executing AS well us
of planning. As he Embossed his garments he
glanced around. No danger of being seen;
no sound except the song of the improvident
cricket, the steady droning of innumerable
harvest insects, and the slight sigh Of the south
wind among the shrubbory He was all ready,
and was just about to turn the stream upon
himself in his nakcdness, when-oh horror
the gas-lamp lighter, who had reached the
corner meanwhile, suddenly lighted the lamp,
Illuminating the whole premises. nico
young man who was out walking with nice
young lady, and who happened to be in that
neghborhood when the lamp was lighted, tell
of seeing strange sight. They saw figure
which seemed to abhor the light, for when
ever tho light fell upon it, it jumped like
startled animal, leapcd like mammoth frog,
scramble on the grcensward as though ho
was in the greatest agony, and finally disap-
peared behind n clump OF evergreens. The
young man does not talk much about it, but
the young lady is constantly exercised about
it, and when it was undertaken to explain
it by attributng ii to the power of spirit man.
Hesitation, which is at present seeking the no.
tice of our people, she declared that she would
become a spirituaist if they were in the habit
fproducing such creatures, just the like Of
which she had never seen before.