The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-01-07

IODacco
r, man In the smoking compartment
ohe,vine tobacco, and at Intervals he |
W.. NJ the cuspidor, with the slbiiant
P,sh incidental to tobacco chewing, ana
sMl s', Tina he did this a studious looking
w. , In the corner started nervously and
,nal nm from the book he was reading.
'oo 49,. half an hour or so the chewer, hav-
,,1, finished his quid, went back into tho
aS and tho reader looked at me, with an
o~ident desire TO say something.
"Idon't like that, he remarked mildly.
.Irs a vile habit" assented at once.
"No; not that. It's ghosts
ncbostsS' | exclaimed, and l shot
,icl, Glance at the cuspidor, the reader
md the way to get out in case my travel
ing conlpanion should prove to DO crazy.
s,Yes Ghosts" he went on calmly
ononob. 'Let me tell you about IL. A
tittlo more than two years ago rented
Cine country house not far from New YORK
NJ n low figure because 1t bore the reputa-
lion of being haunted and had not been
occunied since its owner died, about two
vears before my advent. 1t was hand
come Mace, and when had touched 1t up
a hit nut half dozen servants into 1t ana
invited some friends to spend the opening
week with me 1t was anything nut
ghostly place. When they had taken their
denarture, l settled down quietly TO my
work of writing and found an excellent
Mace for it in the coy library the late
owner had fitted up for his special use.
"For the first few nights did no work
there until quite late hour, and observed
nothing out of the ordinary. AS to the
pbostly visitants, IL seemed about the last
place in the world ghost accustomed 10
The dsagreeable surroundings oil grave
ward would care to frequent. Neither were
there any ghostly indications In any other
part of the house, nor did my servants no
tice ANYTHING to be alarmed at. One
night, however, went into the library
about 8 O'Clock and sat down at my desk,
a new one had set In the middle of the
aoor at n comfortable distance from the
big open crate. presume l had been at
work IS minutes when / heard just such
a sound as that man made in here while
AGO when he spat at that ouspidor. / looked
mn quickly, for thought it was my hos
tier. who knew used tobacco, but no one
was visible. 1 resumed my work. and in
two or three minutes l heard the sibilant
swish again This time it came from the
direction of big old armchair just in front
of tho fire, and fancied the splitter might
be occupying it and using the fireplace for
a cuspidor. really knew that could not
be the case, but where did the sound come
fromp waited again, watching the fire
to see IL it would give any response, but
there was none, though at intervals of two
or three minutes the sounds came from the
direction of the old chair.
"Once / got up and walked around the
room and out into the adjoining rooms and
hall, but nothing was visible. 1t was an
audible ghost merely, and apparently not
otherwise disposed to be active. l could
see nothing or feel nothing and there was
none of the usual disagreeablo concomi-
tants of the ghostly visitants l had read
about, such as cloudy presences, vague
shadows, sitting atmosphere, and all that
sort of thing-nothing, In fact, except that
peculiar noise, which was really sooth-
ing In its effect, for / knew how much
comfort chewer could get out of his chew
as he dreamily chewed before an open fire.
At last gave IL up and went TO my work
again and paid no more attention to 1t I'M
til about 10 o'clock, when / observed that
it stopped, and l was not disturbed further
that night. The next day i kept my own
counsel, and the next evening when L
went to the library again, shortly after
dinner, l sat down in the big chair to
smoke. A few minutes later heard that
ghostly spit again, this time from the side
Of the fireplace, where an old sofa stood.
Then thought it was rather comical than
otherwise, and felt as II / were visitor
and the ghost was enjoying my company
and his chew at the same time IN any
event, when l went back TO my desk the
sound seemed to come from the direction
Of the old chair again, and l proceeded
with my work until 10 O'Clock, when the
noise ceased as before.
well, this peculiar ghostly visitation
continued for nearly year, varied now
and again by two noises and sometimes by
three. as II the tobacco chewing ghost had
invited few kindred spirits In and they
were enjoying quiet quid apiece. Some
times l felt sure would hear laugh, or
voice, or chair showed back, for the
splitting was so extremely natural that 1t
seemed impossible not to be accompanied
by other evidences of personal presence.
But no such sounds ever manifested them
selves, and as the time went by began to
grow more or less nervous. 1t was not
fear exactly, for had been sitting up OF
nights with that ghost for months, and
our relationship had actually been more
pleasant than not, and am sure would
have felt lonely not to have heard 1t as
worked, but there's something in the air
when ghosts are around that makes ones
nerves sensitive. i don't know what it Is,
but any man will find it to be true If he
ever has an opportunity to test IL as did.
FINALLY 1 concluded TO go to my landlord
and make few inquiries concerning my
predecessor ia tho house
Queer old fellow, said the landlord
In response TO my inquiry as TO what man
ner OF man he was. Queer old fellow.
Lived here with his wife and servants;
wife died, and he lived alone after that, as
he had no children; wife was high tenn
pered and painfully neat. He loved &c
chew tobacco, she wouldn't let him chew
IN the house, so he built that room you use
Tor library. Used to chew there every
night till 10 o'clock; always went TO bed
at that hour; sometimes he had friend oil
two in with him who chewed; never did,
though, while his wife was alive; she
wouldn't allow any dissipation of that
Kind guess he chewed himself to death
that's what tho doctors said. The servants
found him one morning In his big chair