Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1904-04-08

rE7NS7 HEN my nuSDanQ look over
'WhW the direction Of the 'Gertrudis
and Santa Maria mines, near
sPinal. Mexico, we brought down from
"the States" our various goods and
Nchattels, and began the attempt to
make ourselves as comfortable as pos
a'sible in the huge, Spanish-built house
which was the only thing in the way of
AN abode that could be secured, for
love or money, in the very inconven-
&lent new-old town of Pinal.
At first l liked the queer, rambling
Told house, with its wide, heavily pill
na.-ed corridors, thick walls, high
barred windows and enormous carved
! doors. 1t had been built, according to
| q half-effaced date, in the year 1903,
Mand had been the habitat Of more than
Zone famous man in its time. But even
dafter our modern furnishings were put
nl1n, flowers and vines arranged about,
Mand everything possible done to bright
Zen it, the house still had a dreary,
usghostly air about it, and one always
CHAD the sensation that some one else
PAwas about-some one unseen, but felt
--and altogether there was an inde-
Hscribable eerie feeling about the place
eqthat did not tend to make one very
hkcheerful. However, consoled myself
Rby remembering that big, old houses
Pc generally make one nervous at first;
also, the rent was surprisingly low for
8 go large an establishment, with Its fif-
| hteen rooms, corridors, and corral. And,
uhas one can get used to very nearly any
PTthing In this world, by trying hard, l
gradually got over the uneasy feeling
h which had mostly felt, when entirely
Malone, and put it down to NERVES"
9M There was the slight drawback, how.
ever, that we could not Keep servants
n'In spite Of good wages, light work and
Mshort hours, our servants would inva
riably leave after two to five days
enAservice, refusing, under any circum
| Sptances, to stop longer. They gave nc
Treason for this beyond the fact that
fst the situation was not to their liking
So could only pay them, and, with
Ntndignant sorrow, view their departing
backs, then fare forth in search of fur
lfher criadas, inwardly consigning Mex
lcan servants to a future which II
| uwould be unladylike to put into bald
bSwords.
In the midst of these turmoils, $50
|oueietyr with big, big s. began, slowly
etand carefully, to call, and pleasantly
dhhinted, In divers ways, that there was
rs something wrong about our house.
! adj The leader Of Pinal society, Mrs
iIsaacstein, was the last to call. Sht
Pchhad at first been somewhat dubious
er about Visiting me. AS l have before
bad yaid, she "led" Pinal society for hel
but husband was the principal grocer o
vglthe place., and therefore she could not
III as she sweetly explained to me. be to,
careful about "beobles she CALLED
ubon."
Waving, however, discussion of thi
excellent lady, for indeed she is ian
other story" her statement during he
..call that our house was said to b,
haunted by evil spirits, and that w,
would never be able to keep servan
In It, was somewhat dispiriting. Ii
vain did inquire particulars. No, sh
' knew nothing beyond the fact that ser
wants and "tradespeople" gave tn
place bad name; that 1t was certainl,
troubled by something, and that no on
,.ever lived long in it.
|, Here was a pretty mess! And, in
U decd, as If in confirmation of the WON
INV ans prediction, the very next day bot
Servants left, after they had been wit
me four days, and was on the poin
of beginning to expect better things @
| "" them. sat down and wept. Their
pay disguised with native servants, HE
me forth and wired to the Border
Tfor couple Of old and well-tried CHI
ne6o eervants, determined that woul
not abandon my house, and live in he
tells, to please ghosts, Mexican servant
'uor any one else.
In due course the new servants al
:, rived. One a sturdy, taciturn Celes
dAL rejoicing in the name Of Cbint
|. was to act as porter, caretaker an
y gSneral watchdog-the ghost woul
have to be lively that could get ahea
|" sof Ching. Charley, his cousin, was {
q, the eame ilk, being besides a splendi
cook. But I explained matters dul
TO The two, and could have warbled fc
10y over their derisive smiles an
h, sgrunts when I timidly alluded I
''ghoets," and limited that they migl
s, be disturbed by mysterious sights
u sounds
And now did begin to DO acquain