1914-07-27aa

An incident involving Hamilton Mountain young people visiting Dundurn Park and the Hamilton Cemetery, as reported in the Hamilton Times of July 27, 1914:

“Just over the mountain reside two young men, brothers. Down the road live two young girls, sisters.

“Raspberry socials, picnics and parties are not complete with out their presence, and, naturally, living so near each other, the boys have assumed ownership over the girls

“Last Hallowe’en, they and a number of other young people spent the evening in a good, old-fashioned way, the unseen spirits were evoked, but not even one tiny hob-goblin appeared and all finally departed merrily for home, softly laughing at the idea of their being such things as spooks.

“Now, the four young mountaineers have a different story to tell, each is firm in the belief that ghosts do exist and can be found if hunted for in the right place.

“On Sunday evening, the quartette piled into a Surrey and a spanking pair of bays brought them to the city. The Dundurn was chosen as a place of rest, where the animals were safely tethered. Tired of the mosquito bites, a suggestion to amble through the cemetery was accepted with much temerity on the part of the young ladies.

“The inscriptions on the monuments were read till twilight quietly faded into night. Their journey had unconsciously brought them to the farthest corner of the city of the dead, and in a quiet little nook all sat down.

“Thoughts inadvertently turned to the afterlife , one young man morbidly retold Marie Corelli’s “Wormwood,” which lost none of its dramatic intensity for the scenic effect was quite in accord. The salient points were discussed and criticized.

Thus, by an unspoken consent, words were dropped. Everything was perfectly still, not a blade of grass swayed; even the breeze was hushed.

“Dark clouds hustled across the sky, sometimes obscuring the new moon.

“The young people were becoming restless, but in spirit of bravery the boys calmly lit cigarettes and placed protecting arms around girlies’ shoulders.

“But, hush! What was that ?

“Faces blanched, lips trembled. To the right was heard a slight, low, but hair-raising sound. Eyes tried to pierce the gloom.

“Then a soft, scarping noise was heard, and with awful suddenness, a white object was seen to rise seemingly out of a new-made grave and move with tantalizing slowness not to but away from the watchers.

“For a minute they remained spellbound, when with one accord they jumped to their feet.The girls were too frightened to scream.

“How they reached the gate they never knew, and it was only when they were safe under the Hydro lights that they dared to cast apprehensive glances over their shoulders.

“The apparition had disappeared.

“When getting back into their rig, they told a friend of their experience, and were much peeved when he laughed; also they refused to accept his explanation that their ghost was nothing more than a grey collie dog, owned by a resident on Dundurn street.”¹

¹ “Mountain Folks Saw the Ghost : Came to City for a Sunday Evening in the Parks.”

Hamilton Times.  July 27, 1914