Year: 1877

make their annual report Of the financial cor


dition Of the associaton-showing the resul
/ OF the last fair, the amount Of money received
how disbursed, &c. The report will show
financial condition of the association tina


will be quite satisfactory. The past year wa
40 unfortunate one for Agricultural Associa


tions owing probably TO the Centennial Ex


hibition-and there was scarcely one in


hundred in all the country that did not prov
financial failure Taking this into eonsid
GRAFTON, the fact that the fair Of this associa


ton last fall was not only not failure lik


The Others but that a balance was left in III


treasury after all the expenses of the fair haC
been paid, must prove source of grati6ca
ton to the stockholders and their manager
to whose care and labor this result wa
mainly due.


A GHOST STORY.


How a Delaware YOung Lady Tried tC
BuII-doze Her Father into Letting Hei
Get Married.


A family living on the road between Nil.
ford and Pennington, has been the center Of
a great neighborhood excitement for ten days
past in consequence of wonderful NANTES
ta,ion Of spiritual influence in and about the
house where they reside It commenced on
Sunday afternoon, January 7th, and contin-
ued throughout the day and night, all day
on Sunday and on Monday night when
the visitor took bis leave and promised 10
trouble them no more; though the knowing
ones think him liar and believe that he will
come again when it suits him


On the afternoon above mentioned the
women of the family-the men were not at
home-were greatly alarmed by the falling Of
brickbats against the house for which they
could not account The bats were visible,
they ratified and banged against the house,
but no propelling person or power was visible
or could anywhere be found Search was
made of all places where person might be
concealed but in vain. The bats flew and fell
about apparently of their own accord. Civ
ing up the search, the women sheltered them
selves in the house; but even then the bats
followed them, for some of them came into it
through the impervious and unperforated
walls, when all the doors and windows were
closed and securely fastened These remark
able and unaccountable phenomena led the
women to think that invisible spirits from the
other world had paid them visit, and they
awaited the return of the men Of the family in
greatly perturbed spirit.


The men returHed towards evening but
even their presence failed to check the ghostly
manifestations. Besides the brickbats, an old
fashioned iron kettle which had been thrown
away and was lying out in the field, came
into the house without the aid of visible
hands and took its old accustomed place on
the hearth One of the women commenced
preparing the supper table but had scarcely
begun, when the job was taken from her by
invisible hands and neatly and expeditiously
completed. The bucket Of milk which one Of
the boys brought in from the cOw-pen and
set upon the table, was almost Immediately
dashed off as though the Invisible visitor was
offended The looking glass banging on the
wall suddenly turned its back upon the family
and its face to the wall A print Of butter on
the tea-table was divided, or torn in two by
the same unseen power, and one-half Of 1t
dashed to the focr, and still more wonderful
the prints Of the ghosts fingers on the butter
we're left as plainly visible as though it had
been done by human, material hand The
truth is, the devil was to play CeSerally.


Of course all this, and much more, could
not 90 on without alarming and exciting the
whole neiEhborhood so that after supper the
nearest neighbors began to drop in, though
many of them with hair on end, and eyes
starting from their sockets; but they came
without in the least embarrassing the spirit,
ghost or devil-whatever it was-who kept
right on with bis pranks. Beds were thrown
from steads, the covers pulled of, chairs
turned over, garments plucked from their
hanging places, and even the sacred Holy
Bible thrown from the table TO the floor.


During The next day the excitement spread
for miles around, and on Monday evening
some thirty or forty persons came in to wit
ness the wonders. Even all this crowd was
not sufficient to Danish the mysterious and
invisible visitor. The manifestations were
continued much as before. Hearing an enor-
nous racket two OF three of the bravest men
ventured up stairs to see what was going on
but they could only discover the chairs, beds,
and bed clothing moving about and turning
topsy turvy without any visible cause. A
great noise of the rattling of dishes was heard
in the cupboard and on opening the door
every dish was bottom upward and piled one
upon another. Buckets Of water were brought
into the house without hands and quietly put
down in the middle of the floor. All these
and many other performances were carried Oh
in the presence of all the people assembled
A youLg woman, member of the family
finally went to her bed but soon came down
stairs in great trepidation, stating that the
covering was forcibly snAtched of of her as
fast as she could put it on. The father sent





at her room door to see it done but great
light SO frightened him that he left his watch
and tore down stairs. Soon things grew
more quiet and after awhile the girl came
quietly down stairs and told the family and
friends that she was no longer afraid, that
the ghost was gone and had promised to
trouble them no more She stated that il was
the spirit of man and that his business was
with her, but what this business was she
would never tell to any living person. She
said that after going the second lime 20 her
bed the spirit took her by the hand before she
knew it and twisted small cord or string
around her finger after which ali her fears
vanished pnd she saw and conversed with
him. She described him as a man with long
hair hanging down his back, Of fair and
/ handsome features, and attractive to look
upon, dressed neatly in black cloth coat with
white vest, though the sleeves of the coal
were as though they had been.cut of JUS
1 IL