Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-02-23
MRS. BILKINs.

Far up on the Atlantic coast there
stood, years ago, two fine mansions
built by British Tories, who had in
tended to become great landed pro-
prietors and to gather huge tenantry
around them. But, having been dis
satisfied with the result of the Revolu-
tionary war, they had returned to
England leaving, for the use of any
body who choose to occupy it, the
property they could not sell.
A few of their workmen and servants
remained behind and soon number
of fishermen and wreckers joined them,
and formed a squatter colony in the
grand houses which had, of course,
been stripped of everything that could
be carried over the sea.
The houses soon suffered for want of
repairs. The hinges grew rickety and
creaked; the loose clapboards tapped
in the wind and owls and bats reared
their young in the garrets, adding their
hootings and futterings to the other
wild noises.
Soon two or three of the families
built little board houses near by, and it
was noised abroad that the Howard
Mansion" and the 'sVaughn Mansion"
were haunted.
Then everybody heard unearthly
knockings and groanings, and when
good, sturdy ghost was said to have been
seen actually prom enading the broad
halls and staircases, there was gen
eral stampede. Families slept in their
boats, or in sheds, till they could put
up better shelter, rather than remain
in the old mansions, where their fears
gave them no peace.
Some of the squatters proposed
building from the materials of the
mansions )" but keen Individual, who
had set up saw-min near by, assured
them that the only way to get rid of
the ghostwas to burn the house up. and
volunteered, if there was no objection,
to do the work for them. Instead of
this, however, he pulled them down.
used the lumber, and sold new boards
for building the little houses Of the
fishermen. The ghost was six feet high.
and SO was the keen individual.
As there were no schools or churches
near enough for the people to attend,
We need not wonder that they were
superstitious and ignorant.
While the men worked hard portion
of the year, the greater part cf their
time was spent in lounging about their
boats. or at miserable tavern mile
up the coast.
The only person of real energy in
this fishermen's settlement at the time
OF which we write was Molly Ann Hull,
gaunt, homely girl, who could fish,
row boat, or hoe potatoes faster than
any Of the men. She might have been
seen in the ofing almost any morning,
while the men were all sleeping, fish
ing, with her fathers old pea jacket on
her back and somebody else's tarpaulin
hat on her head.
Notwithstanding her LONELINESS and
rough ways, her energy, kindness to
the poor. and strong filial affection,
made her heroine there. She had
supported her aged parents ever since
-she was fifteen years old by incessant
Ind hard toll.
Near the Hull shanty was a deep
gorge in the lofty sand-hills, down
which stream poured in torrents at
certain seasons. People often wished
to CROSS this stream. So Molly tied a
tin horn to stunted pine tree on both
sides of the stream, and, at the first
blast ST ST the horn, she few to her boat
and rowed men, and even horses, over
in her boat, for ten cents each.
All the girls Of Squatterville, as the
place was playfully called, married as
they grew up, except Mary Ann. The
idle fellows were afraid of her. They
knew she would want them out of their
beds IN the morning, and make them
work as she did herself.
But her day came at last
WOne winters night vessel was
wrecked just off the coast, and Molly
Ann, hearing the signal Of distress,
reused the men and went out with them
to endeavor to save the passengers.
Several were saved, and from among
them she took home to her fathers poor
cottage . great brawny down-east
sailor, whose hands were frozen, and
also wee little pink-and white tailor,
who said he had come from Liverpool
to America to get into business as q
,aberdasher.
That long, strange word charmed
Molly Ann
Before they we're able to leave. each
Of those men had asked Molly Ann to
be his wife. When questioned about ii,
without any prudish airs, she said: z