davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

other family is Macdonald, and the Mac-
Gillivrays aro not fer behind. It is ;nevi-
table that there should ba MacDonalds and
MacGiLivrays in this AFFAIR You couldn't
lieop them out. IN politics, art5 religion, SCI
ence, trade, spo1t or social life it is inlpossi-
bic 80 move more than step or so in this
part Of Canada without bumping agsinst g.
Macdonald.
They are d si.nple-rninded, honest people,
Intensely religious, superstitious by ancestry
and natural inclination, stubborn IN their con-
ytctsons, selfyuficient and selfceMterad. With
their ancient Highland tradition for religious
3ervor, depth Of conviction and stubborn ad-
herence to their own point Of view they are
subjected through their mode o9 living to the
additional inAuences Of an almost n7onastic
sec!uslOn and hard, unrelieved toil for their
daily bread. The only industry is farming and
when the coming Of winter shuts in the land
they are driven indoors to sit around a req
hot box stovs in which hard wood 7oay
crackle, there to commune among themselves
on religion, politics-and ghosts.
The Macdonald property at Caledonia
BILLS, scene Of this latest outbreak CT super
naturalisln, is typical. There Is frame
house OF two stores, containing living room,
''parlor" and a small bedroom Oh the ground
floor, with ea.l-to kitchen built on the north
side OF the house. Upstairs are thre. Spartan
bedrooms. Fifty yards from the house is the
barn, larger in structure than tbs houss itself,
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
M0cDoTsszgds sy1 q State
Of Frantic Fear

IN this stark setting up 70 few weeks age
lived Alexander Macdonald, sixty-fvo years
old, or tnereabouts, his wife, and their
adopted daughter, Mary Ellen, whose age is
fifteen. They have not lived there since
January y last, when seemingly frantic with
fear, they moved their small belongings to an
empty house two miles away, driven from
their old home by series Of uncanny happen
inga.
Mystery on the Macdonald farm. although
reaching its explosion point only few weeks
ago, is not new Almost a year ago there
were reported occurrences which had the val
ley folks completely puzzled These mani
festations affected only the Macdonald cattle
III the Macdonald barn. The farmer, tying
UP his stock for the night, would return to the
barn g few minutes later and find his co,rs
kicking up their heels in the pasture: yet 10
member Of his household would admit having
united them. On several occasions knots in
The tails Of the cows caused him the deepest
CONSERVATION and his cows great deal Of
personal discomfort. Then the fire weather
came and the cattle were no longer disturbed.
The summer and autumn were peaceful and
the family settled down to its cheeress WIN
ter routine of limited activity and unlimited
tirne, but no further disturbing nischanceS
we're reported until last January
The first manifestation occurred, the Mac
Donalds say, on January 6. In the kitchen
Mrs. Macdonald discovered blazing lump Of
what appeared to be cotton wool. She had
been absent from the room only for q moment
or two and was positive that the wool had not
been in the kitchen previously to her discovery.
Also, she was confident that she had not seen
cotton Of that kind in the house for many
months previously and that there was no cotton
Of that kind in the house at that time. The
other members Of the family agreed with her.
None of them had any knowledge Of any such
material in the house
Tho fires continued. They broke out in ths
middle of the night, in the carly evening and
in the early morning. There were a dozen or
more such manifestations in the kitchen, in
the dining room and in the upstairs rooms.
Sometimes flames burst from the floors and
sometimes from the walls. In no case, so far
as the three persons say who lived in the house
and who are the only witnesses Of these earlier
manifestations, was there any previous evil
dence Of the existence Of the burning cub
stance anywhere around the house.
There were strange noises heard; noises
which are variously described as "hollou
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

