Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-10-15
1sr wnIre HOUSE GHOSTS.

the news flashing over the wires that the
fiag on the White House was at half
mast, hat u was not long before wori
Wa sent out, a. c,lm apprehension. to
~. effect that the incident was due to
the sap'lessuess ~ the colorrd servant,
a part of whose duty II IA to raise and
lover the hag. There had been = con.
cert on the lawn hy the Marine hand,
the Dag always being RAISED on such o.
casions, aud Uncle Jerry, the servant.
had let the fisg fall half way while walt
ing for the last note ~ the bands last
picce, and therr Il hung lust long enough
10 attract attention and to give rice Ia
rumors. This was satisfactory Ca the
public. bat the real rrason, the true In
warlne-s Of the incident !. no, generally
known.
Jerry l. quite q character In hi way
la polite. gu~l.humorr,l color,~i man,
Who manages 10 keep q smiling exterior,
| although b. l. usually In great physical
pain from "rheumatif." llis courtly
manners and hi low hov- have gained
/ Tor him the name ~ "Iori Chesterfield.
and he i sometimes addrcsscd as ''mS
\ lord" or some other fantastic title, al ot
which plcase. Jerry l.cyond measure aud
usually starts chuckle that lasts a
whole day. lle I. witty and unusually
original. and hls appearance Ia ih. lob
! hV ~ the mansion \. almost sure io be
\ the sigusl Tor bursts of laughter a. some
o,ld rrmark that comes in ahead ~ him
nd BE- grint. M. Way up the Stair. lie
| l. fond of title. aud dislrihulc. them
with a lavish tongue. while hi acpuaiui-
snce with public men and women l.
rather r,markahle until one l. told that
he las been = white ilouse fixture Tor
over twenty yytr..
Jerry, Ikea majority ~ MI. race, l. cN-
trrmelv supcr.iiiious. lie l. ilnn bs-
| lic,er IN ghosi. and their appurtsnanccs,
and H. has a fand ~ stnfie- about these
uncauny ihings that afiuri immense cu-
I teri tinmcnt for thoss around him. Hut
there q. onc idea that has grown Into
Jerry. brain sni u nov part ~ ", ~
/ sl.iinr the effects of riiicule. laughter,
argument or explanation. H. humlt lse
lir,e. that M. white llouse !. haunted
hv ih- spirit. ~ all the departed frrsi-
drut.. aud. Furthermore. that hls satanic
ms tr.f,. the devil. has hls al-rie ln The
attic. lle cannot D. p.rsuadei oui 20
I TIE notion. aui 20 Intervals %" strength
rus his Irositiuu hN telling about some
new strange nalsr b. ha. hrhnl or some
|auliiinnll evidence hr o.. sr,urrl.
uli. q. vhy thc hlr va.at half-mist
Iihrt saturday tn,lr Jerry Was AWARE
of ihr fict that hy thc time l'ruf ~ou.l'.
h1iuu frli on iho lat i-tt ihr shadows
were pretty long over the lawn ani that
ihr way down through che rifrvt Int"
ihr hou.r Was dark and grursnmr. III
hlo,,i chilled no ihr pru.p-,t 81 making
fhtf iuururt ant De- shNrrTl. To save
time hr let the fHg Zip down tlc mat,
.o that wlrn ihs time Clmr t would rr-
quirr hut pull tn grt 10 clear down,
AMI .o hc nuull .a,rs prccious srcunl
20 hlf..sl light When hc 900 90 The
r,ir uniip,i With trembling nneer. aui
. sll uas made fHsf De- gathered ihe f1g
/ iu his arms. aul afh rlll ou tlr rnr-
mlr. 20 Hlsis,Ism fur lii aud protection
hr fri dou re- fhr ntfruv stalrNaV.
