The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-11
DAN SIBBLER'S GHOSTS.
THEY WE'RE OF TARIED TYPES AND
BOTHERED HIN A GOOD DELL
the Most Active of All-Then There Was
the Ghost Tint Froze stir In n Spook
Snowstorm-Aunt Hnnnnhs Active Ghost

past cOinlOrtaDIe-lOOKlng clearing un IN tho
hemlock belt, and | pulled UP my horse and
stopped" said John Gilbert. the travelling
grocery man. Tho man was cuddlcd up In
fence corner at the side OF the road. lie had
discouraged look. / thought. but otherwise
seemed to be all right. He cooked his head
! moment. as II listening. and then said
Yes It's at it, Daytime. too That's the
curious part Of it
The house on the clearing was an eighth OF
mile from where the man sat In the fence
corner, but 1t was there. evidently that he
hoard what he said he did.
You hear It. don't you 2 said he.
"'No. said l. L don't hear anything What
isit?'
why. the ghost replied tho man. Lord.
kin hear it rattin' away like everything |
can't git away from EN-. somehow. This is n
womans ghost. and it's maxim a carpet. You
kin smile IL you want to. but I'll bet you
wouldn't smile. though. II you should ever run
an engine down Cranberry Swamp grade. on
tho little p, and W, over In the oil regions.
with old Bill Kings ghost in the cab with
you. and tryn' to stop the train to keep
it from runnn' down two other ghosts
standin' on the track list ahead OF
your engine. and almost stoppin it. too.
although the grade is steep and slippery along
there. You kin smile at this ghost that's
weavin' carpet up yondcr. but I'll bet you
wouldn't smile, by Jocks. II you had old Bill
Kings ghost In the cab with you like l have
had more than once. And guess you wouldn't
a-felt pertic lar Jolly IL you d n seen the dead
ghost in the snow squat one night when the
sky was as clear as it is this minute and there
wasn't no snow or sight Of snow anywhere In
| all that country except in the lttlc spot where
seen that ghost struggle and freeze to death
and lay there in the snow and stare up at me
You don't hear that weavin ghost rattlin'
away up yondcr. Ell? Well. | do. and some
how can't git away from EN-
We'll. said |. not exactly knowing how to
take this peculiar citizen Of the hemlock belt.
you seem to have had corner on ghosts
"'Oh. not exactly responded the man. with
great seriousness. But I've had my sheer OF
EN-. Bill King s ghost is the first one ever had
Maybe you don't know that there amt another
railroad in the hull country that a railroad
man kin get q Job on as easy as he kin on the
little p and W.. over in the oil regions2 It's a
fact though. for men are quitting that railroad
all the time and making vacancies. and it's
all because OF old Bill Kings ghost and t'other
two. That railroad Is haunted sure enough.
The way it got haunted was that a COW that
belonged to farmer Twin nigh the railroad
got on the track one night and was killed. The
farmers wife thought the world O. that cow
and they sued the company to git damages for
the KILN of It, but tho company beat en-
Then the farmers wife she took to dom all
sorts O. things to the company list out o spite
and one thing she used to do was to stand on
the track when a train was comm and force
the ngineer TO stop his train until she could be
put of the track: and she'd fight like wildcat
to stay on as long as she could. The farmer
couldn't break his wife o. that dangerous
piece OF work. and one night he woke
up and found her gone. lie looked out
o the winder and seen her runnin across the
field hetwxt the house and the railroad. He
knowd what that meant and without stoppn'
to put on his clothes. he started on run after
her. to stop her She reached the rail-
road long afore he got there though. and
stood on the middl" O. the track. The farmer
had got pretty nigh there when he heard a
train comm and know'd 1t was the fast ex-
press. with old Bill King on the cngine-and
you bet that meant she was moro than hum
ming. The farmer hollcrcd to his wife rs he
run. but she Jest stood there and waved her
hands up and down The train had got
so nigh To her that Bilrs headlight
throw'd the full glare Of its light on her Old
Bill had seen the figure in white some distance
back, and had hollcred for brakes and reversed
his engine. The grade was So steep and the
night was so slippery. though. that the train
came tearing right on. The white figure never
moved. and Just as Bill was shutt.n' his eyes TO
hide what was Goiit to happen another white
figure rZ NJ on the track before him. 1t WAS
the farmer who had jumped Oh to try and save
his wife. 1t was too late. The cowketcher
struck both white figures and hurled EN- of
into tn" woods. Bill stopped as soon as he
could and backed up. They picked the farmer
ana his wife up. both Of I'm dead.
Old Bill King never got over that night
He mad" one or two tr!Es after that and then
quit. lie SAID h" cOuldn I stand il. for he could
So" that poor farmer and his wife on Gran
berry swamp grade every night. Bl died in
less II aycar after that. and about the last thing
he said was sUmethin about seem them two
white figures on IL" track ahead Of the fast rx-
press. soon Hitcrthat an ingln"or who had took
BIZ, run 20; of at the end OF it one night and
Snl,l that Ns lie was coming down Cranberry
S%a an r srn"I ft w. ThG nsnrss apE"nr"d
and at the same time III" lever was Jorkci
%u mS hn h H"H E7TEir Ga 81 Gpek na
sharp for brakes. The train slowed hut dashed
onto the two white figures. which disappeared
az In and ~" train rushed on as before. Tho
mkt night the lng.n"rrc"me IN with the same
was looking for place Just then and got
this one. The first night | made the run hot
"hN IN" Nv" Wn'I i'Gmr"s rlz up on th" track
they had ahead q him, but there in tho cab.
y.rk'n' III" lever away from N" and tryi' to
stood the ghost of old lilll King as pain as You
Ser 6 i incr PAN Ant o y?R sen me "Pk On
iun Ju~t two nights amt run them two ghosts
down each night, with cd Bill King ghost in
the cab dom its best 10 save en-, and then [
Huil IN" Job. That was, years ago. | hun't
never been on til" tt!r 7. and " l"nrr. but /
hear ",rry once in awhil" from over there. and
its haunted Ov them two ghosts on the track
ylt, and old Bi ghost is always on hand tryin'
10 stop tn" train. Nt. it seems to me as ii his
here ghost ~ SOnd"r that comes in the lay-
time To- weave 4 carpet is puurr"r VII dian
them ranhcrry SWAMP grad, ghosts There"
SAID tn" man. listening. You here ii now.
don't you z;
II wa, c"mrcllcd to say again that didn't
hear anything OF the sort.
You must I've consumed hard Of hCarin','
said ia" man. | KIN hear it rnttIu away like
mowln machine" | kin hear It. 10y Jocks ~
plain rs seen THAI ghost ircrl" to death once
IN snow SIuail. dunno but what hat ghost,
thkih of 1t cv"rr which way, was mohlu' a NH"
trIN" Iu"cr"r VII than either this her, WrayIu'
gu ~ or them Cranberry swamp grade ghosts,
II was down NUmuisViil" way | had that ghost
hiore me. IN" night WAS cold. hut II wa. us clear
~ could l." and TIA" stars was Shiun' had
l""n to a logon h"" and was ON NV way hOm".
long about - " clock was IN through
II prr' % woods, mtgh th" liou2"r place, wien
SuHI"ny til" nEuI" ~ man Appeared in tho
road, meth" rod or So ahead o M" lie was
Il ilt ulIllr q the hardest I,,'.