The morning call., 1893-11-11
A GHOST STORY.
Extraordinary Manifestations in the
Arctic REGIONS.
New York Evening Post.

New York Evening Post.
ApropoS Of the recent revival OF interest In
the Cock Lane ghost and the possible verify OF
its manifestations, IL may be worth while TO
put on record certain events which took place
in the early sixties at Fort Yukon, the outer
most post of the Hudson Bay Company in
Alaska, north OF the Arctic Circle. AT this
lonely fort half dozen from the northern Isles
OF Scotland traded for furs under the comm nd
of Strachan Jones, post trader OF the company.
Once year a party assembled the Rat River
anu crossed to La Pierre's house. at the head
OF navigation on the Porcupne River, bringing
supply OF trading goods, one sack OF Hour and
| a little tea and sugar for the commander, with
| the mail of the last six months, aud receiving
| in exchange the bales of furs which had been
| purchased during the previous twelve months.
| The bateauX from the fort then returned down
stream with the goods.
In midwinter courier on snOwshoes brought
! the half-yeariy instructions from the chief
| fac or at York factory. at other times the
! little community vegetated among the tundra
or was busted with the hunting aud trade
which supplied the business aud subsistence
| of the post. About year after Jones relieved
his predecessor strange rumOrs prevailed
among the residents at the fort. Singular
noises were heard during the still Arctic night.
Raps on the door were responded to, but the
door being onened there was no one there.
! Utensils hung on he walls OF The log huts In
which the company's servants lived fell down
or were moved when nobody was near them.
1
and around this house the uDcaDny dotngs
seemed 10 concentrate. Jones himself pre-
served a digDited silence or prOfessed ignOr-
ance of any hing out of the common. But in
spite of this the noise and turmoil continued
and WIZ experienced by every one at the post,
even by visiting Indians
When spring came the bateaux started as
usual for La Pierre's house with the bales of
| furS, Jones commanding the party. At the
nightly bivouac, to the establishment of the
voyagers, the noises continued. The man who
slept In the boat as a sort OF guide reported
that he heard raps and a curious scratching on
the mat Men who slept around The campfire
ashore declared that they heard Jones talking
in the night TO some one VINO answered In a
voice unknown 10 any of the party. On meet
lug the party from Fort Macpherson at the
portage the voyagers naturally compared no es
and the doings of Jones' familiar were soon
discussed by every campfire and at every trad
ing post throughout the Northwest Territory. A
visitor at the fort in 1866 was assured on the
reality OF these manifestations, which remained
without explanation as Jones had retired from
the post and carried his secret with him. The
same visitor, while waiting the return Of the
officer then commanding, had the curiosity to
/ look through little library which had In the
course OF years had accumulated In the COM
mander's quarters. Among tie worn novels
and less dilapdated volumes of Scotch theology
of which the collection Was made up was a copy
of DR.. JOhnson'S account OF The extraordinary
history OF the Cock Lane ghost.