Evening star., 1937-02-14

WILLIAM WIRT'S, HIGH PLACE
Author and Celebrated ut Served As Attorney General of
the United Revolutionary Days, Early
Residents and Original Owners

prising and interesting spectacles to
me in those days was this old man
wading up to his waist during
freshet and harpooning the sturgeon.
It was a whale fishery In miniature,
and not less interesting to me at that
date"
The town also had its dancing mas
ter. known as Col. Tattison in Mary
land and Col. Degraves in Virginia.
He Is credited with introducing the
French Minuet" in this village, where
he had q dancing school.
SUPERSTITION was then Just as
prevalent In this part Of Maryland
rs elsewhere in the State, and there
were many believers in ghosts. hob
goblins and the pranks Of departed
spirits, and the following story is told
Of the raising Of ghost" which took
place after a wedding in the village in
which Mr.. Tc+tison was the chief
spiritualist:
When the company had danced
themselves weary" the story goes,
''Tattison proposed to close the evening
by raising q ghost. The graver
r,rt of the company still discouraged
the experiment, but the curiosity Of
the younger and more numerous pre-
vailed and nothing was wanting but q
sitter upstairs to enable the French
man to give proof Of his skill in the
black art.
AFTER some hesitation amongst all,
Mr.. Brice Of Alexandria agreed to
be closteted. He was accordingly taken
upstairs. The door Of the room into
which he was introduced was locked
and after that the door Of the stair
below, which opened from the stairs
upon the dancing room. Tattison then
asked for a shovel Of live Goals, some
salt, birthstone and case knife.
Whilst these things were getting. he
proposed that the women should, in
a whispering consultation. agree upon
the ghost to be raised and report it
secretly to him. This was done. and
the ghost agreed upon was to be that
Of John Francis, little, 'uperannu-
ated shoemaker who had oied some
few years before.
THE process was long and solemn,
and there was something in the bus
iness itself and In the sympathy with
the imagined terrors Of the witness
above, which soon hushed the whole
assembly into q nervous stiffness akin
to that of young children listening to
ghost story at midnight. In about
half an hour the ceremony was closed.
In q shower of blows and the agitated
cries Of the Frenchman. Brice was
heard to fall on the floor above.
1.-THE Frenchman rushed upstairs at
the head Of several Of the company,
and there our sitter was found on the
floor in q swoon. He was brought to
with the aid Of cold water, and on
reviving said he had seen q man enter
the room with coal Of fire on his nose.
and on his forehead written in fire the
name Of John Francis. It was agreed,
ON all hands, to be very strange, and
many shook their heads significantly
at Tattison, intimating that he knew
more than he ought, and that it was
not very clear he was fit company for
Christian people. No one was disposed
to renew the dance, and the party
broke up. The Frenchman, with his
Characteristic politeness, few to the
door to help the ladies down the steps,
when he saw, standing outside of the
door, close at hand, gigantic phan-
tom arrayed In white and arms
stretched wide, as If to receive him.
He shrieked, leaped from the steps and
disappeared"
CLACK WIRE performances were also
given in the town by Mr.. Temple
man. who danced on the wire in Tat
tison's dancing room, the room being
brilliantly lighted" with candles.
Mr.. Writ also records his youthful
recollections Of Lees Legion passing
through Bladensburg when on his way
south to support Gen. Nathaniel
Greene.
"I remember" he says, "the long hne
cavalry in the street, the large, BEAU
tiful horses and flne-looking men In
uniform, and particular individual
~"