The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-05-04
CAPTURING A GHOST.
How tho Terror Of Branch Bridge
Was Removed.

"There, Uncle Ben, how are you going to
get round thatl" / said, in half joking and
half triumphant tone as laid down paper
in which had been reading aloud we'll
authenticated ghost story. What the paper
stated could be vouched for by half score
of respectable citizens, who the editor de-
clared were ready and eager to give their
oaths to what they had seen with their eyes
and heard with their ears.
Uncle Ben, to whom / had addressed the
question, was an old man, one of the first
settlers of our part of the country; and, un-
like a great many other old men, he took
great interest in what was going on in the
world; and now that his eyesight had in
measure failed him, he was dependent upon
others TO read to him the news, and for his
edification had read the current ghost
story that was then going the rounds of
newspaperdom, and then demanded his
opinion on the subject as / have alreSdy
chroniclcd.
sThere is way to get round every thing
of that sort, if you only go the right way to
work, and amt afraid of seeing any thing,
be it in the flesh or not. A man sometimes
sees that which he is afraid he SHALL even
with his eyes shut. / don't believe that
there was ever one of these stories but that
could be sifted to the bottom and found that
young days, Just after l settled here we
had ghost that frightened half of the peo-
pie out of their wits; but unraveled the
mystery after awhile when it got so that
nobody dared to cross the bridge after dark,
for fear of seeing or hearing something
from the other world"
"Was the bridge thought to be haunted"
"Yes. Branch Bridge; and the people
had seen and heard things that they could
not account for, and it was not to be won
dered at. Strange sounds were heard at
night and several times a tall figure
wrapped IN sheet, with eyes that seemed
to burn like fire. had been seen walking to
and fro, while groans would be heard, as II
the object were in deep distress; and things
came to such pass at last that those
who had to cross the stream after
dark went down below and forded
it; and even in the broad daylight
there were those who would not trust them
selves upon the bridge, but gave 1t wide
berth as an uncanny thing. The good Par
son Brown tried what preaching would do
towards laying the disturbed spirit; but that
seemed to do no good; and it looked as
though he hardly felt himself a match for
the strange mystery. For one night when
he had valiantly determined to keep watch
and ward over the bridge, he deserted his
post, and came running into the neighbours
nearest the bridge, minus his hat, and with
his hair standing upright on his head, and
almost breathless from his half mile run
ming. And when at last he was so far re-
covered that he was able to speak, he de-
clared that he had seen the gentleman with
horns that he had been battling with all his
days; and, as on other occasions, he was
more than his match; and good many be-
lieved that the parson spoke the truth.
"After the scare of their shepherd, whose
version of what no had seen agreed with the
statements of others who had witnessed IL
the rest of the flock gave up all hopes of
solving the mystery. And thus matters
stood ON my return home, after six months
absence and for the first time learned that
the bridge was haunted, but by the spirit OF
whom 1t passed the wisdom OF them all to
determine.
81 was young man thcn, and made my
home at fathers, though / worked out a
good deal of the time. II was the summer
before was married, and II CHANGED that
she who was to be your aunt lived some two
miles distant. and to reach her home must
cross the bridge, or else ford the stream.
AS had not been at home for six months,
and had not seen her during that time, felt
called upon to pay her visit that night,
even if were to meet ghost wrapped In
sheet at every turn OF the road. Mother
mistrusted my intentions as 1t grew towards
sunset, from divers preparations was mals-
ing, and she tried to prevail upon me TO
start before it should become dark, or i
should be sure to see the ghost had taken
but little stock in the story, as was not
believer in such things; aud i laughin2ly
told her that had never seen ghost, and
II there were any such things, wanted TO
get glimpse of them. Father also put in
q word, saying that l had better take an
early start; but to convince them that was
not in the least afraid, did not leave the
house until 1t was fairly dark
''The land immediately about Branch
Bridge does not look much now as 1t did
then. At that time it was covered with
thick forest on either side for nearly quar-
ter OF mile, so that 1t was Us lonely
place as woods could make 1t, either in I,
summer or winter. The high banks on
either side of the stream are much the
same now as they were then, though per-
haps they have been dug down somewhat
at each new construction OF the bridge, and
up and down the stream the huge trees, that
used to lean over the water as 1t dashed |
among the rocks below, are gone-swept |
away by tho spring floods, or, having lived