The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-12-26
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SKETCHES
PIONEER LIFE on the ALLEGHESIES.

Z o
Not far from Bucks Mill sbere is a farm, be-
fore stated, which seems to be the chozen re1adeS-
I cous-and local tradition is our author-of Indian
shades which frequently manifest their presence
+ 70 their white SUCCESSORS in various ways.
As was also mentioned in the lsst sketch, the In
dian ~spoOks manifested their presence, even IN
side the dwelling house 10 the startled observers
oy various ghosy tTlcEeTy oOFd9u[sg 70 @ lne
After the folks had gone 10 bed i9E the night,
weird fiiekering presence could be discerned hit
ting before the dim light Of the dying embers IN
the fireplace: lBis was no uhcohulOa Occur r.Slce
with the good people and usage had reHdered them
calm spectators OF the ghostly vision. Sometimes
during the lone hours OF the silent hlgil the twed
listeners would distinctly hear strange rattling
noise, though grains Of corn were being gradu-
ally dropped BY handiuls on the hoor from above
1t is strange bow people could remain and even
sleep in a house where such ghostly scenes were
being enacted, but the good people OF the house
would view and listen to these things and fail
young girl had gone 70 q nexhbor's in the morning
to help them with sheir corn-hoeinS She had
light glOamtu2, humming tune to beguiie time
away When within about half q mile of home,
while coming along the lane in the lowering shad-
ows she perceived an abscure something half Wis
ible and half underlined, rolling noiselessiy along
invisible. transparent substance without definite
shape and it increased Ia volume as It advanced
till 1t seemed to hll the lane before her Suddenly
while turning sharp angle In the road. the unde-
fined something took across the fence into the
IN iuTid bIaze. and then disappeared altogether.
Bear in mind that this appeared in the selt-same
weird and lonely spots, described by the set
tiers, where at night a horse Will shy and scare
is n road near a certain town in this county where
horse and rider have been suddenly stopped by
unseen hands-yes stopped in the darkness and
led aside from the road by the ghOstly highway
men, Others have felt vague fear creeping over
them while passing this spot in the shades Of night
their hair even bristlng up and raising their hats
of their hcads, while the frightened beast would
start back aud snort refusing to go on for time
They say that beasts can sometimes perceive
what man cannot: and GDropos to this point, viii
relate q story concerning canine pcrspicacity IN
this regard. There old ruined mill where
q workman had one time been crunched up among
he "
the place. blithc young mechanic had 5ften to
nass by tbst vvav in the evening while on court
ing expedition. In the neighDorhoOd of the old
mill the road wound through piece OF woods, and
as our young friend stepping meTrily along the
gloomy branch -emhowered passage. with his great
tger-lke dog. j Rush" at his side, ne thought he
had little cause to fear anything All At once the
huge and powerful animal which but a moment
before trotting quietly along by his masters
side, suddenly stopped and ran away into the
woods showing abject fear in his movements. This
action was the more extraordinary as the dog
exceptionally trusty and fearless commonly caring
for neither man nor beast. Just before the dog
began to give back, the man experienced an undc-
fined fear creeping over htm-his hat literally
raising upon his head. As the dog left him the
vague terror increased till he crossed a bridge,
spanning running broOk- wren tbe lear instantly
fOrsOOk him and he was entirely himself again.
The dog, having made an ample detour, came
trisking up again, when All went on n peioIe ne
dogs conduct was very strange. inasmuch as he
evinced sach ablect fear-tuckng his tail under
him like the veriest whipped cur. Now the dog
would not scare 1T anything human-that was self
evident-especisily at night, when his canine in
stinct for guarding was commonly most active II
is Just A. plain that he would not scare at any
beast. What, then, frightened the animal? Beasts
do not scare at imaginary nOthtngs. -
l shall next relate q still stranger experience Of
ghostly encounter little curly headed toddler,
while playing about the room, had fallen against
bench aud hurt his head pretty badly. At night
the hurt Of the bruIse stilI kept her awake. and
about midnight she grew So restless that nothing
could be done to sOUthe her. As y last resort, the
father started for certain grocery which was
about three miles dls tht "hiie tle road W4s very
lonesome. the night being a. dark as pitch All
went well on the way there but rs the man was
returning with things calculated to piacate the
troubled baby he was to undergo a strange expe-
rience. As was before remarked, the night was
"a dark 2s Egypt and there was not neighDor 5
house on the lonesome homewUrd caursc When
about midway ON the road home, The ni ht Traveller
lhongIt ne distinguishes iaiht souhu tihe tiic
very distant trot 0i horse, borne htfully on the
huctuatng night breeze. Nearer and nearer came
the sound-on' on, through the deep Sioohi-tlIt
at last the gathering pace Of the ylc"icss steed
grew distinct that the man turned to catch
gllInpsc OF ms appFOacl sun eiIrt sun louueE
grew the ghostly clatter, till AZ last the startled
way yfarer stepped aside to give the steed free pas
sage. There was an iron gaze IN the stone "all
Just here, and 10 the extreme horror and almost
stupcacton OF the trembling list ener the ghOstly
steed crashed through the IRON gate Witha hidcous
and dcatcutng peal, aud instantly all was dead a.
