The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-12
Camp Thomas,
Chlckamauga Park. Ca, May "a, 'ss
IN THE sPooKs' HOME.
odd Things Ontario People Say They
Can See and Hear.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.

Can See and Hear.
From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
1t is not generally known across the
border that the province of Ontario is
ghost-ridden Indeed, the inhabitants
boast that there are very few countries in
the civilized world which possess in any
single district so limited in extent as On
tario the same number Of highly reputable
ghosts.
One of the most uncanny visltations oc-
Cured about fifteen years ago in the vicin-
ity of the village of Beaverton, a pretty
little hamlet on the shores of Lake Sim
coe, about seventy-1ve miles north of
Toronto. There lived about three miles
from the village an aged widow, Mrs.
Bethune by name, a member of the Cam
eron clan of Scotland, whose family was
among the early settlers in the district
she dwelt in picturesque rough-cast cot
tage built In the manner of an English
lodge, and surrounded by well-kept
grounds, an altogether unlikely place for
ghost to be found. Save for house
keeper and coachman, the old lady was
entirely alone in the house. The villagers
saw that an uncanny light, or spook, had
been seen in the neigh borhood of Mrs
Bethunes home. The rumor was at first
discredited as the tale of some drunken
or silly woman, but as night after night
brought confirmatory news from people
who asserted they had seen the light. it
began TO be spread about that Mrs. Beth
une was being warned to pre-
pare herself for impending death.
As the old lady kept hale
and hearty, despite these repeated visita
lions, which she declared she had moi
a ha Gt Itobt
to fit here and there, now in her grounds.
now on the country road again in some
woods near by, new theory sprang I'D to
the effect that the housekeeper ana the
coachman were in league TO get the old
lady TO will them her property, which was
considerable, and tie light was deemed by
many to be the spirit of her dead brother
old Col. Cameron, come to warn her
against the alleged conspirators.
The light was too big for the wil-o'-
the-wisp. and, moreover, there was no
swampy ground to give basis for It's ap-
pearance from any natural causes. Its
appearance was that of large ball of fire
ana It's custom was to hover about the
country road near Mrs Bethune's home
until the approach of the night EXPRESS
from Toronto, when it would dart across
nelds to disappear along the railroad track
nying ahead of the engine 1t was noted
that the Hight was never seen after mace
ing certain point about quarter of a
mile from the widows home. CommerciaI
travellers and other visitors from Toronto
made 1t point to go out and see the lieht
which appeared for more than eIehfeer
months with moro or less regularity So
great did the terror of It become that The
country folk, after nightfau generalIv
sought circuitous route to and from the
village, In order to escape seeing the ught
which frightened not only their horses. bnt
also themselves
Mrs. Bethune died at last, and no enc
ever saw the light again. But one nlybt
when her final illness had overtaken her
the coachman fell down In a fit ana yros
i'll with brain fever for weeks afterward
Rumor had it that when going into me
stable he met the light going out. ana the
illness was caused by the shock. 10 COM
plete the story he should have died mn
he did not. BY Mrs Bethune's will tbe
property went TO the housekeeper. iust as
everyone had feared, and, of course, an
interminable lawsuit was the result
The history Of the peddler IN the iurnbor
camp on the Ottawa Is still remenhersd
10y many an old inhabltaht. He disapnear-
ed from the camp one night. and il was
generally suspected that he had been MIR
'1ered LOT small sum Of money he was