Year: 1874

localities. ''>@ - sui
In one famous haunted house on tn,
ROAD between Yellow Springs and Xenia
Omo, these exhibitions were speciaH,
noted. The people throughout that re
glon hesltated to speak about the place
a1a lts pecullarities were mentioned il
Whispers. Hence my curiosity was


aroused and after preparing myself tc
resist any danger that might occur from
the presence of desperate characters
proceeded to the place and provided an
excellent point for viewing the premises
1t would have been tedious business


to wait until midnight, the time when
ghosts are said to appear. But did not


have to wait SO long About eleven
O'CLOCK a warm stream of air blew up
q from the south over creek and quar-:


ter OF mile or more of rich, black,


warm bottom-land. AS the vapor struck


the hillside it condensed, and little flying


balloons OF mist flew hither and thither,


The warm air fingered over and fcrment-


cd an old pile of compost, dccaying straw


and few old boards that were living


about. Then there arose a vaporous,


luminous body, which, with its base on


the ground and conical or round. fierv


cloud-likc head in the air, took the shape


of woman Crimson and livid blood


like spots and streaks were about her neck


and scattered over her dress. She waved


her hands, and her hair floated about in


clouds of light, while her eyes glittered


like the cold moon. Rising slowly from


her hideous bed, the spccter moved hith-
er and thither, as if the wind toyed with


her and she cared not whittier she was


taken. At last she started as if to visit
me IN my retreat; then turning corner
OF the stable she nearly disappeared,


there being nothing left visible but a


long, dirty-White trail. In a moment the
| phantom turned again and crcpt into the
| broken doorway, STOPPING as she re-
tired Several minutes elapsed, and con-
Guiding that she had collapsed or worn
| out her vaporous strength l was in the
act of leaving the place when she came
through the opening of the doorway and
creviccs between the logs Then, after
walking or floating about while her
light went out and she became thinner,
| and finally disappeared The shape of
the apparition was such that It was easy
tor an imaginative person to see in it the
form OF sad-faced or angry-eyed, rest
less woman. Then how easy to create a
legend filled with details of a mysterious
murder and make this the unhappy vic
tim, whose shadow must haunt the place
of her taking off until her names are ap


ner! But my evidence makes this base


less fabric of vision the mere
result of the vaporous exhalations
of a compost-pile. had a very
fine pair of field glasses, and could see
clearly the effects produced by the stream
of air when it came in contact with the
compost. The vapor began at that mo-
ment to arise, and the result would oc-
cur in all seasons Then the luminous
jets and variegated co1ors sprang up
from the warm laboratory wherein Ma
turc's chemistry was at work, and finally
the thin vaporous cloud which really had
not any definite shape was carried at the
caprice of the soft zephyr winds which
fitted about, but did not blow sufficient
ly strong to carry this heavier body out
of the regular draughts through the
openings of the dilapidated house.


One of the most noted haunted places
in Lancaster County, Pa, once attracted
my special attention. The locality, house
and surroundings were famous because
OF the strange noises and lights which
had given the place it's bad reputation.
Many persons had seen and fled from
these visions, and affrighted people con-
stantly reported the strangcst and most
unaccountable circumstances concerning
what had occurred to them while passing
by or near the obnoxious place. A trip
thither one night disclosed to me the fact
that it was the resort Of party
OF gamblers, who employed certain
means and appliances to frighten
exposing the mysteries of the place.
Among their paraphernalia was an in
strumcnt known by boys under the name
of locust The hideous scraping noise
which this makes when in operation is
calculated to made any one fly from the
vicinity where it is set in motion, espe-
cially when this occurs at midnight in a
suspected place. These persons were
also provided with hideous masks made
of parti-colored paper, pumpkins, hair,
coWtails and other articles. Colorcd
lights were also presented, sometimes
suddenly, and again to illuminate the
apertures through which these mysterious
appearances were made visible to the
scared community.


After this exposure of the follies of
superstition it may prove an amusing
confession on my part when l acknowl-
edge to having tinge of the same
1eaven in my composition. A special
instance in which this crops out is with
regard to ring which wear and whose
appearance often consult with certain
weak faith in it's indications. 1t was
given to me by crack-brained chemist
who ruined himself with drink and the
search for the philosophers stone. The
jewel it encircles was made by him in
his laboratory, and he assured me it con-
tanned parts of the iron employed in
making certain famous articles that are
held in high vcneration throughout the
world; sand from the Dead Sea, and clay
from the pits of Baradetha, on the banks
of the river Jordan; and ashes of the
bones of a suicide-all cemcntcd with
the blood Of the chemist himself The
stone is certainly singular composition
in appearance and peculiarities. Often
l find it grayish or black, dull and gloomy
to the apprehension. The lines on its
surface and the shadows in it's depth are
hidden and almost invisible. Anon the
colors become light and lively as the
tints on fresh painting: The green be-
comes a glittering emerald, the brown
bright russet, the gray sparkles with in
Vulnerable points of stellated fractures,
the veins and facculent clouds appear
floating in it's depths, and the blood
son tide whence it had its origin. To-
day it is all brightness But few days
ago it was as dark as the brow of a
tempest. All it's lines and shadows were
gathered into thick gray cloud, and
the surface was black like the grained
texture of Grape. l did not like to look
on the jewel, for there was no hope or
comfort in its utterances. The sky was
gloomy, the rains descended. cold winds