Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-03-04
TRENTON PIKE GHOST.
FRIGHTENED EVERY ONE AND WAS
! BADLY SCARED ITSELF.

long as lOcK1aW Is not Il rural epidemic YOU
can also hear many hair stiifeuing legend
or side splitting joke revived under the in
huonce of good company and good cheer
Monday afternoon a goodly crowd was
assembled, when a newcomer said:
Wasn't the Trenton pike ghost located
somewhere out hereY
"Oh, yes" replied Landlord j. Holmer
Bergen, "the place was close by here, and
the ghost is closer by now"
81 don't see anybody here that looks at
all ghostly, What do you suppose you
meanP
"There he is, sir. The only true and
genuine ghost in North Brunswick town.
ship" and Mr.. Bergen pointed to a small
modest looking gentleman who was smok-
ing with his chair tilted back against the
window, "rhat is the retired ghost Let
him speak for himself"
THE STORY.
"Whatl Freeman Ayresf" almost shout
ed half dozen younger members of the
group, while the older men chuckled aud
IDLY, saying
"Oh, yes remember all about it now
Tell us the story, Freeman, for the benefit
of the boys"
After being a little further importuned
Mr.. Ayres lighted fresh cigar and pro
ceeded:
ut was in the summer of 1S6Sor 1869,
Pm not sure which, that this thing hap
pened. Frank Tracy kept this house here,
and the big frame cottage down yonder on
the left as you go to New Brunswick was
owned by another man named Tracy, who
lived in New York. The house was empty,
and Frank, who looked after it, had a lot
of oats stored in one of the parors. At
that time | was a young fellow, working
on the dam at Parsons snuff MILL and
went past here to and from home.
Frank Tracy had chore darby he
called Nose, and one morning early as
was going to work, | saw Nose coming
down from the hotel with bag for oats
Something put it into my head to give the
darby a scare, and slipped into the cot.
tage, which was open at the back, and
went up stairs
"Mose came into the parler whistling
cheerfully and began filing his bag. let
out groan like n sick cider mill
'Wh-wh-who's dahY | heard Nose
exclaim in kind of awe struck whisper
"He evidently listened a little bit, and
then went on filling his bag. let out
another two horse groan and brought one
foot down on the floor like u pile driver
SOARING THE NEGRO.
"'W -w-a-u-gh O-o-o-hp yowled Nose as
he flew through the door, fell over the yard
fence and flew up the road, yelling at
every jump till he fell on the hotel porch,
and all Frank Tracy could get out of him
was:
"'GhosesI Oh, LordN Massa Frank,
ghosesl De Lord have mussy on dis pore
niggah Closest
"A bucket of water and q tumber of
liquor brought him around so that he was
able to tell how a ghost seventeen feet
high, carrying its head on a pitchfork, had
warned him for stealing oats; that the legs
had kicked him out and the hands had
tried to knock his brains out with the head
on the pitchfork, and Il lot more Of it.
Crank Tracy, of course, took no stock
in the ghost,
"The next morning was in the cottage
again but Nose never showed up until
broad daylight, and Tracy threatened to
thrash him because the horses were not
fed AT length saw Nose coming down
the road like scared colt, while Frank
and another man stood in the road Mt the
hotel watching him. let Nose fiji his bag,
and then ! began my racket. OF course
Nose fed, but held on to his bag He went
up the road ON the full yell. tell You /
thought was having lots of fun, and so "
did as long rs it lasted, When / looked
out | saw Frank Tracy and lot Of the
ueighbors coming fun tilt for the house.
"In three minutes they were all around
the place, and more were coming. never
saw n crowd gather SO quick in all my life
/ didn't like the looks of the thing at all
j could not get out, and besides | did not
want to get out into that crowd, for knew
there were good many of them who
didn't like to be fooled 1t was the ghost
that was scared now. When they came
nosing in down stairs I skipped up into the
garnet, which was only a cockloft.
groaned and made n little row occasionally
and when | did they would scoot outside.
THE GHOST CAPTURED.
"Then the stage from New Brunswick
came, and all the passengers got out to
help hunt the ghost Frank Brewer, from
Franklin Park, came over with squirrel
rifle, big knife and huge bloodhound.
Finding the fellows fled every time
groaned, Ivcntured down into the second
story and found lot of wallpaper that
had come Off from the dampncss. |
wrapped it around me and paraded in front
"Therel Look There it isp shouted
Squire Tom Pcarce It's got on n striped
shroud It's the ghost of some convict
George Brown took II crack at me with
his rifle and fled TO the cockloft again
I'll bet there never was sure enough
ghost that wanted to get out Of the BUSH
ness any worse than did,
"They organized a storming party, and
Fred Van Deurseu volunteered to go into
the cocllloft. 1t was not iloored, and the
first thing he did was to break through the
plaster and nearly break his neck. | gave
n groan and the stormug party fed Fred
Van Deursen was no coward, however, and
after he had rubbed his scratched shius
and talked n little he swore he would have
n sight of that ghost or know why hc didn't,
In looking around he saw there was a scut-
tie on the roof He came up again boldly
and throwing the scuttle let in the light.
"'Come out of here, you unholy skunkP
shouted Fred rs he saw me.
~ came out, the worst scared ghost You
ever saw,
"Tho crowd wanted to cut up rough at
first. but Fred swoge | was no ghost. and
the first man that touched me would have
TO settle with him. So | got away and
staid in New Brunswick few days. New
York World,
Sour, astringent apples may be given in
hot agues to cool the stomach, but taken
freely In ordinary health hurt the stomach
and taken in spring hurt the sinews, an-
gender cholera and inilammatious.
BETRAYED BY A Bid.