Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-05-27
JOB WARMERS BE[L|NG,

Jul vHnllLn 0 DLLLlnu.
The wind ratified the windows, made
creepy, unpleasant noises III the trees
outside, and at intervals ventured down
the chimney with sudden spurts, blew
the smoke Dlayfully out into the room,
causing for moment discomfort to our
eyes and lungs; then as quickly it re-
tired, giving triumphant whistle as if it
enjoyed the joke hugely. The SCOT would
come tumbling down and for moment,
enyelOp the flames in a cloud of black
dust. Il crackle, Splutter, and up the
logs blaZed as cheerily as ever.
Jones and | stretched our feet toward
the warmth and buried ourselves deeper
Ii our great armchairs.
This" murmured my friend. as he
blew out a Whit of smoke and watched
1t disappear up the chimney, SIS the best
part OF our day after quail. and
Listen" cried the school teacher. who
had been our companion during our days
hunt.
At first low and plaintive, then louder
and louder borne on the wind that rat
tied the windows and played down the
chimney, came an unearthly sound. 1t
was like a grOan of, supernatural origin.
'GOOdneSs.' exclaimed Jones. starting
up.
The school teacher laughed "That,"
he said lis the horse tiddles.''
Then came the sharp report of a gun
There cried Jones, they've shot
''Shot nothing" laughingly replied the
school teacher Its only the boys over
the. hill serenading Sam Puffenberger
He's been married"
i should remain a bachelor if 1 lived
in this part Of Pennsylvania" said
Jones, as he settled down again in his
chair.
IF you do not mind said the peda-
gogue. L will tell you about the last
/ lrils l..
Joe Warner; that is, if you have no OBJ
jectiOnS."
Having received our assent he cleared
his throat and, in the pOmpous manner
becoming one of his calling and tastes,
began.
L am not superstitious-far from it.
LII would II become one to whom for
so many years was intrusted the educa-
ton of our township, and once even
that of the whole county. to give Gre
dence to the foolish rumors of haunts and
charms or to the strange beliefs current
among some in our valley concerning the
conversation of cattle on All Hallowe en-,
or TO any like ridiculous fancies. But
vet there IS one point on which [ must
confess some timidity-that is as to pass
ing the small log house which stands just
at the foot of the first ridge on the road
running to Macedonia on the night of
November %, or, indeed, at almost any
other time after sunset. Not that [ am
afraid-far from it; but strange stories
have been abroad for the past thirty
years regarding the dOings there after
Eightfan. The sound of fiddles they
say. can be heard and the Changing of
coWbells lntersDersed occasionally with
the dull report of a gun. This, the
young folks declare, is the ghosts bell
ing Joe Warner.
L have never heard the ghosts bell
Joe Varner-not that l believe they do.
but | did bell him once myself, and
hence what passes now as a mere local
superstition is to me the reminder of a
painful reality, and each recurring ru-
NOR of strange noises heard on the
Ridge road recalls my last serenading
adventure.
'.The house of which [ have spoken
still stands in little niche in the woods
about fifty feet from the roadside. The
great stone chimney is now almost COM
Dletely demolished; the plaster daubing
fallen from the chinks between the logs,
revealing 70 the paSSerby the barrenneSS
of the interior; the glass removed from
the shattered windows to let light into
some more respectable dwelling, and the
weeds and brlars grow rank in the I'M
cared-fOr clearing in which it stands.
Thirty years ago Joe Warmers place,
as it is Called presented a far different
picture TO the eye than it does today.
Then all was scrupulOusly clean Not
a stone on the chimney TOP was out of
en- from between the logs, nor was the
smallest surface left unwhitewashed.
The surrounding garden was as neat
iy kept. No weeds disturbed the almost
painful effect of its tidiness.
.'Joe was proud of his home, and well
might he have been. For twenty years
he had lived his lonely life there, done
his own homework, cared for his own
garden, and only varied the mCnOtOny
Of the days by occasionally working on
a neighboring farm.
He was a strange creature tall and
gaunt in appearance, taciturn and surly
In manner, speaking Il cross word more
often than a kind one, doing his bad
deeds in public and his good ores in
private, for his natural pride would not
allow him TO parade the latter before
his neighbours Yet, with ALL he was at
heart a kind fellow, spoiled simply by the
loneliness Of his way of living, even as
his own mongrel dog grew testy from a
lack of companonshiD.
why Joe had never married was an
enigma to our people. He was not a ma
tive of our county. bTtt had simply an
peared one day, bought his secluded
piece of ground, built his house and
stayed. Twice, leaving no word behind
him, he had gone away, remained a
week, and then as quietly returned again
to resume the even tenor OF his life.
His return on each occasion was marked
the attention, but repealed the curiosity
of his nearest neighbors. That he had
visited his old home in the adjoining
county was all that we could ever learn.
1T was just thirty years ago this
coming November that Warner went
away for the third time since his settle
ment in our midst One week passed
and several men betook themselves to
his house TO see him. He had not re-
turned Two weeks passed, and he was
StT9n trn RIM
rent as to the cause of this unaccount-
able delay
when the third week had reached its
end he returned with Il weakened faced
little woman. who had thin head OF
gray hair. hard features and of Il most
slovenly appearance. This new person
age was introduced laconically, bat with
an evident touch of pride, as bis wife
Just who the wife was or where from
no one knew, but the fact of her arrival
quickly spread over the township, and
many odd stories were current as tC
when. where and why old Joe had en-.