May 18 '02
Volume 311
Lee Haven May
Be Haunted
Lee Gordon was
responsible
for choosing where we would fish this
Spring. We, being Gordon Sansing, Jim Hess, Lee Gordon, and Wayne Carter,
the foursome feared by fish worldwide.
"I've gotten us permission to fish the lakes of Shumula in Livingston, AL,"
Lee boasted. "Toxey Haas, the founder of Mossy Oak outdoor wear for hunters,
has this great lake stocked with Florida hybrid bass. There's bass larger
than ten pounds in it."
Needless to say, Lee had me anxious to go fishing in Alabama.
"The only thing is…" he continued, "we can't keep any. We'll have to
release all the ones we catch."
"Who cares?" I thought, "We don't need any fish to take home to eat, plus
we're sport-fishermen."
The chance to fish a lake stocked with huge fish doesn't come around often,
so I was ready. Several weeks earlier, I had talked to Lee, Jim, and Gordon
and the only time the four of us could schedule something during the spring
months was Thursday, Friday, and Saturday before Mother's Day.
Lee mentioned we could stay in Toxey's private residence at Shumula which
was on the property with the fishing lakes.
"We'll have the place to ourselves, most likely," Lee stated. "So, we can
cook our meals, or if we want to eat out, there's several restaurants in
town."
I think it was the Monday before we were to leave on Thursday that Lee phoned
to mention a change in our plans.
"We can't stay in the house near the lakes, but we can stay at the lodge
on the other side of town," he stated, somewhat disappointedly, since he
likes to get on the water early and stay late. "It's a bigger place, but
it's like eight or ten miles the other side of Livingston."
Somewhere in the conversation, Lee mentioned the lodge was really an antebellum
home, and a few breaths later he casually mentioned the house was also haunted.
"You're kidding, me!" I exclaimed, hoping to hear him say that he was.
"Nope!" he responded. "I spent the night there a couple of years ago with
some youth from the church, and I stayed awake most of the night hearing
someone or something walking up and down the stairs."
I figured if Lee could stay in a haunted house, I could, too, and I tried
not to think too much about what might be in store for us.
The Thursday of our fishing trip, Lee and I left West Point, MS, in his truck,
packing a two-man boat with plans to meet Jim and Gordon at the Burger King
in Livingston. Efforts to meet a courier, with a key to the haunted house,
en route failed, so plans to spend the entire afternoon fishing were briefly
interrupted while Lee drove from the lake back into town to pick up the house
key.
It was well after dark by the time we found the antebellum home. I don't
know about the other members of our fishing party, but I was thankful someone
had left the backdoor light on. None of us had thought to bring a flashlight
with our fishing gear, and the prospects of entering a haunted house in pitch
blackness did not appeal to me.
As we pulled into the driveway, I noticed a sign in the front lawn, which
Lee explained identified the property as Lee Haven. I also noticed a tom
turkey roosting on the railing of the back porch when we drove up, and thinking
we'd stumbled onto a wild turkey, I signaled Jim and Gordon to look toward
the back porch. To my surprise, the turkey didn't budge when Lee walked past
it. I had assumed the tom turkey was wild, but he was about as tame as a
neutered tomcat.
Once inside, we had difficulty finding the light switches. We went room to
room feeling along the walls near doorways trying to get the place illuminated.
I think it was after eight o'clock when we arrived at Lee Haven, and by the
time the steaks were ready it was around ten o'clock. Bedtime came after
showers and shortly after eleven p.m.
Because we had heard that sightings of that which some believed was a ghost
had most often occurred in the upstairs rooms, we elected to sleep downstairs.
The downstairs portion of the house contained three large bedrooms filled
with bunk beds and half-beds. I insisted we all sleep in the same room. I'm
enough like my mother to incorporate some of her logic even today. She wanted
all her children near her whenever stormy weather threatened. We figured
Mom reasoned if we were to be blown away, we should all go together, but
most likely she just wanted to know where all the brood was. Somehow,
togetherness made sense to her, and it made sense to me that the four of
us would be better off being in the same room should we face any danger during
the night.
Our bedroom at Lee Haven was at the foot of the staircase. In the hallway
was a table lamp that I made sure we left on for a nightlight. I did so partly
so those who needed to go to the bathroom during the night would be able
to see the way and partly because I figured the downstairs light would discourage
any "haints" from walking the stairs.