Ience The startled and trembling witness Of the
H strange occurrence had courage enough ieit 70 90
to the gate aud inspect IL, surmSiuS 10y the sound
that it shattered atoms but the strong iron
structure was Whoie ana lntact, ana starnch az
ever under his shake. Seeing this mortal terror
seized the man. and he started itnmcdia tely the
road home while the cold aspiration raned from
his face. He got home without further adventure,
but he not quite himself again ior few weeks.
They say that those VINO are born On Christmas :
Eve can see more than others. and Il may we'll be
so. Tor Shakespeare. you know says: There are
more things between heaven and earth than are
. dreamt OF IN our philosophy.
Another experience, which has never before seen
. print. VIII next record.
3 This same man who heard the ehostly crash at
the iron gate preceded his family Of wife and i've
children over the broad and stormy Atlantic, 10
seek a home in this wide land oi Hbery-thIs ha
I ven of rest beyond The great waters When he ar
rived in the New World he found home with a
relative, who had become acclimatized and ~ an
keened' and, withal, quite prosperous Whi e
t snugly tucked in blankets one morning early. be
ing sili fast asleep, something struck him the
shoulder, eAclaming at the same time: The
Sarahac IS coming up the river aroused AZ once
by the suddcuness OF the blow and the distinctues
. of the voice. the man jumped out Of bed and hur-
rlGd mo Ms cIotles started ana somewhat hope
full at the strangely conveyed news. At brea akiast
he related his experience to his knsfolk who ridi-
! cuIed him ior his pains Nothing daunted' how
ever, he sailed out Immediately after breakfast
and headed directly for the Delaware, where he
. out on to a wharf Here. seeing a vessel lying.
with men bustly working about, he stepped aboard
ana commenced looking around ior coming snip.
The mate of the vessel soon came up and demanded
rather roughly II he couldn't see the notice forbid
dlhg any one 20 come aboard Making an excuse
for his unw tting Intrusion, the eager yesselseeker
. informed the sailor Of the object of his quest
namely 70 see II thc 'SGfdndc ~dS c0m'a9 up ne
. rfCer." Don't you her there9' inquired the
the river. And. sure enough. there was the .'Sar
snae. standing calamity up the channel In the
ed before the man had bis joyful little family gath
cred around him ON terra .frmd, and happy was the
meeting after their long and turbulent voyage 9veI
The vast depths of the wide ocean.
is proper to that most Of the actors in this
HtesEctch are sttl alive and attest the truth
Of what has been here stated. The wonder of the
affair consists in the facts Of the mans being struck
on the shoulder and awOke ont Of sound sleep
being correctly informed OF the approach Of Tie
Saranac up the rlver-conversing with his kinsfOlk
about it at breakiast-and having the self-sauc
vessel pointed him by the sailor as she real
approached in full sight.
Now, as the man mentioned the vision, OF what
ever il might be called, before he started out or
his doubtful quest, there be no doubt to hi.
We sh all extrecouut strange occurrence which
happeued not seven miles from Loretto.
a young miss had been over to the village store
for some necessary articles and returning home
in the dusk Of the evening. On approaching ''ths
forks of the road about half mile from the vii
lage. she met lady in black. with large boob
open before her, walking with slow and stately
step and apparently perusiug the volume before
her The girl brushed clothes with the uysterioul
lady. and she passed infOrma nj
turned to look AFTER her Judge of her horror wher
she saw nothing at all before her eyes save th'
woods each side of the road. Lady book and
all had vanished within the time il took for her {,
turn round. Now this happened in the plain, opeI
road where no one could hide II so disposed, anC
they hadn't time to reach the woods before the Oh
server turned to look. Moreover, that very spo
had an established reputation for being haunted
and At certain hour in the evening. any one pass
ing would be sure TO hear mysterious sound. OF
heavy piece Of bark falling from high tree. Thi
same my steriOus sound has been heard by many.
At another time man well known in the neig gh
borhOod was returning from work in the shadow
of the eveuing-crossing fields and vending thro
woods on ''neAr-cut' across the country. He ha'
reached hollow in the fields where hills arose Ol
all tides gloOming the dim horizon. Judge O
his feelings when right before him rose, as If GU
OF the ground n copViomerated feecy bundle a
. of wool. rolling slowly on ahead OF him. This ap
pearance moN ed and tumbisd on in the dim star
light for good while freezing the blood Of tn
hcholter with terror ia that lonesome spot. Pres
emily the weird appearance disappeared and fade
from view as quickly as it had arisen and the hcl
Tifed and belighted pedestrian saw no more of hi
ghostly escort
goodiy number Of these weird sterIos still II
main in the mental stere-house. all ready TO b
Hrnn1 n , a.