Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-08-13
THE HAUNTED Inn.

Mn horse had cast shoe. and, stop
pinc about sunset at blacksmith's
cabin i'm one of the most savage passes
of the AlleshanicS, a smutty-taced,
leatheru-aproned fellow was soon en-
gagged in putting his feet in order 70 en-
counter the ilinty roads Of the noun
tains, when the operation was inter
ruptcd in the manner here related:
Pardon me. sir, said Il middlc-aged
traveller, riding up to the smithy and
throwing himself from his horse, Just
as the ShSggv-headcd vulcan, having
taken the heel of my nag in his lap, was
proceeding to pare off the hoof prepa-
tory to fitting the shoe. which he had
hammered into shape and thrown upon
the black soil beside him Pardon
me- repeated the stranger, raising his
hroad-brimmed beaver from head rc.
markahle for what the phrcnologist
would call the uncommon development
of ideally, revealed by short locks
which We're parted over pair of mel
ancholy gray eyes matters of mo-
ment make il important for me to he Il
dozen miles hence before nightfall, and
YOU will place me, sir, under singular
Obligations by allowing this good fellow
to attend To my lame beast immc-
diatclv
The confident and not ungraccful
manner i'll which the stranger throw
himself upon my courtesy sufficiently
marked him us II man of breeding, and
|, of course, complied with his request
by giving the necessary order To the
blacksmith His horse was soon put
in travelling trim, and lcaping actively
into the saddle, he rcgained the high
way ut Il bound; checking his course
then moment, he turned in the stir
rups to thank me for the slight service
had rendered him, and giving an ad-
dress, which have now forgotten, he
added that if fever should enter'e
valley, | might be sure Ola cordial vel
come from its proprietor,
An hour afterward | was pursuing
the same road, and rapidly approach
ing the end Of my DAYS Journey The
immediate district through which was
travelling had been settled by Germans
in the early days of Pennsylvania
scattered community that had been
thrown somewhat in advance of the
more slowly extended settlements In
populousncss and fertility il did not
compare with the regions OH the east
ern side of the mountains but the inn
menSc stone barns which, though few
and far between, occasionally met the
eye, not less than the language spoken
around me, indicated that 4 inhab-
itants were Of the Same origin with the
ignorant but industrious denizens of the
lower country. One of these stone
buildings an enormous and ungainlN
cdificc, stood upon Il hill Immediately
back of the Wolfswald lIotel-a mis-
cradle wooden hovcl whore | was "a
pass the highland while descending
the hill in the rear of the village, had
leisure to observe that it presented Il
different appearance from the other
agricultural establishments of the kind
which | had met with during the day.
The massive walls were pierced here
and there with narrow windows, which
looked like loop-holes, and a clumsy
chimney had been filled up by some
unskillful mechanic against one Of the
gables, with Irodigality Of materials
which made lis jagged top show like
some old turet i'll the growing twilight
The history of this grotesque mansion,
as subsequently, learned it. was that
Of hundreds of others scattered over
our country, and known generally in
the neighborhood ~ Smiths" on
''Thompson's Folly" 1t had been be
gun upon an ambitious scale by per-
SON whose means were inadequate to
its completion, and had been sacrificed
at public when half finished, i'll ord CT
to liquidate the claim Of the mechanics
employee upon ii. After that il had
been used Us a granary for Il while, and
subsequently, being rudely completed
without any reference to the original
plan, it had been occupied rs q hotel
for few years The ruinous inn had,
however, for 4 long period hecn aban-
doned, and now enjoyed the general
reputation in the ncighborhood of being
haunted; for ghosts and goblins are
always sure % take big house off a
landlord hand when lie cant get any
other tenant
I'VE have no room for mynhocr,
said mine host, Peter Schmidtsop, lay
ing his hand on my bride, as rode up
10 the door of a cabaret near this old
building, while three or four waggoncrs
smoking their pipes upon i bench ii
front Of Of the house gave a grunt 81
confirmation to the frank avowal Of
Peter. | was too old stager, however
to be so summarily turned away from
IN inn at such m hour, and throwing
myself from ny horse without further
parley ! told the landlord e gct mc
some supper, aud 80 would talk about
lodging afterWard
Ii matters not how got through thu
evening until the hour q 6edtimc
had soon asccrtained that every bed IA
.he hostclrie wa already taken np. and
that unless | chose to share ID. straw
with one ofthe waggoner-. who are ac'
eustomed 10 sleep in their numbering
vehicles. there vas no resource for ms
except to occupy the lonely building
which HID fif,t caught my eye upol
entering the hamlet JIon inquirin9
II Is the accommodation il afforded.
learned that. though long deserted b1
any ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. i va stll