Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-09
WERE NOT SPECTRES.
An EXPERIENCE THAT DROVE A
GHOsT-sEEISG ENGINEER MAD.
Had Seen Ghosts There for Years,
and when He Saw Living Beings
on That Piece OF Track He Kept
Chicago POSf.)
On.


Jerry Pierce, who died recently at Don
aldson. Ind:
About five miles east OF that place wa,
a deep cut through hill Of sand and
gravel The railroad company needed th'
gravel for entertainments, and bought tho
hill to the south Of the track. a switch
was put In, and was showed over as the
gravel was removed. They took 1t away
in flat-cars, and Jerry Pierce was the
engineer who hauled the gravel train.
That hill had been the site OF farm
house one time in the early days. Indeed
the farmhouse was still standing-though
dilapidated-when the railroad-men bought
the land. People said that the house was
| haunted. it had been rather a preten-
tious affair when erected, and good people
must have lived there. Indeed. the family
that occupied the big red house was one
Of the best OF the pioneers. The mans
name was corse. His wife was from the
Pomeroy family. and her people were al
most aristocIats.
There was an epidemic Of smallpox
away Ddih lHtIt III Ali' HllANA iAfHH NeN -
and 1t invaded the Corse family I'm the
big red farmhouse. Two children-a boy
and a girl-died, and were buried in the
orchard. There were no cemeteries then.
Later-years later-the family moved
away. Tenants came to occupy the house
and gather the fruit in the orchard. The
graves were forgotten. Neighborhood his
tories were lost in more recent events.
Old people died, and were laid TO rest
in cemeteries. New people came In and
c. AIRED away the forests.
Then came the railroad, and the com
pany bought the hill-feld In which stood
the red house, now old and dlapidated.
And day after day the hill melted away
as the gravel track was pushed near, and
the army of shovellers. Ike line OF ants,
ate away the embankment. And one day,
when the pupils in the little schoo-house
were out at play. great thing happened.
The sloping face OF the bank caved down
and the end Of a blackened wooden box
protruded. 1t quivered there a moment
and then another portion Of the loose
sand and gravel came away, and the
blackened box slid half way down, turned
over parted, and lodged. Ana from II
came two skeletons-and In the yielding
sand they travelled to the bottom.
cred about those gllstening reminders or
earth's mortality. The children came up
from the school-house and watched
gaplng-the unusual scene. The foreman
asked whose graves these were. NO one
knew. Even the old resid nts were puz-
zlod. Very few remembered that Farmer
Corse had ever occupied the place. None
recalled the smallpox plague.
And while messengers were hurrying
about searching for those who, could
they but know. would have hurried here
to give sculpture to these bones, the fore
man told the irish shovelels TO 20 back
TO work. They would not DO II while the
bones lay there. The incident appealed TO
their superstitions. They were certain
these who once were mortals had no
rites Of Church before their taking Off
no blessing I'm their burial. They would
not touch the skeletOns-which really
were fOrbiddng.
And Jerry Pierce, the engineer. was out
of patience. He was young and almost
rough those days. He swore al the men,
but they stood there shiyering, against
the half-filled cars. and would not cross
hat unhallowed ground where the bones
lay.
SO Jerry Pierce, exasperated, tossed the
bones in the blackened fragment OF box
and dragged the whole across the tracks.
He felt a tug Of regret at his heart even
as his grimy, oily hands grasped the old
black walnut. There was a wave Of sensi-
bility that swept over him. But IN n mo-
rncnt he hardened his heart against II
and roared at the workmen and gave the
relics that should have been sacred one
final toss, and then he went back to his
engine.
IL ~. CHI ny 10 afraid OF
him. seeing the dead had no terrors, went
On with their work and completed it. But
by night the news had reached Farmer
judge Corse now-and he
had come with conveyance and with
collins. and had taken away the remains
Of children who would have been ~ years
Did had they lived TO that day.
Jerry Pierce was taken from the gravel |
rain after awhile. and given charge OF |
4 regular freight between Crestline ana /
Fort Wayne. And because he was sober /
md honest and industrious they gave I
lm an express-train on the western d. /
lision at length, and he ran right past the 1
I'D gravel pit.
And II was along about then that he 1
aw the vision for the first time. One /
light he had just passed the site Of the .
Id red house, and was thinking OF any |
hing else on earth than that incident Of |
he black wooden box when a boy and .
irl, perhaps 10 years old, walked toward .
he railroad. They were hand in hand,
nd though Ia night was dark, he could
ee they were chatting and laughing gay
y.
They were so near the track and were
Walking steadily forward, although they
Ould not by any possibility pass before
he engine reached them, that Jerry Pierce
cached for the whistle-rod and pulled 1t
harply. He began a grin as he thought
ow il would startle hem. And then he
obered instantly. Indaec, his heart sank
Or the two came on. TEey had not heard
i'm. He roared an unarticulated oath,
brew himself on the reverse lever, APP
lied the brakes, and snatched again at
ne whistle-rod-and looked ahead.
They had stepped on the ends OF the
es. Their feet were lifted 10 cross the
iil.-and the point Of the pilot was be-
ond them.
Jerry Pierce shut his eyes and caught at
is heart. for il was killing him. With the
Icture OF two children. both laughing hap
lly. he caught his nerves for the shock,
nd ceased breathing.
But there was no shock-no jar. The en-
Inc was crowding backward upon the
momentum Of that ponderous train.
whats the matter, JerryT' asked the
reman. serving the sand, opening the
lrnace door.
Did We hit them?" asked Jerry.
hit whatT'
s'Where did they go?' Jerry looked at
,e fireman with opening senses. Didn't
on see them?"
"What was it, Jerry?" asked the fire.
ian kindly. for he was scared.
what Is IT. Jerry?' asked the conduct
;. running forward from the now motion
SIS train. Jerry got down and went back
Thy, he knew the tie they stepped on
al he found IT. He told the trainmen
M the passengers, and they all looked.