. Jerry d,.r. not Ike to talk lhuui thi'
m.llrut. llr claim. that ths halfaris
.upfei AMI ilu. lri the 4 < down, hut
thosr acquainted With him as that thc
real frlsnu Wa as stated alutr. lle al.
mite. however. that thr girr.t j. uncan-
n, and ssy. with q fefid rolling 20 his
eyc. anil a lifting ~ hi. hand. "lndeci
an deed. rrmmen. ! wuuldrn' gu into
dat garrrt alone ~ night Z Nou'd gimme
dc W. hole treasury 'plrtmrut.' lliis IL
Jerry. platform. from which nothing,
not even the promise ~ unlimited
wealth. could bulge him. H. l. com
Ninr,,l thti the hgurrs iu th' frrshcn-
tial portraits .trp down ffum their
francs every night ani hoh high
.hhdowy carnival in the rooms where
they once moved in bodily substance.
and. strangely enough. BE- attributes o.
them the mo.t helligrrvut of qualities.
.o that 40 one time b. provided himsclf
with a large hase hall bat, which d.
''keft handy" for Use iu ct.r any ~
thrse relic. ~ American HISTORY should
mole.t him iu ihe enforcement II hi.
twilight duties.
on one oc,aslon heforr the elevator
Was pat in plac- q thunder storm arose
in thr evening and u lecsme necrssify
o. .snl some one up stair. to shui the
.k,lighi in The roof, which had been left
Open. capt. pensmOrr told jcrrN O" gu,
boat the latter immedhicly bsgan 90 hrs
OF
"Now ,ou sholy Uoullen' make me
~ up Wander" b. sii. "Wherc al dcm
thlns. l.. would yu'f | knows Ol' Ahe
ami all de rc.t ~ dem fcller. l. walking
round dhr. an I aint gwinc o. rex
m, .c'f La de rgions near 'rm. lo' ~
an l'll .tan' by de do an hol de bat
.ofc o. knoci 'cm q deN trics io nab
yo'." Nothing could pcr-uaie him.
It, declared that hc would do antihing
on earth for the captain, bat to 90
through the garnet 40 that time ~ tie
evening Was au impossihillty.
One ~ ierr,'. hc.t .toric. i how hc
and Mr.. Mullen, thu huusrkccprr dur
Ing thc Grant administration, cleaned up
the glrrri. u -~~m. that Mr. Dent,
Mr.. Grant. father. hal lut 81 oil
trap. anl hook. that had bcru st"Ncl
away promlscuously la the attic. anl
one day the hou.s-cleining spirit took
harl hold upon Mr.. Mullcn ani .hr
miulgcl, after "a gooi deal of coaNiug,
a. grt Jerry to help her a. stmighirn up
tho.e thlngs.
II VA. poW'ml bot up there" say.
Jerry rubbing hi. hanis. "so hot nnihin'
could live. NJ mice. NO rit., no moths.
unthin'. an II yo' wanted o. save any-
thing All 80 hid ter do VA. ter pat 'cm
up IN De- garrrt. n az 80 pow ful hot u
nigh laid Jerry out. m de old oman
.he kep' on a Workin' rcllin' up de
hnoks grow lin aWaN and ilniin' fault
aui gritin mo le.trrcd cy'y minnit.
When krr hlam, yerr come. .omciin, dr
i.orl knows what, and .hc tux an give
a veil an went down = -tair- "a 'nyln'.
Gcutcnnsn.. .hc made tucks, ! tell
80" and Jerry puts hi. hanis on hl.
.ides and laugh. silently bat Sisibly Ia
remembrance of Mr.. Mullen ficeing
from the "ker hlam."
"what Was II. Jerry = some one askcd.
whist wa- IT, De repeated scorniully.
"NO tell Amt. ain't -ayin' no
names Of any thin. DE ole oman al
way. says Il was de devil, aud, laNd
knows. she must ~ knoWe,l. for she run
mighty quick"
"Did .he leave you up therry' Nas the
innocent query.
leave Who dary'' he exclaimed, rails
ing hi eyebrows aud hand. .imulta-
neouslv. "Sho. now, what yo' take me
fors Why, chile, lel her down. and
Jerry was Ofi la another of hls
parOxysms Of glee. Mr.. Mullen, he
says. gave him dollar to keep quiet
about the Incident, bat be- doe. not
.cruple To tell IL nov, for the lady la.
long since passed away from earthly
scafes, aud Jerry has come to believe
that Mrs. Mullen u nov resident of
the garTet herself.
Gu the day the Washington monument
was dedicated. In February. lss5, large
,..rtraif az Martin Aau uuren hammered