Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1897-11-05

Had Been Re
Macon, Ga, is astir over the
strangest, weirdest phenomenon
It has been raining at certain
spot in Rose Hill cemetery tour
days without speck of cloud on
the sky above. This announce
ment was made over the tele-
phone this morning by Sexton
Hall at his office III the GENE
terry, when he had called up the
mayors office and asked that
some reputable citizen or city
official might be sent out to wit
ness the phenomenon.
Immediately the iron gray
hair which crowns the brow of
Mayor DAISY" Price began to
bristle with CONSERVATION and
alarm. lie turned the matter
over to Colonel Bridges Smith
for investigation. In very
short while Capt. Monroe Jones,
chief of the fire department, was
summoned, and i'll company
with a Constitution represcnta>
tive, was on his way to the Gem
etery to investigate.
The most remarkable part of
the report Of the sexton is that
it is perfectly true. Away over
the hills of Rose Hill cemetery
on shaded slope overlooking
the winding river, there is cor
ner where once slept the Union
soldiers of Wilson's army who
fell in battle around Macon.
With one Or two exceptions the
graves of the Union soldiers
were relieved Of their bones a
number of years ago, when the
ashes of the dead were removed
to the Union cemetery at Nash
vile. Since that time this par
ticular lot in Rose Hill cemetery
has been left aside, unused, un
noticed. A few days ago, while
the laborers were at work at the
direction of the sexton in that
locality, one of them passed the
spot, and although it was a per>
fectly clear day, with the skies
as blue as the Gulf of Mexico,
lie noticed that it was raining
on the hillside Oh a spot about
the size of an ordinary house
parlor. He was dumfounded for
a while. and 1nuttered all ejacu>
lation. more of prayer than of
amazement. Finally he mus
tered up nerve to go under the
drizzliug shower, "to see if his
eyes didn't fail him" as he put
it. He found that the falling
drops Of water were really wet,
although they were not falling
sufficiently fast to drench the
ground. EIe reported the mats
ter to Sexton Hall, who is one
Of the best known and most
highly respected citizens of Ma
con. He, of course, gave the ne
gro the merry "ha-ha." Seeing
the darky would not be laughed
out of his narrative, the sexton
decided to go to the spot with
him. He found what the man
had reported was strictly true.
He was likewise amazed and in
fear of being laughed at, said
nothing about the matter until
he had made further investiga
ton. After four days, seeing
that the drizzling rain was still
falling there, he determined to
report it to headquarters, and
did so.
Numerous callers have visited
the spot in the cemetery. In
fact, sexton Hall has shown so
many there he is thoroughly fa>
tigued with the exercise. The
phenomenon cannot be accounted
for by those who witnessed it.
That it is raining cannot be
doubted for the drops can be
seen falling from the tops OF tall
black gum and hickory trees, be-
tween which the shower seems
to make its way to the ground.
During the entire day the rain
fell between these two trees near
the foot Of the lone hill in the
cemetery, all the while the sun
fairly beaming down as bright
as it could be on the brightest
and clearest of the iair autumn
days. Citizens who have visited
the scene, of course, are jeered
at by those who have not seen
it, but their anazement is too
genuine for them to be cheated
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