A hot bath or shower makes some folks sleepy, but for me, it stimulates me
and makes sleep difficult. I suppose that's why I normally shower in the
mornings instead of at night. I believe the better part of an hour passed
between the time I crawled in bed and the time I almost dosed off to sleep,
almost, because at that instant, I heard a loud noise and sat straight up
in bed. Startled and fully awake, I listened in the quietness of the night
for additional sounds but heard nothing. Satisfied that I was not about to
be visited by an apparition, I settled back down for another attempt at sleeping.
I recall waking five or six times during the night, but apart from the loud
noise around midnight, I heard no other sounds that I could not identify.
Gordon and Jim slept like babies who make it through the night without awakening.
Lee said he made it fine until Gordon erupted with a loud cough around five
o'clock, and like my earlier experience, it was enough to set him up in his
bed, too.
Lee is our breakfast cook, so he rolled out of bed thirty minutes later,
and I followed him when my alarm sounded six a.m. Lee made biscuits, cooked
a pot of grits, fried a side of bacon then used the bacon grease to fry eight
eggs, and managed to prepare a pot of coffee along the way.
I tried to keep out of his way, as I made the ham and turkey sandwiches to
pack in our lunch. When breakfast was almost ready to take to the table,
I lugged a large metal pan and spoon to the bedroom to wake up the others.
Gordon met me at the bedroom door, but Jim was still snoring when I banged
the spoon round the inside of the pan. Somehow, everyone got to the breakfast
table on time.
Friday night, we were treated to some real soul food styled cooking. A black
woman named Barbara is paid by Mossy Oak to cook for special guests, and
since some of the company executives were spending Friday night at Lee Haven,
Barbara treated us as well.
Barbara's father, "Man" Taylor was once the caretaker of Lee Haven. He and
his wife were on hand to help their daughter with serving dinner to approximately
seventeen hungry men.
When I learned Mr. Taylor had served as caretaker of Lee Haven I had to ask,
"Have you ever seen a "haint" around here?"
That question led to an involved explanation, the gist of which was he had
never seen a "haint" on the Lee Haven property, or anywhere else, for that
matter. He explained that he had often arrived at the house after dark to
check to see if everything was in order once all guests had checked out and
that he had walked all over the house with only a flashlight and had never
seen a "haint." I think Mr. Taylor was the person who shared that the antebellum
home was built by a brother of Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate
Army during the Civil War.
Lee Gordon's son, Jason, was present Friday night, having fished with us
Friday afternoon. He recounted hearing of a houseguest being awakened by
breaking glass in his upstairs bedroom one night and discovered the window
had been broken from the inside and all the glass had fallen outside the
bedroom. Tales such as this one and reported sightings by others have served
to perpetuate if not validate the haunting of Lee Haven.
I slept better Friday night, though I'm not sure if it was confidence in
Mr. Taylor's testimony, or the fact I tried to see the end of a Clint Eastwood
western before giving up at midnight. If good fortune shines on us again
and we are privileged to stay at Lee Haven, I'll let readers hear about it.
Barbara's Bose
Birthday Surprise
I suppose Paul Harvey could
sell
an Eskimo a refrigerator. In the years of my listening to his
weekday news and commentary, Paul has sold me on a number of products. Most
of them I never bought, but just listening to his sales pitch I knew if I
ever needed a great hand cream, Neutrogena would be the one for me. If it
heals the chapped hands of Norwegian fishermen, surely it could help mine.
Paul Harvey convinced me of my need to own a Bose Acoustic Wave Machine in
the eighties. He described all the wondrous innovations Bose had developed
and mentioned numerous awards and recognitions received by the company, the
company that is to sound engineering what Heinz is to ketchup, simply the
best.
I heard enough Bose testimonials read by Paul Harvey from enthusiastic owner's
of the Bose radio, that I memorized some of them.
One went something like this, "I didn’t know music could be so beautiful.
The first time I heard music on my Bose, I cried."
There were other letters that Paul read, and they all helped sell me on the
idea of owning a Bose radio. The only problem I had was justifying the
expenditure. Well, that and a minor cash flow problem would really be two
problems, wouldn't it? Nevertheless, I wrote down the 800 number to call
so many times during the eighties and nineties that I finally memorized it,
1-800-282-BOSE.