people OF that particular part Of Nova Scct,a,
it is necessary that tbs reader should Under
stand the underlying causes OF this rema rkabls
exhibition Of community panic, Cor that is
what It Is. Because Of their hereditary racial
characteristics their habits OF thought, their
mode Of life and tbs circumstances under which
they iiye the people Of the isolated districts OF
this particular part Of Canada are unusually
sensitive to supernatural suggestion. Gale
donia Mills is not so far from Broadway by
mile measurement By any other standard it
is in another world.
Caledonia Mills is trihing collection OF haI5
a dozen scattered farmhouses in Guy5boro
County, N. S., Oh the border line between Guys
boro and Antigonsh. The settlement is SO re-
mote from what the average New Yorker un-
derstanda by the word civilization that it is
difficult for said average New Workers TO
understand what life in Caledonia Mills means
No railroad runs anywhere near Caledonia
Mills. There are 10 automobiles no traffic
cops, no streetcars, no movies no electric light,
gas, telephones, bandits, bucIzetshops or boot
eggers at Caledonia Mills. There are prob
ably elderly people in the community who have
never seen train or q streetcar or tela-
phone. IF you want to get to Caledonia Mills
from Antigonish Town or any other nearby
.enter you either walk or drive behind q horse
Candles and oil lanterns supply illumination
and oil is hard to get
cipally OF Highland Scottish descent and every
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

thunps," and "scrapings" These continued
during the whole period Of the mysterious
fires, but were not apparently connected with
them. The noises were intermittent, but oc-
Cured chiefly at night.
So far the manifestations had been confined
to the Macdonald family. The stories spread
and Duncan Macdonald, relative ard a neigh.
Dor, and Dan and Leo McGilivray, other neigh
bors visited the house and examined the burn
scars left OH the walls, floors and furniture by
the mysterious fires.
Leaving the house Ct dusk orc evening, the
MacCillivray brothers say they saw an arm
thrust out Of an upstairs window waving a
white cloth. The arm itself was q chalky
white, and after waving the cloth slowly FOR
Few minutes it was withdrawn Returning at
once TO the house, they told Of what they be-
that no member Of the family had gone up
st.rs during the interval between the depart
ure OF the MacGillivrays and their return.
On the night Of January II the fires started
30 frequently that Mrs. Macdonald and Mary
Ellen fed the house to call assistance. They
were afraid that if they slept the house would
burn over their heads. During their absence
two new fires broke out, which Macdonald
srnothered, one OF them in the kitchen and one
on the stairs. The next day the entire Mac
Donald family left the old homestead and took
up residence in an unoccupied house mile and
q half away. The Macdonald home became
one Of those frightful things--a haunted
house
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

which provides winter shelter for the seasons
hay crop, the one horse and the half-dozen
cows House and barn are Of frame structure,
single plenked and loosely shngled. The
farm Is on the backbone of an upland ridge
Of ground which dominates Antigorish County
Old one side and Guysboro County on the other
In both directions the place is open to tbs
driving blasts which sweep across the country
Sroua The nearby North Atlantic shore.
around the house are q few acres Of cleared
land; behind, stretching to the horizon, end
less Forests Of pine and spruce, with occx-
scnal spindling birches a bleak, desolate,
conlforuess outpost st the best Of ti1nes In
winter, with the nearest neighbor two miles
away q bitter naturalization Of the spirit Of
loneliness.
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
Whidden's Osun Story
Of a Trying Night

IN the words Of Whidden's story to "rhe
Halifax Herald': ''We employed most of the
hours of the day trying to keep warm This
was impossible. We kept roaring fire in the
sheet iron stove in the dining room. The
doors leading into the kitchen, parlor and
small bed room were all closed and fastened,
but the dining room could not be hested
enough for comfort. A blizzard ragged al
day"
On Wednesday evening. after the storm had
died down, the Investigators were visited by
Dan and Leo McGillivray and Duncan Mac
Donald. They played cards until about 10 :ys.
when the two McGillvrays and Duncan Mac
Donald returned home. Carroll, Whidden
and Alexander Macdonald remained in the
house all night. Then Whdden writes:
Shortly after our guests took their de-
parture, Mr. Macdonald lay down on the rugs
About II 80 lay down also, Leaving Detec-
tive Carroll sitting by the fire smoking 7
asked him to call mo if he saw or heard sny-
thing strange. 1t was impossible fer ms 10
sleep, it was SO cold. At I2 o'clock, the de.
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

