The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-10-09
DAVID'S LAKE GHOST
That Made a Saw Mill on the Tom.
bigbee Worthless.-The Spirit
Of a Negro.

St Louis Globe. Democrat.
In the bottoms OF the Tombigbcc
river, Il few miles above its confluence
with the Alabama, is deep, lagoon
like lake, locally known as David's
lake. On the western shore Of the
lake are a shingle mill and row Of a
half dozen shanties, intended as
houses for the mill hands, all the
property OF the Seaboard Lumber Co.,
at Fairford, few miles away.
The mill has been idle for some
time, and the shanties untenantcd,
owing to a depression in the market
for cypress shingles. 1t has been ne
cessary, however, in order to preserve
the validity OF certain insurance poll
cies, to keep a watchman constantly
in charge there. Up to IA short time
ago the Waterman was a certain Grip
pied negro named John James.
John James job was negro'S ideal
OF a soft job. All the work he had to
do was to light lantern in the mill
at dark, blow 1t out In the morning,
and never under any circumstances to
leave the mill unguarded, The conf
pany paid him $40 month, furnished
Il dwelling, a mule and plOw, to-
ge;her with just as much land as he
might want to cultivate. The lake
was full Of fish, tOotllsOme and easy to
catch.
Therefore, John James was much
cnvied by his fellows. But on an un-
lucky evening about sundown he pad
died his boat out in the lake to set
some lines for big catfish. His wife
saw him start, and when she looked
again a little latter there was an up
turned boat, but no John James.
The neighbors we're hurriedly called,
and in the gathering gloom they
dragged the bottom with graphing
irons and brought to the surface the
drowned body Of the watchman. How
he happened TO lose his balance, or
why he made no outcry will In all
probability never be known.
or course, the company over at
FairfOrd regretted the affair, paid the
widow Johns back salary, at once
sent down another negro as watch
man and things seemed to move along
about as before.
In a few days a company official
Glanced to 60 to David's lake, and
was surprised to find the new watch.
man gone, and also the company's
mule. The animal was found later at
Il station over on the railroad, where
the operator stated it had been ridden
In early one morning by greatly agi'
tatcd negro, who had left on the first
train.
The thing mystifled the company,
and was vexatiOus, because II the mill
should burn in the absence Of a watch
man no insurance could be collected
and unguarded buildings have an un
fortunate way OF catching atlre ir
that country. Another negro was a'
once sent down to the lake as watch
man, and informed that II he wantct
at any time to quit his job to give no
tice, SO there would be no intcrreg
, mum. No. 2 went to David's lake
, and next the news came that he, too
was missing. Neither he nor his pre-
. deccssor ever called for salary du
; them, has any trace Of either eve
been found.
At this, the powers that ruled TIL
company held a serious conference
Something was soaring the negroe
away, and 1t must be put an end to
So William Potlach, one Of the com
pany's most reliable negroes, was sen
to the shinglc mill with six-sllootei
: which he was instructed to use shoul
anything bother him.
William returned the very mex
morning. He was the worst scare
negro In the State Of Alabama. II
told q confused story, that no on
could make heads or tails OF, abou
ghosts and John James. There wa
, no confusion In bis statement thu
no money could ever induce him to 3
: back again.
Meanwhile stories began To foa