I don't know how many years my wife has been hinting for a Bose Wave radio/
CD player, but prior to last Christmas, I heard her say one would be nice.
Barbara likes to listen to Christmas Music, during the holiday season, but
our cassette players have about played out. And, since CDs have made cassette
tapes obsolete, we really needed a good CD player.
Somewhere along the way, Barbara began to receive Bose advertisements in
the mail, and she would occasionally open one while I was around, drool over
it, and leave it out in plain sight for me to notice. I'll bet she thought
I didn't notice, but I did. I was discreet, though, and would wait until
she was not at home to read the Bose literature.
Thus, when it came time for me to give some thought as to what to get her
for her birthday, the Bose system crossed my mind. One week prior to her
birthday, I found the Bose company's website, went online, and ordered the
radio one day and got it the next, even though the website indicated the
product would arrive in two or three days.
Since several family members were on hand for Mother's Day, I went ahead
and presented Barbara with her birthday gift a day early. She appeared genuinely
surprised and appreciative. So far, we've enjoyed listening to some beautiful
music coming from a radio not much bigger than a shoebox. Like the folks
that wrote to Paul Harvey, we may do the same. I didn't cry the first time
I heard music on Barbara's Bose…that came later, when I received the
first installment statement in the mail.
Where's RRN
Been Send Us Your Picture
Remember learning there's an imaginary line around the earth's center, something
called the equator? We figured you would. Well, a copy of
Ridge Rider
News made it there a few weeks ago. Larry and Bobbie Young of
Pontotoc, MS, participated in a Medical/ Dental Mission Trip to Ambato, Ecuador.
The photo below was taken a few miles north of Quito, Ecuador with Larry
and Bobbie straddling the equator. Larry is standing in the Northern Hemisphere
and Bobbie is standing in the Southern Hemisphere.
RRN
appreciates the Youngs sharing a piece of history with us and
thanks them for their thoughtfulness.
Readers are encouraged to pack along a copy of the
Ridge Rider
News as they travel or vacation and, like the Youngs, share a
photo of their trip with us, so we may share it with others.
Bodock Beau Sister Margaret
Some folks wonder why others choose to enter the priesthood, a convent, or
special religious order of the Catholic church. The following illustrates
the logic of this mindset.
Sister Margaret had been a model nun all her life, but then she was called
to her reward. As she approached the pearly gates, Saint Peter said "Hold
on, Sister Margaret...not so fast!"
"But I have been good all my life and dedicated to the work of the Lord.
From the time I was taken in as an infant by the sisters at the convent to
my dying breath...I have lived for this moment!" Sister Margaret exclaimed
in disbelief.
"That is just the problem," replied St. Peter, "...you never learned right
from wrong and to get into heaven, you must know the difference between right
and wrong" .
"Well what can I do? I will do anything to get into heaven!" Sister Margaret
pleaded.
"I am going to have to send you back down to Earth. When you get there, I
want you to smoke a cigarette and call me when you are finished...we will
discuss your situation then." ordered St. Peter.
Sister Margaret returned to Earth, smoked a Camel, and then immediately called
St. Peter, coughing and hacking. "Saint Peter" she gasped, "I can hardly
breathe, my mouth tastes terrible, my breath stinks, I feel dizzy, and I
think I am going to throw up"
"Good!" replied the old saint, "Now you are finally getting a feel for right
and wrong. Now go out tonight and drink some hard liquor and call me back
when you are ready."
Sister Margaret phoned St. Peter immediately after taking several belts of
Jack Daniels. "Saint Peter...I feel woozy ... that vile liquid burned my
throat and nauseated me ... it is all I can do to keep it down."
"Good...good! Now you are starting to see the difference between right and
wrong" said St. Peter with delight. "Tomorrow I want you to seek out a man
and know him in the Biblical sense then call me"
A week passed before Sister Margaret called St. Peter and left a message:
"Hello, Pete...it's Maggie...It's gonna be a while!"
Submitted by Kenneth Gaillard
Dateline Warsaw
Poland's worst air disaster occurred today when a small 2-seater plane crashed
into a cemetery early this morning.
Polish search and rescue workers have recovered 826 bodies so far and expect
that the number will climb as the digging continues into the night.
Contributed by Jerry Young
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