The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1900-04-26


eeeNaoas Bill followed the cto~d sit
bis bag Of reptiles. TAs mini ter, 90 oil
msn whose face vas hie that Of spali
sreh, told tho story 10 = setmon Of More
lifting 10 the bug,n ssrptl. Ia the can
OF Israel onder The commsed ei JEHOVAH
The Mistouri hfmer Who uad 10 tnte
taio travellers With the recital said tbs
the congregation vas not rsrtieulsrl,
moved by the appeal, but after ia q,
llvsry Bin Sctossins got up snd asnouaC
ed thAt be bad bag OF real, crawling,
histias reptiles which he would eIhibii
after diGuer iasi ontsiie the camp ground
and be ol.imed that he wouli sbos tbe
| people tome tnske tricks which woald
bea, the Mosaic story they had iist heard.
la spite OF The pr test OF the minister
tue people turned ont TO the live snake
show, and Bill gave them 40 exhibition
which vac great success II is said, OF
II us,d TO be ssis, that there wasn't q
snake ,rios wlich Bill Ssrogsias ser
pen, eaulib't do. When the exhibition
wss over Bill told the people that be
was cert Of mistilosry himseli Ia con
neetion With his business OF lootine
wells aud that be would call on esch IN EN-
Der III the eystiag and advise With them
Sto heir spiritual aud worldly wants.
When be called, bis frat question was,
Have you got wellr II the reply Was
10 The negative, aud wells were scarce,
Bill informed the membsr that he must
have one locstsl, ali then be opened
his bag OF snakes sad as they bsgan TO
crawl Bill lii.ed up bis voice and called
the people 60 repentance. Hs told them
the sDskes would do no harm II they the
people, would give him the ID OF locst
ing the wells.
IL was a tax 90 human belief, but the
NJ lssontisn who told the story vonched
for the truth OF his assertion th.t the
people gave Bill more orders than he
could fill in one season and hsi be broke
up the camp meetiog, lie WAS the irsl
hereto in the west although the word was
unknown 10 that coubtfy then. He be
came fsmcu. and was 10 densnd, Where
ever be travelled be had bis bag of trained
sud he ws1ed fat and bgcime In |
dependent
Wbenevsr there was aGy doubt about
The success Of any movement the word |
was passed thSt Rev. Bill Scroggins
bould be summoned,
People 10 that section believed 10
3 ghosts. ss many more enlightened people
behave IN them in this day. There was
,ns ghost which bad done lively busi
less along the highway between The ccun
y sest end q rivir known 10 this day ss
Bear creth. II was the custom OF this
,ho.t to chase belated horsemsn over the
highway until the ford at Bear creek was
cached. There the chsse stopped. The
host never crossed the stream
When The fame Of Rev. Bill Scrosgins
lad spread abroad, 1t was suggested thst
10 travel over the Bear cresk road and
ry bis hand on the spirit, Bill accepted
he call. He msdes number OF journeys
,eiore the ghost materislizsd, and there
Vere people who began doubling the
xistence OF the ghost. while others cited
sev, Bill as one who could over como
ny,hiug, and by ths. token be had made
be ghost take TO the woods. The commu
ity was equally divided.
However, the ghost showed up one
light in the midst OF storm and chal
snged Rev Bill 10 ride for bis life. The
make eoclessstio refused, aud there was Q
on,est in which Bill's horse was killed
nd be was left sioot, The ghost got the
sg OF tDa' es and etoiped TO the ford
here Bill over took him on the following
sy, and the coatest was renewed, The
host undertook to turn the snakes on
'lll, bat they refused 10 act. Bill got
oseession Of them aDd tufned tbem on
be spirit. They drove the spirit into
ear creek and across ii. and the spirit
ed, and thlt was the end OF the ghost
, that country
Bill returned In triumph TO the coun
ct srd told the story. l. was re
lived with some doubt. but ss years
ipped by and nobody was chased people 9
egsn to believe Bill, and apologies came ?
rather late. Bat Bill WAS vindicsted q
hen he mysteriously disappeared,
Some years later den OF snakes was
,und 10 what is now Bates county, Mo. .
10 adjoining county on the south 10 v
ass, aud 10 this den was discovered the !
Ieleton OF q man. 10 tbe opinion o'
sDy the skeleton was none other than II
lat OF Rev. Bill Scrogsins. 30 well was
10 memory reveted that the bones we're
objected from the snake den, and when
10 fret court ho1se was built in Cass
,uniy, it 10 said they we're placed 10 n
IL under the cornerstone and were u
md there years after when the old p
,urthouse WAS demolished. y
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