Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-12-09

Big sweet potatoes were Injuries in those
DAYS. and Turner and those fellows kept 4
strict watch over the building. can tell YOU
The third day after they had been slowed
aWay it was noticed that ihey were disap-
pearing at the rate of about bushe a day.
At first II vas thought that the rats took
them. but second thought showed that the
idea Was absurd. Sentinels we're posted
all around the building with orders to shoot
any man they caugh; stealing those vans,
but they didn't see anybody to shoot, and
although they were posted there day and
night. and no one was allowed to enter the
room in which the potatoes we're kept, they
continued to disappear at the rate Of a
bushel day. The Confederate> saw their
vans disappearing in this way. and were iu-
rious. The thing was an unaccountahlc
mystery. The doors and windows Of the
room were sealed. aud private marks we're
put on the wax, 80 that if any one of them
was opened il would be known. The next
morning the officers went into the room.
The wax was all right, but another bu~uel
Of potatoes had vanished Well sir il was
the maddcst crowd you ever saw. They
came after me. and ordered me TO take my
stand in the room. They locked me in. aud
q lighted candle was put al each end of the
room 50 that could see. | was ordered TO
shoot on sight ANYBODY ! saw stealing those
vans. Ii was terribly lonesome in that
room. Just As fast a. | would light one
candle and 20 to the other end Of the room
10 light the other. the rats would cut the tirst
one down.
They we're regular Confederate rats. and
a candle vas a godscnd 10 them. tncr a
lot of worry 20, the rats out of the way
aud "a, down near the door waiting for de-
Selopmcuts. There STAYED tin Il o'clock
but, though kept my ewes on the potatoes
all the time couldn't see ans of them 20
ing. Shortly after II heard crrakiug
grating sound. which seemed to he al, over
the roorn at once cooked my gun ana
held my breath. but stlll couldn't &c any
sign Of life except the rats creeping about
the fooy. 'liv George | thought this
daEncd place is haunted. # there is any such
thing as place being haunted. he
sound stopped. but ahou; ten minutes after
it began again. looked al the pile of ~.
taioc>. and presently saw something shoot
from the ceiling and fall on them. .av Il
vas a brick. and could distinguish a rope
tied to il, crept a liile nearer to get
good look az the thing. but before I could
examine 1t. It vas draNn slowly up. and
there vas abou; peek Of vans sticking %
ii Il went up through hole which BAi
been cut IN the floor above. and presently
came down again with ,hump righ, amuu.
the potatoes. IL was the most artf4i ar.
rAnsemtat you ever saw. The brick hld
about iifty hales drilled 90 il. and through
each hole a .harpeacd icnpcnny nail hAi
been ran. 80 that shen the brick fell among
the vans these nal, stuck into cNcrs uur
ihey fell on. ! couldn't help laush.n. al
the smart dodge those Yankee bad taken to
~; At the vans gently put my hand t0s-
ward au3 caught hold of the rope. Pretty
soon 'hry began ,D draw on IL. sal y ara Il
did not move heard one fellow -ly. stead,
hoy- the hrlck'. hung m something PUN
her stead, Ni'anat jerking. Ihes dil pun
steady, and fairly lifted mc from the ii1or.
No JerA easy bal,, easy. the director ,4id.
aud ;hel tuseed away. | got pretty red to
the face holding 20 the rope. va, afraid
iu let 60. because thought some of those
spiked nails might strike me in passing
thought Of my pocket knife, and hauled !,
cut Jast a. they NcFe putting ali their Wr.s sht
on the other end of the rope. cot IL ID
two and the enl shot back through the hole
IN the ceiling and could hear a rolling aud
tumbling On the floor above. showing that
the sudden giving way Of the rope had had
4 disastrous effect heard another voice
say There, nov. told you SO. You've
broken the rope. We've los, our brick. and
io-morroW We'll be found out. Then 4noth-
cr voice called out Cant you see d We
m.ghi hook il up" Next | sav a long meek
projFudiag through the hole. and q fellow
prering down. Then called out "lf sou
'ronble any more of those potaior, m
shoot. That fellow head shot back through
that hole ike terrapin. and It vas a. stili
death up there | hated 10 tell on them.
because II vas such sharp scheme of for
aging on the enemy, but | had TO. When
the officers ~ent up the next morning % e.
anime the room i, took 4 long time TO find
the hole. Those Yankees had cut a hole
about foot square through the floor. and il
was done neatly that It took good ewes
to discover il. That VAS where the otfic-
ers' vans went TO.