Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-07-29
ELsE,S GHOST.
Strange Manifestations at Grove
Reach.

Strange Manifestations at Grove
Beach.
It is not often in this materialistic age, |
and especially in this country, that ghost |
ventures to manifest itself. 1t may be |
called rara avis, and all the more to be |
appreciated on that account. But the cot |
tagers at Grove Beach and vicinity are ex-
periencing this sensation. The ghost of
Old Else is about again, and the excite
ment is great.
The manifestations are by no means new.
They have caused speculation and excited
talk for nearly century, but for some
reason it's natives have kept the matter
closely to themselves, and until recently
only vague rumor has reached even the
cottagers.
Grove Beach, some of our readers may
not know, is lovely summer resort at
the head of Duck Island Bay in the town
of Clinton. The grove of oaks, pines and
hiekories fringes the shore closely, and
nestled in 1t are many fine cottages occu-
pied by an unusually 1ntel1gent cultivated
class of summer visitors.
To the west of the grove there is long
stretch of sand flats, but beyond the shore
curves deeply to the south, and the sand
gives place to high bluff, fringed with
trees, which extends to Kelsey's Point-s
bold headland beloved by fishermen but
cordially hated by navigators for Its treach
erous reefs and bars Midway along the
bluff line of rocks juts out into the bay
These are the locally famed Else's Rocks,
| and near them, in a hut under the bluff,
| early in the century, lived an old Indian
| woman from whom the rocks are named.
| The nearest house was then miles away.
She gained fair living by digging clans
on the beach and by making baskets.
| which she sold in the neighboring villages.
| Everyone far and near knew Else. She was
a keen-faced, sharp-topgued old woman, a
terror to young children, wonderfully
quick at repartee and not at all choice in
the use of language. The men still tell
pretty tough stories about her, hardly fit
for polite ears, but certainly vigorous and
suggestive of corresponding Individual
| ity.
The winter of 1907 was unusually Sc
| we're. The snow lay deep. The roads
| were impossible. The sound was nearly
frozen across.
For several weeks nothing had been seen
or heard of poor old Else, but finally a
party of young men charitably inclined
| forced their way on snow shoes down to
the hut 1t was entirely covered by a
drift and without sign of life. They dug
| passage to the door and entered. Inside
everything was snug and dry. Some IN
finished baskets lay on q shelf. A small
mountain of clam shells were piled near
the hearth. Old clothes hung from pegs,
but Else had disappeared. They could get
no trace of her. Spring came, SHOWS
melted; Systematic search was made, but
still no sign. and to this day her fate is
unknown. She had myteriously dissp-
peared, never to return in the flesh. But
before the summer was over belated clam,
mers brought home strange reports.
To frequenters of the beach no sound is
better known than the tap tap of clam
hoe on the stones for the purpose of caus
ing the secretive clam to "ehow up" OF
Squirt" 1t is unmistakable. These mer
reported as they stood on the beach such
sounds would advance, pass and rscede
that the sound of digging could also bt
heard, but that nothing whatever could b
seen.
They heard distinctly but could see moth
!: ing. The passage of the sound was Away
} accompanied by strange furry of icy
wind, and they We're left speechless with
| amazement and terror.
1t was soon discovered that these mani
festations were only heard in the evening
shone. Perhaps men were mors supersti
tious then than now, but for many years, a
such times the beach was deserted. Moth
: ing could induce clammer to linger there
The feeling. however, gradually died out
t but in the ffties it was brought to vigor
) GUS life again by a startling occurrence.
Ezra Tobin lived in a little brown wealth
| er beaten house some three miles from tn
beach. Above all things, excepting fir
1 TIT tev =
the juicy clam, found nowhere in such per
T lection as near Else's Rocks. And on
Sunday afternoon he "hitched up" an,
T | started off for "mess of CLANS" sayin
he would be home for supper. At suppe
n time he failed to appear. Eight o'cloc
passed-nine o'clock. 1t was beautiful
T moonlight night and his better half ha
n just decided that he intended to make
night Of it, when, without warning, tn
: door burst open and Ezra, deathly psle
hatless, wet to the skin, absolutely unabl
f to articulate, fell forward in heap on tn
+ floor. They put him to bed; sent for til
o doctor; wrapped him in fannels; but
was useless. About midnight he sudden
ly sat up, called distinctly elise, Else!
fell back and never spoke again.
The next day they found his old hors
L near Else's Rocks, his basket on the beach
" his hoe among the stones. What he ha
n | seen, what had been the nature of his on
counter with Else must ever remain N.Y.
!, terry. Not unlikely it may have been
bad case of D. T.; but it is unnecessary t
l, say that thereafter no man could be pei
g suaded for love or money to take b.
u chances on that beach after nightfall.
Years passed. Grove Beach BEGAN
closely eettled. Cottsgers struggled wit
their houses on to the sand flats, but NJ
r til four years ago the beautiful, breezy
shaded bluffs remained as solitary as
( Elses day. Then Yale professor, Al
D. tracted by the natural beauty of the LOCI
n ton, and perhaps without knowledge
n it's reputation, built cottage almost
It rectly over the i'll fated rocks.
Until last summer there was no sign
anything unusual, but If concealment ha
been attempted it then became no longe
possible. The ghost of Old Else has nc
been frightened away or proved a mytl
The tap-tap of her hoe can be heard no
as clearly as in the old days. Many of til
}, cottagers can testify to the uncsnny fee
ing of hearing the sound approach pas
j recede, usually accompanied by the strane
furry of chill air.
By familiarity, the ghost, if it is Ont
Q has been robbed of much of the old terror
No harm has so far came to anyone, no on
l is badly frightened, and 1t Is needless to So
that the excitement is intense, and add
vastly to the attraction of seashore life.
fact it seems to be quite the thing fo
? | young couples to sit on Else's rocks an
I | await her coming, when "terror lends en-
chantment."
No one has yet offered a seasonable ez
g PLANTATION Of the remarkable sounds and "
| sfncara1v hona soma of our nron,inaD% CO