The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1886-02-06

iiiis ~ h<NoJSS.
Col. John Evans was one of the
earliest settlers at Morgantown. He
was Lieut.. Colonel in the Revolu-
ton. He seems to have come as
early as the year 1865 probably not
more than seven or eight years after
the Deckers, and was in the vicinity
when the Morgans came. He was
the father of Captain John Evans,
called "Capt. jack" and Captain
John was the father of Col. James
Evans who is still living in Morgan
town. Col. James relates that he
has heard his father tell that, when
he was boy some eight or ten years
old, there was an alarm on account
of Indians providing in the neighbor-
hood, and that his father was sent
to the field of neighbor living on
the farm just west of the Evans
plantation to bring in the neighbours
horse, and stopping at a log heap to
roast some eggs, which he had found
on the neighbours premises, he mar
rowly escaped being taken by the
Indians. The horse for which he
had been sent was taken and pris-
oner, named Walls, being tied on
its back, it was made to swim the
river at where Granville now is, the
river being much swollen by rains.
Walls afterward returned from cap
tivity and made the hair stand on
"Jacks" head by telling him how
the Indians were on his track that
day, and how nearly they came to
getting him.
Col. John Evans was clerk of the
first court held in Monongalia
county, and the clerks office was
kept at his house on the Evans farm,
some two or two and half miles
north of Morgantown. That house is
still standing. In it's day it was
quite an aristocratic mansion, for it
was for time the only house in the
county built of hewn logs, weather
boarded and covered with shingles.
The weather boards were made from
straight oak timber, split with a
froe, and shaver with drawing
knife. The floor and windows are
of pine, and although they have
been in the house over an hundred
years, they are still in good state
of preservation.
In 1884 General George Washing
ton, "the father of our country" was
the guest of Col. John Evans, and
slept over night in this house; on
which account Col. James Evans,
the grandson, has always held the
old mansion as sacred place, and
has kept it somewhat in repair, in
order to preserve it.
1t is related that Col. John Evans
in his official capacity would some
times have large sums of money to
transmit to or from Richmond,
and as there were no banks here
then, and no paper currency, these
sums had to be carried in gold and
silver by him, riding ON horseback.
And as the road which he had to
travel was lonely and beset with
dangers he was in the habit of en-
ploying one or two men to go with
him as guards to secure the safety
of himself and the money. On one
occasion, he with "Mod" Morgan,
and another person as guards, while
making the trip to Richmond, stop
ped at hotel in Eastern Virginia,
where there was more of style and
less of the substantial than the Nor
gantown backwoodsmen were accus-
toned to. The landlady presided
at the meal time cum dignitate and
dispensed beverage of doubtful
composition which she called coffee.
The company were eating in silence
when one of the colonel's body guards
remarked to the other, "Mod," I'll
bet dollar you don't know whether
you are drinking tea or coffee. no"
replied "Mod," 81 wouldn't bet on
that, but whatever it is, I'll bet by
Cd, as long as the spring holds
out it can be made" Speaking of the
Evans place we are reminded of a
ghost story which may as well be
related here.
AT an early day the road leading
down the Monongahela river was the
one Travelled by the Evans family
going to and from Morgantown
This road crossed Falling Run at
its mouth, and in the deep hollow
above, now within the University
grounds, in the olden time it is said
dwelt the ghost of murdered man.
Here the murder had occurred and
the shade of the murdered man was
wont to visit by night the spot
where death freed it from it's mortal
clay. Col. James Evans relates that
three and half score years ago
when he was child, during his
visits to the negro quarters at the
old plantation, his hair has been
made to raise upon his head
and stand like the quilts on the
fretful porcupine," as nc listened to
the ghost stories told by the negroes
and especially that one that related
to the murdered man at the mouth
of Falling Run. The old negroes
who related the story no doubt firmly
believed they were telling the truth
when they told how the murdered
man appeared in the shape of q
white goose and stood spectre like
before the wayfarer or tapped his
airy wings in front and on either
side or about his legs, until the
haunted ground was passed, and
then would disappear in most mis-
terious manner.
Its recital had blood curdling in
fluence, and none of the colored PEG
pie could be induced for any consider
alton to Dass this haunted spot after