Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1888 — A SPECIAL JACK TRAIN. [ARTICLE]

A SPECIAL JACK TRAIN.

A Remarkable Ghost Story from Colorado —Spooks in the Mountains. [Leadville Herald-Democrat] My companion then spoke concerning our mission to this bleak and barren spot. “About twelve years ago,” he said, “an old man by the name of Cearnals was the proprietor of a jack train, with which he used to bring provisions and other commodities into that mining camp which you see beneath you there. “This was before the railroads entered the fastnesses of these mountains, and everything was brought by mule teams or by these jack trains into the camp. “The treasures which were found in the hills were carried out the same way. One time old man Cearnals did not arrive in the camp on time. ’Twas in the winter —and the coldest one, too, ever experienced in these hills. A searching party was sent out to find him and his train, as the people who hsd goods consigned to them feared that some accident had befallen him. . Near where we are now is where he and his train were found in a snowdrift frozen to death. And now each night may be seen the jack train just as they were, but in the form of specters filing along on their way to the camp. Get out and we will go down the trail a piece and see them.” We got out of the buggy and after fastening the horse to a stunted pine we descended the other side of the range on the road to Alma. After a most perilous and tortuous walk of half an hour, on account of the slippery condition ot the ground which was covered with snow, my companion led me to a point near the old Leadville trail, which could be distinctly seen above us against the side of the mountain. Looking at his watch, he remarked that’ it was almost time for “them” to appear. After kicking the snow from a couple of bowlders we sat down, and in silence awaited developments. My companion would not say a word, but simply puffed away at a cigar, his looks being cast in the direction of the trail. We waited at lehst half an hour, but it seemed a week to me, a cold wind having arisen, and I was almost frozen and wishing myself at home. Suddenly my companion clutched me nervously by the arm and pointed to the trail. The sight I saw made each individual hair on my head stand on end; for there on the trail, coming around a sharp angle caused by a bowlder, was a jack train of twenty-three animals. They all emitted a faint phosphorescent glow, which made them appear all the more vivid against the side of the hill. They were loaded with different articles of merchandise, and the last one, which the spectral driver was urging on with his short goad, seemed to be loaded with flour.

Every once in awhile as the train rilowly filed along, this last jack would lean his load against a projecting rock as if resting himself. This would cause the driver to punch it with his short stick. The weird specters slowly passed from view around the hill, and more dead than alive from fright we made our way to where we had left the horse and buggy. My companion informed me while on our way back to the city that this strange Sight could be seen any dark night.