The Canton advocate. [volume] (Canton, D.T. [S.D.]) 1877-1897, 1881-01-20
HAUNTED ON THE RIVER.

| HAUNTED ON THE RIVER.
Invisible spirits Oh Board steamer
Toll the Death knen and Rap
Spirit Messages.
Portland (OregoD Bulletin
! Wonderment and superstition go
hand in hand in this land of ours, and
the real life mind Of humanity is ever
ready to grasp the fictitious and clothe
it in forms of fear Stories from many
lands have been told ever since the
world grew from its infancy about the
ghostly forms and spirit visitations to
world beings; spirits that were restless
in their realms of heavenly bliss coming
back to smite the guilty conscience Of
a life enemy, or give warning of the
eve of earthly existence to some friend,
yet on this side of the deep and murky
river of death, that an atonement for
omissions and commissions Of right
eous ways and sins might be begun, and
all peace to be made with fellow NOR
tails here on earth. To the believer in
the philosophy of spirtualism such
signs are often given and always un-
derstood by them; to the scoffer Of
such things they are sometimes shown,
and if we may believe the many mys-
terious and unaccountable tales that
we have read, the warning is lhe same
whether to the convert or the skeptic.
That life has its dark and mysterious
passages sometimes foretold; that there
is an unseen hand to guide us all and
leads the erring from sin and crime
and plants the hope of Immortality in
each bosom is never doubted, but by
some the proftered hand reaching from
the dark shadow beyond is spurned in
arrogance, and self-improvement and
the teachings of even the best of all
books, the bible, cast aside. But to all
there comes some time during exist
ence that self-conviction of sin and un-
worthiness; to some as the opening of
religion; to others by the unknown
spirit that haunts the life, the house, or
the whole world of persons existence.
In the summer just gone by there
went to work upon one Of the finest
boats that ply the waters of the broad
and lordly Columbia between our city
and Astoria, the Emma Hayward, a
youth of fine promise and many natu-
raj abilities, as night watchman, and
though he never felt the power of true
religion, yet his susceptible spirit was
ready for conviction if but the seeds of
righteousness should spring up in his
heart and be productive of lasting fruit.
He was at his post with all the regu-
lar punctuality that the systematic
rules Of his employers demanded, and
no word of complaint was ever uttered
against him. Prompt and faithful he
toiled, yet ever was he downcast when
alone, and in the silent watches CT the
night he made his rounds and looked
to the safety of the boat. In company
he was ever cheerful and pleasant, and
only to one, bosom friend, did he
ever confde the terrible secret that was
torn enting him-his life was doomed,
and he had the warning from immor-
tai hands of the close Of earth's scenes
to him foreyer. While in the silent
stiffness of the night and he was alone
would there come a warning, faint
rapping, at first to which he paid little
heed. But soon, as the nights wore on,
the rappings came more frequent, and
he could not mistake them. He
searched, but in vain, and it needed no
strech of imagination for him to call
| them up at any time. The friend Of
whom we have spoken was alone con-
fided in, and he too heard the dread
sounds that would come, always in
dull, heavy thuds upon the walls of the
cabin, again below, forward or aft, in
the cabin or out upon the wheel, or up
on the deck were they heard. He
knew what it meant, but said nothing
until he had borne it as long as his ma
ture would permit, and then he said he
knew he was to die and these rappings
were his death warrant. The summer
waned and autumn came on in it's first
flush of gold, and he quit his work,
worn out and weary. A room at the
St. Charles hotel on Friday, land on Sat-
urday night he was taken to St. Vim
cents, where death closed his eyes the
following day. He had gone to meet
the spirit that had warned him. and
since then the ominous sounds that
were heard upon the steamer have
been listened for in vain Such is the
true story of an episode in our very
midst, such as we read of from other
places, and for which the truthfulness
can be vouched.