he; Or. Csrritte, al Amherst physician, and
Arthur Dawson, clark Of the County Court
o{ Amherst, Most Of the others who had
hrst-hand knowledge Of the case were clasat-
fed by DR. Prince merely as "spectators."
Much o. the information that was accepted
hy other less conscientious Investigators Is
waived aside by Dr.. Prince. An example Of
this Ia the testimony OF Mrs. Teed. Of which
Ok. Prince wrote:
50 letter at last obtained from Mrs.
|'eed On June 21, 1908. She affirmed thst
that her friend (the actor, Hubbell) had pub
lshed was all true But this does not quite
con1port With what she told Mr.. (Rereward)
Carrington-that she thought he had drama
TIED and erabelliahed 1t In places which leaves
Us pretty much at sea again.
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
No Ghost Was Ever
Better AdUeYtised

Meanwhile news of thcse things had besn
sent abroad. Harold B. Whidden, correspon-
dent of "The Halifax Herald" at Antigonish
Town, supplied mis- newspaper with short ac-
count Of the happenings The paper was in
terested, and asked Whidden for complete de-
tails, which supplied. The entire popula-
ton Of Nova Scotia began to take an interest
in the Caledonia Mills ghost. Hundreds Of
suggestions were offered to the newspapers in
explanation of the mystery. These ranged
from frank statements of belief that the fires
were the work Of some incubus to elaborate
explanations by amateur scientists who Of
fered spontaneous combustion, electricity, gun
cotton and potassium chloride as possible me-
diunls through which practical joker might
be working.
The h'ant grew 10 be serious matter in
Nova Scotia. People everywhere were taking
the facts and celebrating them to fit some Pc
culior personal theory. One elderly woman in
Halifax convinced herself that the Caledonia
Mills ghost portended the approach CT the end
OF the world, declined to go to bed for fear
she wouldn't hear Gabriel's trumpet and be-
camo seriously III through lack of sleep.
School children in lonely localities were afraid
to go out after nightfal, and all the old stories
Of witchcraft, banshees, little people, were
wolves, and personal devils were revived and ,
exchanged and expounded until the entire CON-
rlunity suffered from nervous shock and the
banging Of door after dark was sufficient to
send an entire family into Mysteries. News
papers outside Nova Scotia began TO lombard
The Herald" Office for news Of the latest de-
7elopments; preachers preached sermons or
it, and lawyers and lay1nen wrote letters TO the
editors.
Challenged by some Of these letter writer's,
''The HERALD planned an investigation on its
own account. Whidden, Z young man Of good
family, educated, and with good war record
as g member OF the Canadian Expeditionary
Forces, volunteered to sleep in the haunted
house. The newspaper persuaded Peter Owen
Carroll, known all over Nova Scotia SIS
"Peachy' Carroll, TO accompany the reportsr
Carroll is q police detective, not the most
brilliant Sherlock Holmes in the world, per
haps, but honest and experienced II dealing
with small town criminals and proud of his
record OF never having fallen down on such
cases ss were presented for his Investigations.
He Is former Chief Of Police of pictou, n. S.
Carroll and Whidden went to Caledonia
Mills on Tuesday, February z, and stayed In
the Macdonald house until Thursday, Febru-
ary 8, sleeping there two nights. For part of
this time they were alone in the house, st other
times MacDonald stayed with them. They
slept on the floor in the kitchen in their clothes.
Mrs. Macdonald cooked them food, which Mac
Donald brought to them through the snow.
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
Spikissg the Testimony
OF Mrs. iced

