The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-02
THE WHITE HOUSE GHOSTS.
r7,cle Jerry and lis Experiences With
imaginary Occupants of the Garrett.

-;rss from this city that the nag on the
-bte house was at half-mast, but it was
,.loug before word was sent out, to calm
-.rrahension, to the effect that the in
E5tont was due to the careleSsness
- the colored servant, a part OF whose duty
y TO raise and lover the flag. There had
-, n concert on the lawn by the Marine
bsnd. the flag always being raised on such
sions. aud Uncle Jerry, the servant.
- Ia, the flag fall half way while waiting
sor the last note Of the bands last piece,
md there it hung just long eHough to
attract attention and TO give rise &c ramors.
This was satisfactory TO the public, but the
-aoI reason. the true inwardness of the Incl
dent. is not generally known.
Jerry is quite a character in his way-a
noIite. good-humored colored man who
manages to keep smiling exterior,
aithongh e is usually in great physical
c. from .srbeumatizn His courtly man
p parS and his low bows have gained for him
tha name of al I'd Chesterfield" and he is
Sometimes addressed as ''my lordn or
sOma other fantastic title, all of
which pleases Jerry beyond measure
and usually starts a chuckle that
lasts whole day. He is witty
and unusually original, and his appearance
IN tbe lobby of the mansion Is almost sure
To be he signal for bursts OF laughter at
him as he grunts his way up the stairs. He
is fond of titles and distributes them with a
lavish tongue, while his acquaintance with
nnblic men and women is rather remark
abla until one is told that he has been a
white house fixture for over twenty years.
HAUNTED BY PRESIDENTIAL SPIRITS.
Jerry like a majority of mis- race, is ex-
tremey superstitious He is firm believer
in ghosts and their appurtenances, and he
hasa flu d of stories about these uncanny
things that afford immense entertainment
for those around him. But there is one idea
tbat has grown into Jerry's brain and is now
apart of it. resisting the effects of ridicule,
laughter, argument or explanation. He
firmly believes that the white house is
Iau ted by the spirits of all the departed
nresdents, and, furthermore, that his
satanic majesty, the devil, has his abode
in the attic. He cannot be persuaded out of
the notion, and at intervals he strengthens
bis position by telling about some new
strange noise he has heard or some ad-
dltional evide ce he has secured.
WHY THE FLAG WAS AT HALF-MAsT.
This is why the flag was at half-mast that
Saturday. Uncle Jerry was aware of the
fact that by the time Prof. Sousa's baton
fell on the last beat the sha lows were pretty
long over the lawn and that the way down
through the garrett into the house was dark
and gruesome. His blood chilled at the
prospect of making that journey, and he
sbivered. To save time he let the flag slip
down the mast, so that when the time came
it would require but pull to get it clear
Down. aud So he would save few precious
seconds of blessed light When he did get
the rope united with trembling fingers, and
all was made fast, he gathered flag in
his arms, and, with call on the enemies of
diahO1iSrn for aid aud rNrOfnafInn ba fad
down the narrow stairway.
Jerry does not like to talk about this Incl
dent. He claims that the halyards slipped
aud thus let tue flag down, but those &C
quainted with him say that the real reason
was as stated above. He admits, however,
that the garrett is uncanny, and says with a
fervid rolling of his eyes and a lifting of his
hands: Indeed an deed, gemmen.
woulden' go into dat garrett alone at night #
you'd gimme de whole treasury partment. :"
This is Jerry's platform, from which moth
ing, not even the promise of unlimited
wealth, could bulge him. He is convinced
that tne figures in the presidential portraits
step down from their frames every night
and hold high shadowy carnival in the rooms
where they once moved In bodily substance,
and, strangely enough, he attributes to
them the most bslligerent of qualities, so
that at one time he provided himself with
for use in case any of these relics of Amer
lean history should modest him in the en-
forcement of his twilight duties.
HE BEGGED OFF.
On one occasion before the elevator was
put in place thunderstorm arose in the
evening and it became necessary to send
some one up stars to shut the skylight 10
the roof. which had been left open. Capt.
Densmore told Derry to go, but the latter
Immediately began to beg off.
NOW you sno'ly wouden' make me go
up yonder," he said, ''where all dem things
Is, would you'a knows or Abe and all de
rest of dem fellers is walking round dar.
an amt gwine to resk myself in de regions
near 'em. Yo' go an I'll STAN by de do an
hoP de bat soze to knock 'em eff dey tries to
nab yo'." Nothing could persuade him.
He declared that he would do anything on
earth tor the caps in, but to go through the
garrett at that time of the evening was an
impossibllity.
THE HoUSE-KEEPER AND THE "KER BLAM.n
One of Jerry's best stories is how he and
Mrs. Mullen. the housekeeper during the
Graat administration. cleaned no the gar
ret. 1t seems that Mr.. Dent, Mrs. Grants
father, lad lot of old traps and books that
mad been slowed away promiscuously in
the attic, and one day the house-ceaning
spirit took hard hold upon Mrs. Mullen and
she managed, after good deal of coaxing,
10 get Jerry to help her straighten up those
things.
1T was pow'ful hot up there" says Jerry.
RUBBING his hands, $50 hot nothin' could
AVe. NO mice, no rats, no moths, nothin'
an Ell yo' wanted to save ANYTHING al yo'
4aa ter do WIS ter put 'em up in de garrett.
IL uz SO pow'ful hot it nigh laid Jerry out
an ue old oman she KEEP ON a 'workin red
uiu up de books, growlin away and findin'
tault and gettin' mo- pestered ev'y minnit,
when, ker blam! yere comes somefin. de
La~u knows what, and she TUX an give a
yen an went down e stairs a'fyin'. Gem
GIelinens, she made tracks, tell YOU and
Jerry puts his hands on his sides and laughs
ssnently but visibly in remembrance of Mrs.
Mullen i1I4l fleeing from the "ker blam.n
nat was it, Jerryr some one asked.
"hat was ~" he repeated scornfully.
tel! | amt. / amt sayin' no names
I'll anythln'. De ole 'om4n always saws it
was de devil, and, Lawd knowsl she must
Oh know. showed FIR she run mig ty quick"
Did she leave you up tnereF' was the in
nocent query.
l.. Leave VINO darr he exclaimed. raising
s,E, eyebrows and hands simultaneously
ono, now, what yo' take me for? Whv.
ouIe, led her down." and Jerry was off in
SMnoIher of his paroxysms of glee. Mr..
~ulien: he says. gave him a dollar to keen
4uet about the incident. but he does not
s 81. uple to tell it now, for the lady has long
I,Lce passed a way from earthly scares, and
gerry has come to believe that Mrs MuIlan