Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-02-12
A HUNCHBACK PEDDLER.
A STRANGE STORY OF LONE
LY FARM HOUSE.
Lumber man and His Wife Disturbed
by CHASTITY visitatious-Find-
Ing OF Skull: Fractured
by Hstchst.

tured rs Arkansas Is to-day, according
TO the Philadelphia Times The few
inhabitants in the mountains main
tanned an existence by numbering
in the dense forests bordering
the Susquehanna and its tributaries.
Permanent settlements were few aad
far between. the lum bermen having no
fixed place OF abode. living in log
camps in the winter and in the spring
going down on RATS to Willlamsport
or Marietta whence they wandered
back 10 their old haunts or sought new
fields. In spots where the hilly coun-
try leveled sufficiently to permit Guilt
walton few farmers and their fami-
lies as rough and uncouth as their
surroundings struggled for livelihood.
In those days and in such sections the
peddler was ubiquitous. His periodi-
cal visits afforded almost the only OPP
portunities for the women to purchase
coarse laccs, pins and other so called
yankee notions " The pcddlers
reaped rich harvests but il their jour
neyings were profitable they were also
dangerous in country where might
was right
knowing ones kept aloof from the
log camps, for it was common thing
for the rough backwoodsmen TO seize
the travelling merchants pack and
drive away with kicks and curses the
despairing owner. Nor was this all.
Many "A peddler on the latter end OF
his trip. with light pack and heavy
wallet had suddenly disappeared.
never to be heard OF again in the
flesh.
One OF the weirdest OF the many
marvellous tales relates to an old
hunchback peddler. named Moses
who was known all through the
mountains for his never-failing stock
of anecdotes and yarns, with which he
enlivened the long winter evening at
the cabins where he purchased lodg-
ings for yard or so OF lace or q cheap
fire. gilt bracelet Owing to his dis
ability as well as his prosperity. in
stead of travelling on foot he made
his rounds with descrepit old horse
and rickety wagon. One day Moses
came TO farm house where he had
called many times before, and after
the sale OF few trinkets. made
dicker with the farmer to keep his
horse for three days while he Jour-
neyed up into the mountains. where a
team would be an encumbrance
lie started off with his pack in the
afternoon, linging back joke to the
farmers wife, who. with her little girl,
stood on the porch. He was seen next
day on q mountain path ten miles dis
tant from the farm house. He was
never heard of afterward.
Fifteen years after the farmers
daughter, then young woman of p,
married lumberman, and the pair
went across the mountains TO n farm
house which had been left vacant by
the death OF the owner man feared
and disliked by all who knew him. In
these mountain Businesses tho inhabi-
tants knew nothing Of what was going
on outside Of their own valley and
the young couple were totally unac-
quainted with the history and the folk
lore OF their new neighborhood. The
log cabin was a comfortable dwelling.
AAAAOhbh III tAkttdluEl N lOItlH
spot "A mile from the main road. and
three miles from the nearest neighbour
The woodsman, after making his
wife comfortable. started oil to work
TO be gone a few days. The young
woman was stranger to fear and
many a time had beaten her father
point for point with the rifle. so that
she felt no misgivings when her hus-
band left her alone. At dusk in the
evening of the day he went away she
saw figure coming along the lane
through the woods. With a hastv
glance TO see that the rifles and horse
pistols were handy she awaited the
approach OF the visitor When but
few yards distant she saw that the
traveller carried peddlers pack. and.
apparently was very tired, STOPPING
beneath his load. She determined the
man might sleep in the barn If he
wished. but it would not be judicous
to permit him in the house. The ped
dler, however. did not even speak to
her. but opening the gate TO the barn
yard entered the inclosure. For an in
slant his form was plainly outlined
against the evening sky. and then he
disappeared. whittier it was impossi-
BILE to discover
The barn was 100 feet further on
but feeling satisfied the peddler must
have entered il, she finished her work
and went to bed. The following
morning no signs could be found in the
barn of nocturnal visitor but that
evening the same figure came down
the lane. This time the young woman
went onto the porch and called TO the
peddler. He deigned no reply, but
passing toward the barn, disappeared as
mysteriously rs before. Somewhat
alarmed the young woman re entered
tho house. secured the windows and
doors and then sat Gown before tho
open fire trying to recall yhere sh e.
had seen that strangely familiar form.
suddenly she thought of Moses. The
strange peddler was either he or his
spirit Now she remembered the fig
uro which came down the lane wore
clothes out Of date even for that be-