THE WEST SHORE.
November.
1ic Meat f Ivor .
An EiK'il Page Monthly Illustrated Paper, published at
PoaTi.aMD, Oaaotw, by
I,. SAMUEL, J Waihington-tt.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION,
(Including N( " sny part of the United State:)
O.e copy, one year, ft jo
Single Numben. So cenlt.
Printed by Oio. H. limit, cor. Picnt ft Waihinaton.ua.
JUVENILE OFFENDERS.
During the five years last past, the good
citizens of this community have been fre
quently startleJ from their complacency by
exhibitions of frightful depravity, and as
often schemes for the proier punishment
and reformation of juvenile offenders would
be suggested and discussed, but nothing
more has yet been accomplished. That
" Hoodlumism " lias during all these years
prevailed and increased among a large
class of our boys arc facts of which ample
and repealed cvidenccsjhavc liccn furnished
to the public. In this great and growing
evil, which does not necessarily embrace
any defined crime hut forms the initial
steps to any and all violations of law, we
may find the immediate cause of the lar
ceny committed by four boys of lender
years, of which they were recently con
victed in the Circuit Court for this county
and sentenced to the Penitentiary for a term
of years. The establishment of a House
of Correction or a Reform School may not
be without clfect upon children inclined to
the evil we have mentioned, but infinitely
better would it lie to direct our efforts in a
course where they might altogether dispense
with the necessity of Mich, or kindred in
stitutions. Statistics- compiled from crim
inal records make the lamentable disclos
uie that ninety-eight per centum of adult
criminals in the Uniled States commenced
their career of crime between the ages of
eight ami sixteen years. It would follow
thai if a boy conducted himself with pro
priety and remained a stranger tociimc
until his sixteenth year, we may' feel as
sured of his becoming a useful, law-abiding
menilier of society, there lieing forty-nine
chances in favor of his continuing in an
honorable career while there is only one
against it. Can parents ignore the slan
ting imtHiruiit-c of a lacl, showing as it does,
that during the period of life in which pa
ternal authority can ami should be exer
cised, their children are either coutraciing
the habiis, manners and feelings of the
modern "Hoodlum" placing their feet
iiHn the threshold of crime, or arc laying
such foundations for clutacler as afford a
guarantee of their huurc good conduct.
r.irenls have a fearful responsibility, in
Iho proier discharge of which they perform
a duty alike owing to themselves, their off
spring, their country and their religion.
They should acquire anil retain absolute
control of their children until they are six
teen years of age, a matter of no difficulty,
very rare cases excepted, ami if that control
through want ol judgment or neglect is un
wisely or insnllicicnllv exercised, the fault
lies with the pirelits, w ho tlch,indireTtlv
contribute, and are the real source of nine-tv-cight
vr cciiium of crime in the I'niicd
Slates. It is a sad relleciion, we leave it to
1 taken up in wisdom by the fathers and
mothers of our city ami Stale, asking them
to rememlier that Irotn eight to sixteen the
ilfMiiiies ol children are fixed in forty-nine
i'.l out of ti-!,x J h Ihl lrtiitl. It
remains with them to determine whether
those for whom thev are morallv rononsi.
Me. and whom ih.-v hold so dear, shall go
n"n ute crnok.c.1 pith which inj, 10 cr.
tuition, di-r.i,lati,m and death, or Havel
unn the broad highway of virtue and lie
come reswie,l and honored cilitciu of our
Commonwealth.
Tatit.vo nn I ntmlalr ntiwj v.
Wall. iMttnty. Mr. Unroll, M, c,k ,,
..mi. nt tin,. u..M,,, , .
b:lt,ui l ll, Li,. Wa, yv.ii, Ul,
Villi Sjnt.mm.i ,l'l iiv .!.,..!....... 0....1-.
- P,. h. .i ,,..,,. , ,,,, nnl Blt :
till .tnnr.1, I., drfsiiu. SI,. , 1
itt to Hi. lsrlilliitlur(v.H I
LAYING THE GHOST.
BY A DETECTIVE.
On the H road is situated a large
rnansion, once a private residence, but the
original owner is now abroad, and he has
leased his property to certain parlies for a
summer lodging house.
Some time ago the lessees took posses
sion, and for many weeks have had their
house partially filled by boarders; but there
was one room in the house the best
which they could not get anyone to remain
in more than one night.
Three or four times it had been let to
different parties, but in the morning if
they stayed in the room till morning ihey
would tell tales of the most horrible ghost
ly visitations.
The most singular part of the whole
story was, that the supernatural visitors were
only seen by bona Jiie boarders.
The proprietor slept in the room night
after night, and was never disturbed.
He also hired persons to sleep in the.
it ivj.ii Mr r.rrc I do not believe in
ghosts either, and I will take the room."
That evening at tne uinner taoic utc new
boarder who was to occupy the haunted
room was an object of interest to his fellow
boarders, who nodded significantly to each
other, as much as to say
ii Thai old ehan won't eat his breakfast
with as much sang frotd as he, does his
dinner after having spent a nignt in mat
room I"
Il.,i itiA man who W.1S In be SCflred
seemed perfectly indifferent to the antici
pated fright, but occasionally, as opportu
ne.. nfTneAIl tiie jvilm him. avp. spanned
critically the features of each of the board
ers, and only spoke when addressed, wnen
I, ri.i.ii-,I rnnripoLislv. and smiled confi
dently at anv allusion to the coming trial of
his nerves.
