Putnam patriot., 1928-09-27

Isn't he a dznrcsss character" An
such conversation kept their tongues
moving. Ghosts--in the daylight
the words dropped from many good
mans lips.
The date Of this excitement is given
as July rs. 1871. The New England
peddler or rather peddlers come into
this story. Two Nth heavy packs had
trudged over the hill. one inky black
night. and never returned TO display
and sell their wares Such tales and
many questions were whispered all
over the town. The following item np-
peared in a journal:
July 2S, 1881, hear Of some men
seen at Newcome's Swamp. and then
disappear three times a dsy, nova
days. and nobody can come nigh them. :
THE first newspaper IN Windham
County was established in 1901.
The death of the suspected New
come the following October increased
the feeling against him Evil forms,
it was said, stood by his Bedside
black cat with eyes glowing like burn
ing Goals, also headless black man
that vanished with fiendish shrek
Fh&b 1t&tH WIN fttt tV04 Aadi&t AAt1
body. Then all was loneliness and
quiet--the figures vanished forever,
but an evil curse remained on the
haunted land. Many accidents occur
red there--teams were overturned; a
brother Of the church was thrown
from his horse and killed on his way
home from meeting. One was instant-
ly killed by an accidental shot on gem
erai training day. Another started TO
build house upon the haunted land
but died before its completion. Then
the house became the residence of
straggiers. A tenant cut q load of
wood but found his horse unable 10
draw il. Neighbors, young and old,
came to his assistance. All The horses,
oxen and strong men with iron bars.
could not move il. The wood was
thrown of but still with all these unit
ed efforts the sled remained fixed. The
next morning the tenant took his
white horse into the woods, reloaded
his sled and drew ii home without
difficulty.
Another tenant returning home one
moonlight summer night from n mid
night carousal. was surprised to
see company of mowers sys-
reaping in the mead
ow. He heard the click, click
of the scythes and saw the grass
falling before them. Said he to him
self, "The Newcomes mean 70 be ahead
Of us poor mortals for once in their
lives" The next morning the grass
was standing as usual and the phari-
tom mowers had left no trace Of the
moonlight task. Again il may be said
there were skeptical hearers who at
tributed these manifestations TO spirits
in the kegs or Kill Devil (New Eng
land rum) rather than spiritual infiu-
ence.
Twenty years later laborers on the
Boston and Hartford turnpike UNI
earthed two skeletons from the haunt
ed land--on the very spot Of ground
where the figures first appeared. The
town was over-awed and wondered If
these peddlers carried much gold in
those packs and were their lives sac
rificed for this? Could it have been
that Thompson's ghosts were more
than faneiful shadows cast at noon
day?
Death reaps among the tares and
wheat;
The powers of light and night are in
his hand.
From the Test Of Life:
LET us live our life from year to year
With forward face and unreluctant
soul.
Not Fastening TO, nor turning from
the goal:
In the dim past, nor holding back in
fear
From what the future wells; but with
a whole
And happy heart, that pays its toll
To youth and age, and travels on
with cheer
So let the way wind up the hill and
down
Through rough and smooth, the jour
ney will be joy
Because the roads last turn viii be
the best"