"Mrn- Teed adds another story but, alasl
row reasonable Interrogation points crop up
sc every clauss. Mr.. and Mrs. Teed ons night
couid see from their bed into Esther's room
ty moonlight chow much moonlight, and how
mach of her room did II lightN; they saw a
ohair slids up from the wall 80 her bed
(would not string looped around the chair
leg h&ve produced tho same effect, and doss
rot the direction the ch&ir took suggest the
ftringO; x pillow went o. from under her
lead into tho chair (yvoud that effect have
haen beyond the power OF ths human hand
% produce IN the SENT -dariness2); g. ghost
aat down In the chair and rubbed, pinched
end scratched Esther under the bedclothey
but this is what Esther said} all tbs furni~
Lare except the bedstead was thrown out into
fae entry while Esther l&y quietly In bed
5ow much and how large waB the furniture!
low much Of Esthers form could they see?
j. it certain that it was Esther at all whom
tney saw on the bed, fer rolls Of clothing and
Srtfully arranged cushions have been known
ID deceive in q poor lightly; then anothcc
shost rocked the bed liz it not probable that
Easher was In bed now, at any rate7); st length
Esther vas brought to sleep in the same room
With The otherg, whcreupon the'rnanifestations
ceased (because OF the better opportunities
2ov obseTvation?), except that onca the lid OF
svunh gave 'one parting Slam twas the trunk
conveniently Esther's mattress! Was the
interval before the parting slam long enough
10 allow the Teeds TO fall into that state, con-
genial to the night. wherein eyes watch not?)
gwen the story Of the lively dishpsn told
~ Alro. Toed TO Mr.. Darlington is not con-
vincing as she told II, even though Esther
yrna nos near thc pan Gs not three feet
tolaraby near?), and she vas walking away
from it when the pan hoped up and fell on
the floor The writer finds by experiment that
e string looped in the ring Of dishpa, on
the farther side and passing over the shoulder
- The hand Of a person walking away pro-
duces the same effect that q ghostly hand
vyould, provided that the light Is dim and thc
cnlooker docs not occupy favorable posi-
ticn."
SO II goes. this critical study of ''7'o C~nas
Amherst Mystery" and, taken all together, It
& enough to cause any loVer O. 49,. IA
poe's shiver-producing tales to thank heaven
that Walter Il. Prince was not editor Of the
magazine that first printed the delightful yarns
of that genius.
Properly to appreciate the tremendous i'm
poxtancs Of ths Caledoui. Mills affair to the
people Of Nova Scotia, and especially to tbs
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
II THE HAUNTED HOT ISF m ANrTICON1c

I-oYTy-THTEE yesSr sws oevatzv SuY,y
III IN the town oS Amhe1g&, Nova Scotia.
convicted Esther Cox, . farm servant
girl, of sstting Ara &c her EMPLOYERS
With she girl locked pp in ian. "Boh
f.-g. "Magyie Fisher snd ether gAosto
....a 70 disturb the occupants az the Tecd
s~.ss IN Amherst Therv wa4 no 1aoro ra,,~
H., Tsblsa ososod to tip ovez and there
\ .o end TO tAe lighted matches that p~svt~
.,,,v hsd fallen from chs afrnospasro and
..,rsd several dangerous fires, no moro
:, Oaper weights, bricks and table knjvsa
..rs hursling through the air by unScen hands
The Incarceration Of Esther Cog ended tbs
lc-cst Amherst Mystery foF al persoas who
IA rot decline 30 employ their powers OF
,.on and observation Bus tho deviltrles fox
sich Esther Cox in TOW bl&med continued to
f,.Od .Aivers down the apincs If sreduloun
[~etiude for long yosrs sfterward 4 book
ur;,tsn by al setor named W alter aubbsn. IA
|shch hese ''visisations' were treated as un-
In.stsousbly Of psychic origin Is aoer in it's
buth sditioa
Between Gethsg Coz and tnc pegd4rreiss
] spoiry ghost q Caledonia Mills 1tero have
ss.o susry guca '"visitaeons' in Nove Scotia
|r Ast th's oieak aros In Canads has become
tsl,hratsd among gsychscei Investigators fo.
b. numerous Instances % isolaee5 gan2illcs
being harTisd ~ aalscA'evous epookr- That In
lie eason Dr Waltor F. Prince, principal rs~
sesrh ofloer aud setting director Of the
american Society for Psychica' Research, con-
sented to brave che Arcnc winds that sweop
sowa on Antagonist County. BE believed
ast this VIZ an exceilcnE opportunity 70 make
Is frst-hand investigation q q form o. aneger
psychic phenomans that has never heen satis.
tsctoriy chaIted ~ tha institution he repre-
ssnA
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

