, 1891-02-17
TRENTON PIKE GHOST.
FRIGHTENED EVERY ONE AND WAS
BADLY SCARED ITSELF.

SA@ ~ AAI g AAAoh - u ANOAAA IMP
for New Brunswick sporting and driving
men, and the old tavern which has stood
four miles out on the Trenton pike ever
since the old coaching days is also a wet
day resort for the farmers OF New Bruins
wick township, and in the quaint old par
lor you may gather all the social and po-
litical gossip Of the country side, and 50
long as lockjaw is not a rural epidemic you
can also hear many a hair stiffening legend
or side splitting joke revived under the In
1uence 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, 1.-THE place was close by here, and
the ghost is closer by now"
Il don't see anybody here that looks at
all ghostly. What do you suppose you
meanY"
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 That Is the retired ghost. let
him speak for himself"
TIE STORY.
What Freeman Ayresi" almost shout
ed half a dozen younger members of tho
group while the older men chuckled aud
IDLY. saying:
"Oh, yesl / 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 a fresh cigar and pro
ceeded:
1T was in the summer OF 1868 or 1869,
Tm 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 1t, had a lot
Of oats stored In one OF the parIors. At
that time l was a young fellow, working
on the dam at Parsons snuff mill. and
went past here to and from home.
Frank Tracy had a chore darby he
called Nose, and one morning early, as l
was going TO work, / saw Nose coming
down from the hotel with a bag for oats.
Something put 1t into my head to give the
darky n scare, and | slipped into the cot
age. which was open at the back. and
went up stairs.
Nose came into the parlor whistiinR
cheerfully and began filling his bag. let
out a groan like a sick cider mill.
"'Wh-wh-who's dahH' | heard Nose
exclaim in a kind Of awe struck whisper.
He evidently listened a little bit, and
then went on filling his bag. l let out
another two horse groan aud brought one
foot down on the floor like a pile driver.
SOARING THE
"'W-w-a-u-ghl O-o-o-hP yowled Nose as
he few through the door, fell over the yard
fence and few up the road, yelling at
every jump till he fell on the hotel porch,
and all Frank Tracy could get out Of him
was;
"'Ghosesl oh, Lordy, Massa Frank,
ghosesl DE Lord have mussy on dis pore
niggahi GhosesI'
"A bucket Of water and a tumbler 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 a lot more OF 1t. D..
Frank Tracy, of course. took no stock
in the ghost.
THE next morning l 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 a scared colt, while Frank
and another man stood in the road at the
hotel watching him. | let Nose fill his bag,
and then ! began my racket. or course
Nose fed, but held on to his bag. He went
up tho road on the full yell. | tell you
thought ! was having lots Of fun, and so l
did as long as It lasted. When l looked
out | saw Frank Tracy and a lot OF the
ueiRhbors coming full tilt for the house.
"In three minutes they were all around
the place, and more were coming. never
saw crowd gather so quick in all my life.
| didn't like the ooks of the thing at all.
| could not get out, and besides | did not
want TO got out into that crowd, for 1 knew
there were n good many of them who
didn't like to be fooled. It was the ghost
that was scared now. When they came
nosing in down stairs I skipped up into the
garnet, which vas only a cockloft. /
/ groaned and made a little row occasionally,
and when l did they would scoot outside.
THE GHOST CAPTURED.
Then the stage from New Brunswick
came, and all the passengers got out to
help aunt the ghost. Frank Brewer, from
Franklin Park, came over with a squirrel
rifle, a big knife and a huge bloodhound.
Finding the fellows fed every time l
groaned, | ventured down into the second
story and found a lot Of wallpaper that
had come off from the dampness. l
wrapped it around me and paraded In front
of the windows.
"'Therel Look There It ISL shouted
Squire Tom Pearce. It's got on a striped
shroud. It's the ghost of some convict
George Brown took a crack at me with
MS zine anu 1 ueu 10 the COCklOtt again.
Tl bet there never was a sure enough
ghost that wanted to get out OF the bust
ness any worse han l { did.
They organized a storming party, and
Fred Van Deursen volunteered to 20 into
the cockloft. 1t was not hoored, and the
first thing he did was TO break through the
plaster and nearly break his neck. l gave
a groan and the storming party fed. Fred
Van Deursen was no coward, however, and
after he had rubbed his scratched shins
and talked a little he swore he would have
a sight of that ghost or know why he 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 skunkf
shouted Fred as he saw me.
81 came out, the worst scared ghost you
ever saw.
THE crowd wanted TO cut up rough at
first, but Fred swore l was no ghost, n
the first man that touched me would have
to settle with him.. So l got away and
staid in New Brunswick a 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, en-
gender cholera aud intlammatious-