Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-03-28
A PHANTOM TRAIN.
Strange Spectacle Seen In the Rarefied
Air of the Black Hills.


Air of the Black Hills.
My companion then spoke concerning our
mission to this bleak and barren spot, SAYS
writer in the Leadville Coll Herald in
course of description of the lonely land
scape of the Centennial State. "About
twelve years ago." he said, ian old man by
the name Of Cearnals was the proprietor Of
q jack train with which he used to bring
provisions and other commodities into that
mining camp you see beneath you there
This was before the railroads entered the
Businesses of these mountains, and every
thing was brought by mule teams or by
these jack trains into the camp. The treas
ures which were found in the hills were
carried out the same way
"One time the old man Cearnals did not
arrive in the camp on time. Twas in the
winter-and the coolest one, too, ever ex-
experienced in these hills. A searching
party was sent out to find him and his train,
as the people who had goods consigned to
him feared that some accident had befallen
him. Near where we are now is where he and
his train were found frozen to death. And
now each night may be seen the Jack train
just as they were, but in the form of specters,
filing along the way to the camp. Get out
and we will go down the trail a piece and see
them" We got out of the buggy, and
fastening the horse to a stunted pine, we de-
scended the other side of the range on the
road to Alma. After a most perilous and
tortuous walk Of half an hour, on account of
the slippery condition of the ground,
which was covered with snow, my
companion led me to point near
the old Leadville trail, which could
be distinctly seen above US against the side
OF the mountain. Looking at his watch, he
remarked that il was almost time for them
to appear. After kicking the snow from a
couple Of powders we sat down and in ST.
lence awaited developments. NY compan-
ion would not say a word, but simply pulled
away at cigar, his looks being cast in the
direction of the trail. We waited half an
hour, but 1t seemed a week to me, q cold
wind having arisen, and was almost frozen
and was wishing myself at home.
Suddenly my companion clutched me
nervously by the arm and pointed to the
trail The sight that saw made each in
dividual hair on my head stand on end, for
there on the trail, coming around shady
angle caused by a bowlder, was Jack train
OF twenty-three animals. They all emitted
faint phosphorescent glow, which made
them appear all the more vivid against the
side OF the hill. They were loaded with
different articles Of merchandise, and the
last one which the spectral driver was urg-
ing on with his short goad seemed to DO
loaded with -four Every once in a while as
the train slowly fled along, this last. jack
would lean his load against a projecting
rock, as II resting himself. This would
cause the driver to punch it with his short
stick. The weird specters slowly passed
from view around the hill, and, more dead
than alive from fright, we made our way to
where we had left the horse and buggy.
My companion informed me, while on our
way back 10 the city, that this strange sight
could be seen any dark night"