by CelticDike@aol.com
I have always been very careful about telling people this story, but this seems like a good forum for the telling. It happened about 20 years ago in a town known as Alma, Colorado. At that time, hardly anyone lived in the area. It had been a boom town during the gold rush, but a diptheria plague killed almost everyone. A sallon girl known as "Silver Heels" stayed and took care of the dying until finally, she died, too.
The surviving people were so grateful, they named the mountain after her. Many people were buried with only a stone to mark the grave.
When people, such as me, went back into the area to homestead, a lot of strange things began happening. Most of us had a lot of sleepless nights and couldn't explain the sounds that were making our animals crazy. Finally, my friends and I decided we would camp in an old abandonded bordello known as the "Schwartz House" in the heart of Alma. There was a pot bellied stove in the "parlor" area and a wood cook stove in the kitchen. the house was very large and had 7 rooms upstairs. There still remained a portait of Mrs. Schwartz on the parlor wall near the entrance of the house.
One of the old timers there had said that the old woman would never allow women in the house unless they worked for her. We laughed about it and all of us went to our respective rooms. My buddy, Kenny and I were staying in one room, sleeping in our sleeping bags, across the room from one another. Suddenly, Kenny started yelling, "What the hell are you doing? Get away from me! Stop that!" I woke up and saw him struggling in his sleeping back. I thought some animal had got in the back with him. I turn on my flashlight and it startled him. He said, "How did you get over there?" We both looked at the sleeping back and something was moving and then it stopped. He said,"There was a woman in this bag with me...I swear!" I didn't know what to say. Kenny was scared out of his mind.
It was almost dawn, so I went downstairs to heat some water for coffee. I had a small machete for cutting the kindling wood. I cut some for the small stove and some for the cook stove. As I loaded up the cook stove and started the fire, I heard what sounded like an argument between two women. I actually heard what sounded like scuffling. As I turned the corner to see what was going on, the machete flew into the wall near my head!! I stood there, motionless, realizing that there was no one there but me...at least no one I could see! The machete was in the wall, still moving back and forth from the force of the impact...I packed my gear and left the house and never returned. So did my friends. the house is still standing and still abandonded to this day.
I have always been very careful about telling people this story, but this seems like a good forum for the telling. It happened about 20 years ago in a town known as Alma, Colorado. At that time, hardly anyone lived in the area. It had been a boom town during the gold rush, but a diptheria plague killed almost everyone. A sallon girl known as "Silver Heels" stayed and took care of the dying until finally, she died, too.
The surviving people were so grateful, they named the mountain after her. Many people were buried with only a stone to mark the grave.
When people, such as me, went back into the area to homestead, a lot of strange things began happening. Most of us had a lot of sleepless nights and couldn't explain the sounds that were making our animals crazy. Finally, my friends and I decided we would camp in an old abandonded bordello known as the "Schwartz House" in the heart of Alma. There was a pot bellied stove in the "parlor" area and a wood cook stove in the kitchen. the house was very large and had 7 rooms upstairs. There still remained a portait of Mrs. Schwartz on the parlor wall near the entrance of the house.
One of the old timers there had said that the old woman would never allow women in the house unless they worked for her. We laughed about it and all of us went to our respective rooms. My buddy, Kenny and I were staying in one room, sleeping in our sleeping bags, across the room from one another. Suddenly, Kenny started yelling, "What the hell are you doing? Get away from me! Stop that!" I woke up and saw him struggling in his sleeping back. I thought some animal had got in the back with him. I turn on my flashlight and it startled him. He said, "How did you get over there?" We both looked at the sleeping back and something was moving and then it stopped. He said,"There was a woman in this bag with me...I swear!" I didn't know what to say. Kenny was scared out of his mind.
It was almost dawn, so I went downstairs to heat some water for coffee. I had a small machete for cutting the kindling wood. I cut some for the small stove and some for the cook stove. As I loaded up the cook stove and started the fire, I heard what sounded like an argument between two women. I actually heard what sounded like scuffling. As I turned the corner to see what was going on, the machete flew into the wall near my head!! I stood there, motionless, realizing that there was no one there but me...at least no one I could see! The machete was in the wall, still moving back and forth from the force of the impact...I packed my gear and left the house and never returned. So did my friends. the house is still standing and still abandonded to this day.