At about eleven o clock he signified to
Mr. Gregg his readiness to retire.
At ilii. Annr of his room he turned and
asked his landlord one question in a low
tone
"Have you, sir, any suspicion of the
A CONSERVATORY OR WINTER HOUSE.
room, and they also had not been dis
turbed ; but the moment the room was let
a genuine paving boarder, thev were
driven forth by the ghost.
" I guess I can capture him," quietly re
marked Detective Clew as he started forth
lo " pipe a veritable ghost.
" Hell, sir, there is one fact with which
I wish to make vou acquainted,'1 said the
proprietor of the haunted house to an
elderly gentleman who had just made appli
cation for board; " there is a mystery in the
house which has not yet been solved. The
room for w hich you have applied is said lo
lie visited nightly by a supernatural apparition."
" In other words, vour house is haunt
ed" said the intending boarder quietly.
.mi, sir, i uo not wink tne house is
auntcd, but there is something verv me.
teiious about the affair. I myself do not
believe in ghosts, and I think in a few days
this will be explained in a natural manner.
1 have employed a dcleciive, whom 1 hour
ly expect, and I think if he's smart, he w ill
gel at the bottom of the mystery."
came ol these strange appearances?"
" I have no definite suspicion."
" Was there any competition for the lease
of these premises?"
" Ah, I see now," said Mr. Gregg. "You
are the detective."
.iiv ndum is ciew, at your service.
I "1 am ccrtainlv triad tn ... an nftirar
with such an excellent reputation as you
have earned, Mr. Clew."
"Thank you ; but you have not answered
my question. Was there any competition
for the lease of this house when you hired
it?"
"Yes, sir, lliere was."
"Were anv threats made br anv of the
dis.ipvointed parties?"
t never heard any
"That will do; good-night, sir."
And detective Clew emprprl tl,n. rr.m
and locked the door behind him.
The detective, after placing his lamp
upon the mantle, proceeded to make a
through examination of the apartment.
Nearly an hour was snt in this critical
examination, but not a suspicious indica-
i 1 m
tion rewarded his careful survey, and at
last he undressed, partially, after having
first properly attended to his pistols, anil
placing a club beneath his pillow, with the
muttered remark
"If my suspicions are correct, this club
will serve my purpose as well as anything;
and if Mr. Ghost comes here, I reckon
his ghostly cranium will leel sore to-morrow
morning."
The large clock in the hall was just
striking twelve.
For an hour he lay waiting and watch
ing. "His ghostship is late," murmured Clew
and a quarter of an hour later, unable to
combat the drosy feeling which crept over
him, he closed his eyes.
When suddenly, not being wholly un
conscious, he became aware that a strange
weird light had flashed across the half
closed eyelids.
He rose up in bed, fully conscious ; he
had calculated upon encountering a ghost
that bore, at least, a human semblance, but
this mysterious light, flashing here and there,
was something undreamed of in his matter-of-fact
philosophy.
Hither and thither danced the myste
rious light, until finally it rested in a steady
glare upon the wall opposite his bed, where
it began to assume shapes aud forms,
A cold sweat broke out upon the surface
of the detcclive's skin, as his eyes finally
rested upon the form of a pale woman,
with a ghastly cut across her throat from
ear to ear.
"Thunder!" exclaimed the usually brave
man, as he buried his head beneath the
bed-clothes to shut out the horrid sight.
" If this ain't a gbost, I'm dreaming, that's
all."
Again he peeped forth, and the figure of
a woman had been succeeded by that of a
man with a villainous countenance, and in
his hand he held a knife.
" 1 11 go for that figure, anyhow," ex
claimed the officer, nerved with a sudden
courage, "or my reputation is gone for
ever I" and springing from the bed, he
seized his club, stepped across the room,
and struck a fearful blow at the terrible
looking figure.
But like a flash the latter vanished, and
his club fell, with a resounding thump,
against the wall.
"That ain't a fighting ghost, anyhow,"
muttered the officer, having now fully re.
covered his nerve; "end he ain't to be hitjl
neither; I will wait until he comes again.
and try another tack."
Returning to his bed, he waited, and wis
soon rewarded by seeing the mysterious
light begin flashing about the room ; and
shortly after the first figure again to take
shape upon the wall.
Now fully on the alert, and not at all
jrightened, the detective noticed that the
light surrounding the figure widened as
though it came from a certain focusj and
following the now steady ray he discovered
that it nanowed down to a fine point just
at the ceiling over his bed.
Upon making this discovery he took his
pistol in hand, and, with the remark, "That
ghost comes from the next room I" on tip
toe he went to his own room door, noise
lessly opened it, stole out. passed to the ad
joining room door, peeped through the
neynoie, anu with a quiet chuckle realized
that he had earned trinmph, aud solved
mystery.
Taking the butt of his pistol he rapped
w!ist the door.
Vs there ?" came in startled tones
Sin.
'in Clew, detective!" was the re
:f you don't immediately open
1 blow off your lock with my
speedily opened, and the
's operators were soon
rave detective, whose
he end, proved to be
testant for the lease
by courage, and
iwingly about
exclaimed
vcr, " Why
id with np
, I thought
pairs, "j
i being in
ittle more
can jump
ST. LI KES CHVr
bo most'
Vontler
him on
J