Thank you for visiting SNEWPapers!
Sign up free
Story
December 17, 1888
The Morning News
Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia
What is this article about?
In Sumner, Georgia, locals prank a young traveling salesman with a fake ghost made from a candy box and candle on a railway trestle as he heads to visit a lady in Meaderville, causing him to flee in terror and later hire a guide to return.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
A DRUMMER ON THE RUN
An Artificial Ghost with a Flaming Face Bobs Up in His Path,
From the Sumner (Ga.) Local.
On Friday of last week a young drummer representing the well-known Savannah steam bakery, struck Sumner, and after finishing his work for the day, having learned that a certain young lady was visiting at Meaderville, expressed his determination of visiting her in the evening, and made his arrangements to that end. Whereupon some of our boys, who are ever ready for a little fun, began to canvass about among themselves how they could get it at the expense of the young drummer. Finally, one of the boys suggested that they play the ghost trick on him. The suggestion was accepted and at once preparations began. A paper candy box was procured, in the lid of which eyes, nose and mouth were cut out and a thin piece of red paper pasted over the face. The box was then fastened to a long handled broom, with a stick placed crossways to represent arms, and the ghost was then clad in a long white shirt. A lighted piece of candle was then placed inside the box and the spook was declared ready for the scare.
The boys then proceeded to the Meaderville end of the long railway trestle, under which they secreted themselves to await the coming of the young drummer, who soon put in an appearance, and the boys say "walked like he had spent a most enjoyable evening," and when he had approached within a few feet of the trestle, the ghost was run up between the ties right in front of him, and brought the young man to a very sudden halt, and as he did so the ghost was run up to its full height.
The young drummer gazed at the hideous thing for a moment, and exclaimed: "Hay! Hay, there!" and wheeling round took to his heels at a 2:40 gait.
The boys say that before they could get from under the trestle on the road he had made a distance of 200 yards toward Meaderville, and they say that they are satisfied that he hired Uncle Charles Cooper, the watchman at Price & Co.'s mill, to pilot him back to Sumner, where he arrived an hour and a half later.
An Artificial Ghost with a Flaming Face Bobs Up in His Path,
From the Sumner (Ga.) Local.
On Friday of last week a young drummer representing the well-known Savannah steam bakery, struck Sumner, and after finishing his work for the day, having learned that a certain young lady was visiting at Meaderville, expressed his determination of visiting her in the evening, and made his arrangements to that end. Whereupon some of our boys, who are ever ready for a little fun, began to canvass about among themselves how they could get it at the expense of the young drummer. Finally, one of the boys suggested that they play the ghost trick on him. The suggestion was accepted and at once preparations began. A paper candy box was procured, in the lid of which eyes, nose and mouth were cut out and a thin piece of red paper pasted over the face. The box was then fastened to a long handled broom, with a stick placed crossways to represent arms, and the ghost was then clad in a long white shirt. A lighted piece of candle was then placed inside the box and the spook was declared ready for the scare.
The boys then proceeded to the Meaderville end of the long railway trestle, under which they secreted themselves to await the coming of the young drummer, who soon put in an appearance, and the boys say "walked like he had spent a most enjoyable evening," and when he had approached within a few feet of the trestle, the ghost was run up between the ties right in front of him, and brought the young man to a very sudden halt, and as he did so the ghost was run up to its full height.
The young drummer gazed at the hideous thing for a moment, and exclaimed: "Hay! Hay, there!" and wheeling round took to his heels at a 2:40 gait.
The boys say that before they could get from under the trestle on the road he had made a distance of 200 yards toward Meaderville, and they say that they are satisfied that he hired Uncle Charles Cooper, the watchman at Price & Co.'s mill, to pilot him back to Sumner, where he arrived an hour and a half later.
What sub-type of article is it?
Deception Fraud
Curiosity
What themes does it cover?
Deception
Misfortune
What keywords are associated?
Drummer Prank
Fake Ghost
Sumner Georgia
Meaderville
Railway Trestle
Scare
What entities or persons were involved?
Young Drummer
The Boys
Young Lady
Uncle Charles Cooper
Where did it happen?
Sumner (Ga.), Meaderville, Railway Trestle
Story Details
Key Persons
Young Drummer
The Boys
Young Lady
Uncle Charles Cooper
Location
Sumner (Ga.), Meaderville, Railway Trestle
Event Date
Friday Of Last Week
Story Details
A young drummer plans to visit a lady in Meaderville after work in Sumner; locals create a fake ghost using a candy box, broom, shirt, and candle; they scare him on the trestle, causing him to run away in fright; he later hires a watchman to guide him back to Sumner.