The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-08
< ADJUSTMENTS. /.

strip of land that is under the Eng fish flag.
 The Manxmen are simple, honest folk.
 with whom every striking incident of love. pain and death for centuries has merged into maze of superstition. The island Is only eleven or twelve miles wide
 and its greatest length thirty-three miles.
 Electric lights. street cars and steam
 railroads are now operated. but there are
 many old people on the island who never
 saw a car or steamboat.
 The old people believe in fairies. ghosts
 and hobgohlins as firmly as they do in future punishment and reward. A story is told of an oId-fashioned
 farmhouse where were several young la-
 dies. big. old-fashioned kitchen with
 a big fireplace. where a bright turf fire cast lights and shadows. was a favorite place of meeting. but all had to vacate every night at certain hour. For warn- ing there was crash as if a wagonload of gravel was thrown against the wall. If they went to another room that was | the end: but If the warning went un- needed. there was another crash. If the third crash was not needed, it was sure to be followed by serious results At one time four cows were found dead in the barn next morning It was believed that
 the big kitchen was meeting place for the fairies after a certain hour every night.
 There are other uncanny creatures not so pleasant to think of as fairies The
 ''Madhue Dhn'' is a spectre that appears | in the form of black dog. guards sew erai rooms In Peel Castle. and is be- lieved in by almost every resident of ] the island Many hard-headed English visitors who had not a particle of super sution say they have seen this uncanny brute.
 Mermaids are believed to inhabit the | bays One was said to have been caught by Laxey fishermen. and kept in a cot | tage for three or four days. Every night could be heard terrible wailings and lamentations without. responded to from within by sobs and sighs. The l fishermen said nothfns could exceed tho | loveliness of this singular being. a per. feet beautiful woman above, a veritable 1 fish with fins and wfde-spreading tail be- heath. As 1t was evident the mermaid would die unless returned to her native
 element and surroundings, a young fish. | erman, who the old folks say, had fallen | desperately in love with her. lifted her up in his strong arms. carried her down
 to the bay, and gently derosited her in
 the water. That moment a terrible scream was heard that re-echoed through the
 glen; the young man was swallowed ur hy the sea. and the cottage shattered
 The body of the old woman who lived in the cottage Was found several days after
 ward in a cave up the glen. The queen Of the mermaids. it is said, occasionally
 takes a trip ashore. riding on tsea horse.
 The "Tarroo-ushtey" Is an amphibious
 monster which sometimes leaves the sea
 and mingles with other cattle on the is-
 land. It is an uncanny creature,
 "Phe Buggane" of old St. Trinlon's | scared many belated wanderer. A roys- terer named Tim KeeviR couldn't be per. l suaded that 1t was only imagination Until his death he stoutly maintained | that he was chased by the "buggane,' and he was able to describe it so thaI
 the local engraver could reproduce 1t true
 to life. If Tim's story was true tho
 ''buggane" was not the most agreed blt
 companion in a lonely ehurchyard al | night.