Of
Research,
m4cSonaS A Prince
Of
Sfhan ench OF
emae"cs
S0ke "h@e esntnuss
cGg
sn shs
sTh Maczonois
ConseqHenf,
lie
@ ahen
a.ous.
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
Chosts Thrive Bea8
In Rural Districts

Somehow ghosts thr5ga 1EshsY IA esss coau..
s7 They sre iiss childrsp in tha1 respect,
/ sthOugh WHARF Che biush 4 health liz brought
u As cheek Of chua taken 70 1hs country
i tAs same treatment gives She ghost pelloy
Tat Is everywhers recognized ss ths sign of
true spirituality. The city ia 10 place TO keep
ghost. Just lat gone suterprising soul sn-
aalnce that hs nss ono Il his aparenent snd
among his frss visitors VII 5c detective scr-
mt bearing warrant charginG tho owner
Of said ghost vita practirin2 fraud and dis
rbing ths pesce and dignity Of the Stats Of
New York
The danisena Of Sleepy Hollow, near Tarry4
town Oh the othsT hand. we're no difTereue
from other country cofnnCnltias N saair ideas
about unseen creatures These people Of
Sleepy Hoilow eimply navs had lhs benefits Of
superior advertialng Just rscan whwt Wssh~
ingtOn Irving aaid of than: They arg given
to all kinds OF marvellous hcliefs; srs aubjscs
tt frances end visions, snd frequently ses
strange sighSs. and heay music and vojcea Ia
shs ar LThis was before tAa days Of radio
brc.dcasilngl The whole ueignborhood
sbounds ith boeal salep, haunted epota and
twilight superasiticna; stare shooS and raeteors
-esre oltener across sho Valley than in any
e;heF part 81 ths county, ard the nightmare,
S'th her ghols olnafold. seems 60 uase It this
favorite scans of hey gambols."
ichabod Craos ia 5as perfect syrab9l OF the
figures that ia country communities ser5s -
As4p elvs I'll ghosuy legends.
"A1othsY o1 nix ssvrces c5 fo2rfal plsaz-
Agra" wrote Dieorioa Enlcl.9rbocker, was 80
Syass long winter evsr4n~-s F.str fhe rid Dutch
wives, ss shay o@t 5plnnng By tha Fra, with q
foW cs aPpiea roasting and spuctering along
the hearth and Hs.en T. tncir marvellous tales
Of ghosts snd gobtns sna haunted 6eldu sna
hsuntea bT0osa and haunted bridges and haunt
ed houses and particularly C. the Haadlesa
AoFaemsn or Galopin2 Ho1eian of tbs Uollow,
as they soneAnes caNad hin.
'But L .here Was qlaagure Ia an Gzis willis
snOgy coddhng IN the chimney corner Of
sanoer that waa GU of > rud6v glow from
the cracking wood fge, aud vhere O. course no
specteT dared 70 shoET hlg face. it wsa dearly
purchased oy the terrara e his sub8oqueut waik
homeward Whist fearful shapes az shadows
beset h!s path amidst tho DIM an3 CHASTITY
glare Of a snowy night With what wistful
NoE did Re cya livery trembling ray * light
streaming across tha yyasts aeids from son4~
distant Windows How often was he appallsc
ny some shrub covcred witb gnow, which, Na
sheeted spocter. boset hls very path Eiov
0en did he ehrnk with curding awe at tn
soand q his own Htspg CT tho Frosty crust he
meath his feet; and drcad 20 look over his
boulder lest he should behold eorae uncoutn
'shg iEamped Gloss beeide hmi'
fry,s~
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
irV'ng end Eg. Primes
Odae ir S9yia

