The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-07-18
SCARED BY A PHANTOM GOAT.

SCHHEO BY a PHRN lOM GOAL.
Strange Sights In Mississippi In and Out
of the Book Beer Season.
Three miles west of New Albany
the Rocky Ford road crosses a creek
which "a originally named Big
creek, but was more appropriately
named He'll creek by persons who
have been compelled to cross the adj
jacent bottom in recent years. Just
beyond this is another little run
called Mud creek, which stream is
grown up with thicket and heavy
underbrush, and on cloudy nights
the blackness that surrounds the
travellers could be sliced into chunks
and sold for ink. The bottom or
lowlands adjacent to the stream is
of unusual width for one so small,
and at the best is exceedingly unin-
viting.
Some years ago a gentleman pass
ing through the bottom at night was
almost thrown by his horse shying
to one side, and when he looked
ahead vas confronted by a monster
goat of white color rearing upon his
hind feet as if to annihilate the ami
NAL and rider. One look was suffi-
Gent, and, making a sudden turn,
he galloped out of the bottom at the
risk of his life, swearing that he
would drink no more New Albany
blind tiger liquor. Not wishing to
put himself up as a target for the
jeers of the public, he held his coun-
sell and heard or saw nothing moro
of the apparition for some time.
About a year later his goatship
was again on the warpath and con-
fronted a gentleman of known So
briefly, who, not daunted, urged his
animal forward despite the warlike
attitude of the ghostly visitor. The
goat kept in the middle of the road
and when the small bridge was
reached disappeared as mysteriously
as he had appeared.
The gentleman related his expe-
rience, which became noised abroad
and gave courage to the man who
first sighted the vapory animal to
relate his experience, and the two
conceded so we'll that the people be.
gan to give them credit for having
seen something to disturb then
peace of mind. The story was given
enough credence to cause an uneasy
feeling to enter the mind of the
traveller who crossed the bottom al
night and cause a chill to ramble VI
and down his spinal column as he
passed the spot where the ghost hat
been seen.
Last year Mr. -, who is not {
, believer in things uncanny at all ant
has a supreme contempt for a MAJ
who has seen spooks, had been be
You'd the creek harvesting hay ant
was detained until after nightfall OF
his return home. The night was in
tensely dark, and a slight rain wa
falling. AS he drove through the i'm
3 penetrable gloom, trusting to the in
stinct of the mules that drew tn
: rake which he was astride to fin
j., the road, the misty and uncertain
form of the giant goat suddenly al
peared in the road ahead of him
The mules reared and plunged, yer,
3 nearly upsetting the rake. Leapin
1 to the ground, he grasped the bit
3 and was gratifed to e the phantor
/ recede as the team moved forward
. The mules, trembling in every nerve
: carried him along, and when th
bridge was reached he disappeare
. as on former occasions, much to til
> relief of the gentleman who did nc
4 believe in spirits and unnatural al
8 partitions.
B Since that time a number of tho
oughly reliable witnesses have bee
l placed in positions to vouch for til
truthfulness of the existence of tt
6 phantom goat. Persons who trav'
that road to and from town mall
their arrangements to pass that sp'
q before nightfall, and very few hay
the temerity to invade the territol
O of his goatship after darkness hi
% fallen. New Albany (Miss.) &
- zette.
" Excessive.
Il