Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 May 1888 — THE PHANTOM TRAIN. [ARTICLE]

THE PHANTOM TRAIN.

Tbb indorsement of the Gladstouian policy is no geaeral in the United Btatee, that* vote would show a majority of ten to one in its favor, if taken State by State, or as an aggregate of all the States. There is no class of our citizens, and no section of our country that is not Gladatonian thoroughly. When Chamberlain reports that he found few persons in America who approved of the policy of Home Rule,he either deliberately lies, or he means to say that he met very few people in this country and heard next to nothing of popular opinion. No one took the trouble to waylay him in the streets, or to send him in monster petitions, you know! Indeed, Joseph was considerably let alone, being voted a bad mob. It’s too bad, of course, but this blarited land ia too big for any foreigner to get a good view of with his eye-glasses, while standing on even the Washington Monument. Glad*tone is very dose to the heart of all Americana, of ail classes.

A Strange Spectacle Seen in the Rarifled Air of the Black Hills. Herald. 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 Ceamala was the proprietor of a jack train with which be used to bring provisions and other commodities into that mining camp you see beneath you there. This was before railroads entered the fastnesses of these mountains, and every thing 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 the old man Cearnals did not arrive in the camp on time. ’Teas in the winter, and the coldest one, too, ever experienced in these hills. A searchicg party was sent out to find him and his train, as the people who had goods consigned to him feared that some accident had befallen him. Near where we are no w him and his train were 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 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, 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 of the ground whieh 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 in tilence and awaited developments. My companion would not say a word, but simply puffed away at a cigar, his looks being east in the direction of the trail. We waited half an hour, but it seemed a week to me, a cold wind having arisen, and was almost frozen and was wishing myself at home“Suddenly my companion clutched ’ me nervously by the arm and pointed to tire trail. The sight that I saw made each individual hair on my head stand on end, for there on the trail, turning around a sharp angle caused by a boulder was a pack 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 a while, as the train slowly filed along, the 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 spectres slowly passed from view around the hill, and, more dead than alive from freight, 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.”