The Harbinger

Mysterious Light, Saskatchewan, Canada, 1911-1925

Added By: R. Brock On: May 31, 2013

Regina, Saskatchewan, Leader PostDecember 1, 1925

Mysterious Light in Buffalo Hills Basin Intrigues Residents

PRANKS OF ILLUMINATION SOURCE OF CONJECTURE

PLAYS A GAME OF “NOW YOU SEE IT AND NOW YOU DON’T”

(Special to The Leader)

BEECHY, Nov. 30. – What is the mysterious illumination in the hills that is seen on clear nights, rising and falling, brightening and diminishing, like the approach of headlights of a car that never comes? This is the question that has puzzled the settlers of Buffalo Basin, a school district in the Beechy locality, for a number of years. Various conjectures have been put forth, many local arguments held, and visitors to the neighborhood consulted, yet no feasible theory for a possible solution of the phenomenon has been advanced.

As one stands some evenings between dusk and midnight on the road that runs past the little school house and looks in a southerly direction, one sees among the hills before him a glare in the sky, faint at first, but gradually increasing in volume and brilliance as though some powerfully illuminated car were breasting a rise a rise of the trail. The observer awaits the appearance of the headlights at the top of the hill, he listens for the hum of the engine, but neither comes. The light diminishes, and so he thinks that still another hill must separate him from the sight of the vehicle. Once more the illumination spreads; once more the watcher is aroused; once more he is disappointed. And so on through the hours of the night the phantom light continues its vagaries, now appearing, now disappearing, now rising, now falling, until the spectator turns towards the realism of one of the farm-houses.

During the 14 years in which the district has been settled, many attempts have been made to solve the phenomenon. A casual visitor suggests it is the light of a burning straw-pile. Do farmers burn their straw-piles every night throughout the summer and winter? The lights of a house, then? There is no house of any description within a mile of the spot, only wild, uncultivated hills and sloughs.

One night one of the men of the district, determined to settle the question, set out to track the light to its source. As he walked over the hills he saw the light before him, gradually appearing to come nearer and nearer to him as he approached it. Then it disappeared. He went on for a quarter of a mile, but could see nothing ahead of him. Mystified, he turned to retrace his steps. There was the glare between him and home! He went slowly northwards, with eyes fixed intently on the light. It disappeared, and then reappeared behind him. And so the search was continued. Somewhere within the limits of that 400 yards was hidden the origin of the light.

Such is the mystery that intrigues Buffalo Basin people. Will it ever be solved?

Posted in The Harbinger | Tagged Lights, Mysterious, Mystery | Leave a comment

Strange “Men” Among the Oats, 1559

Added By: R. Brock On: April 7, 2013

Thomas Bromhall: "An history of apparitions, oracles, prophecies, and predictions*... (London : Printed by John Streater, 1658)

Untitled Item concerning: Strange "Men" Among the Oats, 1559

In the year 1559. In Marchia fell out a very strange thing, which many of great account and credit did affirm truly so to happen. In harvest time, on a sudden appeared some men in the fields, at first fifteen, at last twelve, all of an unwonted magnitude and an odious shape, both first and last were without heads. All these having siccles did on a cluster reap down the Oats, that the hone of the Iron was easily heard, yet all this while no Oats were cut. Immediately the report of this marvellous sight came to the Court, and many, both of the Courtiers and Citizens went forth, and were eyewitnesses of this miraculous Vision. Many also going nearer to them, aske of them who they were and what would they have? To which they made no reply, but fel stoutly to their work which had begun. Some also did dare to lay hands upon them, and to hold them, but they quickly escaped out of their hand. Whereupon it evidently appeared to all that there were then present, that they were Spirits. That Illustrious Prince of Marchia having convocated many of his most eminent Divines, desire to know of them what they though of this strange prodigy: Most of them were of opinion, that it was the omen of an ensuing Plague.
——
*Full source: Thomas Bromhall, An history of apparitions, oracles, prophecies, and predictions : with dreams, visions, and revelations and the cunning delusions of the devil, to strengthen the idolatry of the gentiles, and the worshipping of saints departed : with the doctrine of purgatory, a work very seasonable, for discovering the impostures and religious cheats of these times (London : Printed by John Streater, 1658)

Posted in The Harbinger | Tagged Folklore, legend, medieval, reaping, Spirits, story | 1 Comment

Phantom Automobile Reported, Oakland, CA. 19

Added By: R. Brock On: April 6, 2013

Oakland , CaliforniaTribuneJuly 15, 1926

‘Phantom Auto’ At Death Curve Again Abroad

Residents Near Gridley Declare ‘Phenomenon’ Exists.