mat IA how ons Of ths lseersorS n.inds os li&-
"aTy America ''grepsrea" his re&as~a with
1re q the best ghost seorios @vev written.
ID" differently does scicntist &c about It'll
NJ w. Prince 1sw years ago wrote FOR tbs
''0ceedings Of the Society q Paychical Re-
Seareh' X Critical 5tady Of Tho Great AM
a'sst Mystery"
Nobody wro&e p~. Prince, 'chas hitherto
'''lned 70 fnd tims 70 look into the Great
= .s"'ns'st Myatery with critical cyo and rs-
s'ss 'tifay TO demand O. eho ghosts what real
'.'oenee " they h&vo lcft on record in behalf
- ;. themselves 1t ia tins that this we're dous.
- - Ii worth doing, FOR tne caso has beconas IN
~ way classic and has produced Gre sort
~ ~ impression or snothor upon hundreds Of
,-pus&nda Of poo2Ie The Arst question to
@'s an N essaging this pleasant task ls~-.
"ho are the witneaaes?~
among those noent;onod by Dr.. Prince vera
S'a0asil. Tie s'sss wiose Aoeax was 10 profsa~
New-York tribune., 1922-03-19

fCoxts,s&sd on pags sgssJses
The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-03
NO SQUEAKS IN CARS
Modern Improvements In Pullman
Car Construction Have Practically
Eliminated Noise,

CHICAGO, JIly THE American
sleeping car no longer needs
squeak" inspectors They passed
with the wooden cars. the Joints OF
which sometimes become loOscned
by wear and friction The buffers
are tho only parts Of the steel cars
that produce by contact a noise that
has not been eliminated, according
TO Pullman company officials.
The standard Pullman car Is OF
steel Of some 10 tons weight It's
immense backbone, or underframe,
IL indestructible ana incapable of
buckllnR or cOllapsing according 10
the cOmpany's most recent claim.
Four I-beams, at either end Of the
car. are likened 10 saplng that will
give but not break, and are said 10
prevent absolutely the possibility OF
"telcscopine' OF cars which existed
in the days OF wood construction,
This revolutionary change In
sleeping car construction IL less than
Is years old. u was followed by an
almost complete elimination OF wood
I'm Pullman car, mahogany, cir
cassian, walnut, maple and other
fine grained woods are Initiated, and
II IS said that passengers often take
them for wood and use their
knucklos 10 convince themselves by
sound when their eyes fail them.
The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-07-03

The Joemac OIL company No. 1
Williams farm in the southeast OF
the northeast OF 2i-16-9 is a 50-bar-
rel well. Same interests No. . on
this farm is making 100000 feet
of gas from the same sand, found
from 2,932 TO 2.944 feet.
The Texas company No. 2 Will
liams In the southeast OF the south
west of the northwest OF 22-16-9 is
making 440 barrels. No. 4 williams
Is good for so barrels.
Cosden & Company have 240-
barrel well in No. on the william
farm In the eoutheast OF the north
west OF 22-16-9.
The Twin State Oil company No. 6
Orcutt in the northwest of the south
west OF the southeast OF 22-16-9 is
maXing 80 barrels per hour from
the butcher sand.
The Transcontinentai OIL corpora
tlons No. 3 Micco in the northwest
of the southeast OF the southwest OF