The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-10

Story, nence II must De true. IL nap
pened to a farmer who lives within a
short distance of Hyattsville, Nd" the
lawyer explained. There has been a
saying for years that one Of the rooms
In his house was frequented by the
ghost OF an aged peddler. who died
there suddenly while staying over
night. The room had been vacated for
some time. and about week ago the
farmer turned few baskets Of corn
upon the floor to dry. The next day
when he was gathering In a load OF
the fodder out beyond his barn, his wife
came rushing from the house.
"He FASTENED to meet her and to
learn OF her trouble. The young chill
dren were trailing behind her, and from
her appearance one might have thought
the buildings We're on fire. 1t was more
than five minutes before he could calm
her sufficiently to learn tina. she had
heard the ghost OF the departed peddler
In the haunted room and that it was
walking up and down the floor. Tradi-
ton had 1t that the peddler had been
pacing the floor the night he died. and
that when he returned again to the
scene of his death he always continued
his ambulations."
This Ghost Ate Corn.
There was nothing for the farmer to
do but return with her to the house and
investigate. 1t seemed rather out OF
the ordinary that the spirit of the old
peddlsr should be bold enough to stalk
around in full daylight. but when he
reached the door there was the sound
OF the steps beyond doubt and IL
brought his heart we'll up into his
mouth. The footballs on the floor above
succeeded each other apparently in reg
ular order with an occasion quicken-
Ing OF the pace as though the spirit
traveller was in a hurry to reach its
destination. The farmer hesitated to
go up the stairs and face that bold.
bad ghost. but the sight Of his wife
nerved him for the attack. He made
his way up the steps and into the room.
In moment there was an eXclama-
tion Of wonder that added TO the terror
of the woman waiting below. Then her
husband called her to come along and
see what ghost really was. In one
corner of the room was a chicken peck
ing at an ear Of corn, which 1t rolled
about the floor. This was the sound
that resembled the walking"
The supposed visions of the old ped
dler's ghost. which members of the
family declare they have seen at inter-
walls for a long series Of years, may
have been due to too much bending of
the back in the act of STOPPING, which
one authority says will enable persons
to see almost any vision in few min
utes. or to some other similar cause.
Men of science. however, have recently
been willing to admit that there may
be ghosts, and Professor Hudson has
acknowledged after a careful examina-
ton, that ghosts and apparitions are
real. although he does not say that
they are Of other than material origin.
According to his way OF thinking. the
whole world Is haunted more or less.
= Professor William James. OF Harvard
college. who is a prominent member Of
the American Society for Psychical Re-
search, stated at a meeting in Boston
recently. at which he presided. that the
appearance OF the dead had been es-
tablished by the work of Mrs. Sedg-
wick. of England. on scientific basis,
and 1t was no longer superstitious to
accept them as resting on a strong sta
tistical presumption of the truth.
Tale from Tennessee.
This Is mentioned as an introduction
to strange ghost story that is told
by gentleman of the Bureau Of Eth
nology.>N has reference to the times of
the primitive Indians, and the scene il
on the Cumberland river. in Tennessee
county. In an Indian burying ground
This ground Is full, as the tradition is
handed down, with the bones Of large
number Of Indians-Creeks and Choc-
taws-who had battle there In prime
val times. The vanquished Indians are
said TO have betaker themselves to n
high cave. where they were beseiged.
When famine threatened destruction. a
passage was discovered in the rear Of
the cave, which led. after many devious
windings, up through the earth and
into the light. The beseiged warriors
made their way through this only to
De met at the entrance by their enemies
and terrible slaughter followed. Their
bodies were said to have been buried in
the graveyard adjoining.
A large farm covering this Territory
was owned by prosperous Tennessee.
an until one day In the early fall a
and stated that he wished to purchase
the field In which the old grave yard
was situated. A bargain was struck.
and the stranger erected house In the
corner OF his acquired property. Some
months latter one Of the nelghbors
found him sitting near his chimney COW
cred with cuts and bruises.
The stranger related with some re-
Iuctance the story OF his experiences.
He said that he had lived In a neigh
boring town all his life, when one day
man called in at his field and repre-
sented himself as his mothers great
grandfather. This individual said he
had been In touch with the ghosts, from
whom he had learned that there was n
large pot OF gold In a certain Indian
Durying ground which was described in
detail as the one just mentioned. He
gave directions for the finding Of this
treasure. but warned the farmer that It
could be obtained only one night in
the year, In the autumn, when the In.
dian ghosts who were placed there to
guard 1t were absent from sundown to
sunrise to attend the corn dance. II
they returned and found the man dig
ging there they would kill him with a
shower OF arrows.
Had the Gold In His Grasp.
The stranger added that ne had found
the locality OF the treasure from the
presence Of three stones that had been
described to him as a sign. and that he
had set himself to digging on the night
mentioned when the braves were to be
absent for the dance. The gold was
buried very deep and 1t was already
long into the morning twilight when his
shovel struck upon q hard substance
which proved to be On earthern pot. He
was feverish with excitement to obtain