GRIDLEY, July 15. – Kipling’s famous “Phantom Rickshaw” has a rival in Lomo’s “Phantom Automobile,” an unexplained phenomenon which this section is hearing of gain, with reports this week that it had been observed by a motorist on the state highway southeast of Gridley. Reports of the eerie phenomenon have been heard here intermittently during the past two or three years, the tales of having seen it coming many times from several prominent local residents.

Since the first story of the appearance of the “Phantom Automobile” in the vicinity of what is known as “Death Curve” at Lomo, south of here, where incidentally there have been a number of fatal automobile accidents, the narrators have had their accounts of the incident scoffed at by most of those hearing them. But each has stoutly maintained the details coinciding in every case that they saw a large touring car carrying four men, approaching only to vanish suddenly. Every time the vision has been reported at dusk.

Posted in The Harbinger | Tagged apparition, automobile, phantom | 1 Comment

The Spirit of Mr. Vickery

A Singleton telegram to the “Sydney Telegraph” on Tuesday last says: — The town is much excited over the supposed\ appearance of a ghost. Some years ago a man named Vickery, who had in his possession a large sum of money, is alleged to have left Singleton one night for his house at Bulga, and ... [More »]

Ghostly Man in a “Black Mantle” Haunts Cemetery, 1881

We gave an account yesterday of the supernatural visitor that is said to haunt the Milton cemetery, and has been terrifying the citizens of Alton Junction lately, and also of the the trip of eight Altonians to interview the mysterious apparation. The Altonians, with unheard of valor, went within sight of the haunted spot, an, ... [More »]

Local News

Unearthly Sounds Explained

A family living just east of town has passed through a novel experience within the past week. Sounds of an unearthly nature were to be heard about the house at all hours of the day and night, and visions of ghosts, spooks, hobgoblins, and all sorts of spirits, flitted through their minds. They finally concluded that the sounds came from the cellar, and last Sunday the head of the family summoned up courage and went down to investigate, prepared to annihilate the spirit whatever shape it might assume, and he soon discovered that the source of the trouble was a half-grown and half-starved pig, which had fallen into the cellar through an open window. His pigship was soon routed out of there and quietness restored. –Ackley Tribune

Ghost Smells Like the Grave

The Daily Chronicle invites the Psychical Research Society to investigate the highly unpleasant manifestations of a unique ghost which haunts an old-time country cottage within twenty miles of London.

Several persons while sleeping in a certain bed room of the house have felt a cold, flabby, ghostlike hand placed on their mouths. But the most extraordinary feature of the spook is that the ghostly presence is always accompanied by the indescribable, suffocating smell of the charnel house.

Sometimes the ghost can be heard descending the stairs at noonday. He makes a noise like that of a huge, corpulent man whose slippers flap on each stair. The ghost goes into a room and seats himself at the luncheon table, driving everybody away by his malodorous presence.

There is a local story of an imbecile man of huge proportions who died in the garret of the cottage many years ago. The body being so large, there was unusual delay in getting it out of the house, and decomposition was far advanced before the burial.

Monster’s Abominable Practices, 1788

A MONSTER, hideous and disgusting in form has lately arrived from France. Its manners are brutal although its species is human. In this horrid being is exhibited a junction of both sexes, but its apparel is female. A girl of some beauty and address lives with it for purposes the most vile, and it has been visited by the first men in the country. Decency will not allow a more minute description, either of the MONSTER or its abominable practices.
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PRANKS OF ILLUMINATION SOURCE OF CONJECTURE

PLAYS A GAME OF “NOW YOU SEE IT AND NOW YOU DON’T”

Residents Near Gridley Declare ‘Phenomenon’ Exists.

Local News

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