Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-04-30

<IS and Santa Maria mines. near /
Pinal. Mexico, we brought down from
"the States our various goods and
chattels, and began the attempt to
make ourselves as comfortable as pos
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-oid town of Pinal.
At first | liked the queer. rambling
old house. with it's wide, heavily pill |
Jared corridors, thick walls, high
barred windows and enormous carved
doors 1t had been built. according TO
a half-effaced date, in the year loO5,
and had been the habitat of more than
one famous man in its time But, even
after our modern furnishings were put
I'm. flowers and vines arranged about,
and everything possible done to bright
en- Ii. the house still had dreary
ghostly air about it. and one always
had the sensation that some one else
was about-some one unseen, but 1elt
and altogether there was an indie
scribable eerie feeling about the pace
that did not tend to make one very
cheerful However, L consoled myself
by remembering that big, old houses
generally make one nervous at first;
also, the rent was surprisingly low FOR
SO large an establishment, with Its nj
teen rooms, corridors, and corral. And,
as one can get used to very nearly any
thing in this world, by trying hard, l
gradually got over the uneasy feeling
which 1 had mostly felt, when entirely
alone, and put it down to NERVES.
There was the slight drawback. how
ever, that we could not keep servants
In spite of good wages. light work ana
short hours our servants would nva
riably leave after two to hve Gays
service, refusing, under any clrcum
stances, to stop longer. They gave nc
reason for this beyond the fact ina
the situation was not to their liking
So 1 could only pay them. and. VIII
Indignant sorrow, view their departing
backs, then fare forth in search of fur
Their criadas, inwardly consigning Mex
lean servants TO a future which
would be unladylike to put into pal'
words.
In the midst of these turmoils, Sc
Ciety" with a big, big 81 began SLOW
and carefully, to call, and pleasant
hinted. in divers ways, that there wa
something wrong about our bouse.
Inc leader OF 1lDdi SoSictJ1 40
Isaacstein, was the last to call. Sh
hnd at first been somewhat dublou
about visiting me- AS 1 have befor
yaid, she lied" Pinal society for he
husband was the principal grocer
the place., and therefore she could no
as she sweetly explained to me. be &c
careful about 'beobles she gale
ubon."
Waving, however, discussion OF IN
excellent lady, for indeed she is IA
other story" her statement during III
call that our house was said to
haunted by evil spirits, and that v
would never be able to keep serva
In it, was somewhat dispiriting.
vain did inquire particulars No, s.
knew nothing beyond the fact that Sc
wants and ''tradespeople" gave t
place a bad name; that it was certain
troubled by something, and that no o
ever lived long in it.
Here was a pretty messl And,
deed, as If in confirmation of the wo
ans prediction, the very next day be
servants left, after they had been w
me four days, and i was on the pc
of beginning to expect better things
them. 1 sat down and wept. III
Disguised with native servants, n
me forth and wired to the "Bord'
for a couple of old and well-tried G
nese servants, determined that wol
not abandon my house, and live in
tells, to please ghosts. Mexican serval
,r any one else
In due course the new servants
rived. One, a sturdy, taciturn Gel
iial, rejoicing in the name of Chi
was to act as porter, caretaker o
gtieral watchdog-the ghost wo
have to be lively that could get abe
of Ching. Charley, his cousin, was
the same ilk, being besides splen
cook. But L explained matters d
10 the two, and could have warbled
10y over their derisive smiles {
..runts when L timidly alluded
'sghosts," and limited that they mi
be disturbed by mysterious sights
sounds.
And now did 1 begin to be acqua