Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-12-16
THE SWAMP HORROR.

spoke in previous article Of the dis
NAL swamp that stood on the eastern
limits 81 the village Of Brucevilla. Some
time or other, probably before the village
had been settled. there had come through
the forest a tornado, and it had dashed
the trees down in all sorts Of shapes over
the partly ST emerged land. T,en at
some other period a lire had swept
through this. and had left it one Of the
most desolate, forlorn looking, tangled
mazes of half burnt wood that could be
imagined Years had passed since that
time, and the repeated rains had washed
most of the black off the wood and left
the white. gaunt limbs sticking up in the
ghostly place to US boys region Of ter
ror and first rate place to avoid. No
body. as far as have been able to learn,
had penetrated into the innermost re-
cesses of that swamp. No boy that I
ever knew dared to enter the swamp
even in the brightest sunlight, while the
thought OF that swamp At night!-whew
it makes me shudder even now.
Nobody was more afraid Of that swamp
than was, yet think I may claim to
have been the first boy that ever explored
It, and that Is the reason that my hair
today Is gray. / may say that about
this time great mystery shook the vii
lage from its circumference to its center
The mystery was the strange disappear
ance Of three cows that belonged to three
Of our villagers. Nearly every one Of
the villagers kept COW. and these cows
grazed on the commons that ad Joined the
village, One day three Of the most val
liable cows were missing. and q search
all over the country for them was unsuc-
cessful. This mysterious disappearance
caused more talk and gossip in that vii
lage than the murder Of three men would
have done in larger town. Everybody
had a theory as to how the cows had dis
appeared. remember that lot of wan
dering gypsies came along at that time,
and one of the owners Of the cows con-
suited a gypsy as TO their whereabouts.
After paying the fee the gypsy told him,
somewhat vaguely, that he would hear
Of the COW. but that she feared he would
not take as much interest In the animal
after she was found as he had done be-
fore. This turned out. however, to be
strictly accurate.
About this time some one introduced
in the village strange continuance
which was known as kite. Improba-
bic rs it may seem, this invention would
sail in the upper skies without the aid of
gas. which is used to elevate balloon.
The way it was made was thus:
A hoop Of barrel was taken and was
cut 90 that it made a semi-circle: then q
piece Of lath was fastened to the center
Of that semi-circular hoop. and = piece
Of string was tied to the end Of the hoop
and down to the bottom Of the lath. 4
cros piece Of lath was also made to
strengthen the affair, and then we cut .
newspaper into shape and pasted it over
the string and lath and hoop ends. A
long tail was attached to the end Of the
lAth, made OF string. 70 which was tied
little bits Of paper. somewhat after the
form Of curl papers used by ladies in
thoss days to keep their hair in curl.
Then long string was attached to this
kite, and If the breeze was good and you
held on one end Of the string. the AFFAIR
rose gracefully in the heavens
There was great competition among
u boys in kite flying. and the wild desire
to own the kite that would dy The high
sst caused bitter rivalry. I succssdsd b
getting very good kits. and bankxupe-
ID myself in buying lot Of string - =
attachment After purchasing that IN
a twins. was poor n this wH3db
goods. with ths e1osptioa a shas ~
which proudly Aoatsd sway sbove ~