The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-11-20
L f WIS G HI O S T

first man to explore its depths and
who was known as the first guide to
the cave was Il slave named Lewis,
One day il was rumore1 that there
were two entrances to the ave. This
meant that Tie receipts from visitors
would be divided, is the two entrances
were on different estates. The man
who oWuCl thc one entrance. the land
on which il was and the guide Lewis
was quietly told one day by the old
man that he had discovered the second
entrance to the cave. Lewis owner
| ut once told him he would give him his
| freedom if h" would show him and IN
other man the second mouth to the
rave.
Lewis agreed to do the job. One
| morning the Slave entered the mouth
of the c~avc-thc present entrance, by
! the way. The arrangement wSs that
the owner and another man We're to re-
main on guard and sec that the old
slave did not come out the way he had
| gone in. Ten hours laeer old Lewis
proved that there was another en-
trance to the cave. He had used it as
al exit ard come to his owner over the
bills. That night three men are said
to have silently effaced this entrance.
and, although it is known in tie neigh
borhood of the Mammoth cave that it
did exist, no man has to this day been
able to find it, SO there is only one en-
trance to the wonderful cave
Years rolled On. Lewis died. He was
made free, but he would not leave the
cave. He explored it fully and knew
more of its mysteries and beauties than
any other soul. Then he was buried in
the old cemetery up near the hotel.
Now for the ghost story. A new man
Rger took hold of the cave and the no.
tel there. He heard about old Lewis
and his wonderful history. SO he con-
Guided it would be Il good idea to dig I'D
the old fellows bones, renter them at
the mouth of the cave and erect 4 tall
white marble monument over them sa-
cred to the memory of the first guide to
the cave.
When the old mans grave was open
ed, the negroes down there say, his
widow went down into the pit and
gathered up the fragments of bone and
placed them in the new coffin. Then
they were placed in the new grave at
the mouth of the cave, and the monu-
ment was erected over them.
One night in the summer a few years
ago a party of men and women, six in
number, came out of the cave at 9
O'Clock. They looked at the big monu-
ment and talked about old Lewis. Then
they told the guide to go on to the no.
tel. They were in no hurry and would
loiter about the mouth of the cave. An
hour and Il half later they started to 60
to the hotel.
They had gone but a few steps when,
a few yards in front, they saw q man.
He was dressed in 4 white shirt and
dark trousers and wore no hat. One Of
the men remarked casually that the
guide had been loafing round near
them. and he stepped forward to ask the
man why he had not gone to the hotel
when old to do so. AS he left the par
ty and moved toward the man the lat
ter suddenly turned and faced him. He
saw in an instant that it was not the
guide, and he asked the man what he
wanted. There was no reply, and in ak
Instant the figure had vanished.
Tho man returned to his party and
was laughed at when he told his story.
Then the men and women went to the
hotel. They found that their guide had
been asleep for over an hour. Then
they were puzzled. No other person
had been near the cave. and nobody
could explain the peculiar occurrence.
Next day the affair was discussed. A
party was made up of men who agreed
to go to the cavr and see if the affair
was repeated. They sat on the ground
near the monument until II O'Clock,
when one of them graSped his nearest
neighbours arm and whispered, ''Do
you see that man?' at the same time
near. All the men looked and saw the
figure of the night before. 1t was float
ing by the group, and in an instant
each man sprang to his feet. One Of
the men drew a revolver and shouted:
'If you do not stop and tell us who
you are instantly l will shoot you! I
give you fair warning"
There was no response. The man
took aim and fired. He discharged the
five chambers of his revolver, and then
the party rushed to the spot where the
figure had been seen. There was no
body in sight. and after scouting the
woods in every direction the men start
ed toward the hotel.
Then the story came out. The col
ored people heard of it. They said that
old Lewis wasn't resting easily in his
new grave. Several of the more super
stitious left the cave and could not be
persuaded to come back. Many men
and women saw the figure. and to this
day they all know they saw a ghost.
Soon after thjS tho phoSt ctorv ho-