The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-05-07


At Millington Green was done q
large and thriving business, and sew
eral great and 6ourishing general mer-
chandise stores made it center at
which much of the produce from all adj
joining points was sold or bartersd,
eventually to find its way to the then
profitable West India trade, In short
the West India trade made Millington
Green. in exclusion to many river towns
with rival facilities for shipping goods
Here it was that mules, horses, cat
tie, swine and farm products were
hauled by the meek-eyed oxen and
numbering vehicles, to be again dragged
to Goodspeed's Landing and shipped to
the West Indies. Gradually the pros
psrity died away. twenty-five years
ago it was dead. To-day there is not q
vestige OF it save the decaying buildings
OF more than usual country elegance,
which stand ON the main road near the
church. the school house and the cross
roads to mark the decline and decay of
once prosperous business,
But the ghost. what of the ghost?
Edgar Martin is Millington resident.
He is tall. lank man, of true Yankee
physique. He is a farmer, owns acres
OF land. and deals considerably in rail-
road ties and lumber. Martin owns
land through which trout brook runs,
snd Hartford sportsmen, he says, have
stocked it. and pays him well to keen
OF poaclcrs. But the ghost. All the
winter, says Mr.. Martin. the ghost has
been terrifying Millington people, and
several have seen it. Among that mum.
Der Mr.. Martin himself.
1t was about two weeks ago, Martin
says. he left his homo with a three-yoks
team Of oxen TO draw load of railroad
ties TO H. c. Burnham, of Hadlyme.
Hadlyme lies southwest about six miles.
and the roads wind round through
heavily tmbered land. over the classic
eminence called ''Tater Hill" Mr..
Martin left Hsdlyme ON his return
homeward about 5 o'clock in the after.
noon. and in the usual course of events
and the slow movements Of his OK team.
would arrive home at about 8 o'clock
IN the evening. Slowly crawling up
the rough, billy road, he had passed
the deserted Rathbun House 1t the turn
OF the road to Norwich, and '.hswinp'
Of to the left pursued his way toward
Millington.
The moon was in its last quarter.
and when Mr.. Martin passed the Rath.
bun House and turned toward Milling.
ton, it was between and O'Clock in
the evening" and the shades of night
made the woods gloomy and weird.
But Martin was thinking of getting
home more than he was moralizinp on
the barren sight of leafess limbs and
hillsides despatched here and there
With patches of half melted snow.
Suddenly the monotony OF the scene
and the creaking OK cart and swing of
the low carried heads of the tired oxen
and tired driver was broken. With a
sudden start the leaders. pair of two
year-olds. jumped to one side, while the
wheel oxen and the center yoke caught
the infection aud started up in an unus.
ual manner. Mr.. Martin, too. was
startled out of his senses, and. looking
about him to discover the cause that had
excited his cattle. saw. apparently walk
ing some twenty feet ahead Of his lead
ers. q little dwarf-like man not more
three feet tall, as he appeared in the
dim light. The little object as he look
ed from behind seemed made up prin-
cipally of long flowing. cloak which
hung from his shoulder and spread
out at the bottom until it's wearer look
cd like an animated "a" on whose
head was perchsd a little jaunty, peak
ed hat. and in whose hand was q long
cane perhaps double his height in
length. which seemed to assist his little
duck-like. long-stockinged legs, which
were visible Is the wind raised and low
cred his flowing cloak. Diminutive q
the peculiar little figure was. he seemed
to have no trouble in keeping the same
distance ahead Of the team that he held
when first seen. Mr.. Martin was
startled at first, fairly frightened. Then
rs the thing. whatever it was. looked 20
small and harmless, and walked right
along about its business in the middle
of the road. and the oxen seemed salts
fled and unterrified, Mr.. Martin pick
ed up courage to yell out, 'Hello thar,
Captenr'
No answering response came from
the strange little being. aud again
Edgar yociferated: Hello thar, you
little cnss. whar yer goin'P Git in and
ride; it's eastern waikiki"
But the "little cuss'' didn't reply.
He kept right on. reaching out his
long cane ahead of him and fairly
drawing his body and little short legs
up to the spot where he had planted
his cane ahead of himself.
After sundry attempts to get an an
swer from the object, Martin began to
grow q little frightened. He wondered
what 1t was. He couldn't think of any
earthly object that he had ever seen
that looked like the little one ahead of
his team. An idea struck him. He
whipped up his team and yelled out:
Look out thar, you little cuss. look
out" But the little fellow seemed to
let out on extra link of speed. He kept
just SO far ahead of the OK team,
They couldn't overtake him.
Edgar was provoked and frightened.
TOO. Couldn't he shake that little be-
ing from his patha Another idea
struck him; he would try it. Jumping
from his OK team. he ran ahead of It,
and with resounding crack he brought
down his whip lash under the long,
flowing skirts of the little mans cloak.
There now. my little man. see If that
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