Author Archives: The Haunted Librarian

Mysterious Animal Carcass Surely Not a Rhesus Monkey

17 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by in Mysterious Creatures

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Erika Constantine set Facebook abuzz with her photographs and video of a mysterious animal carcass she discovered washed up on a popular South Carolina beach. Many people proffered suggestions ranging from raccoon to Rhesus monkey. Spoiler Alert: The deteriorated skeletal remains found on the beach at Melton Peter Demetre Park is not an escaped monkey from “Monkey Island.”

“Monkey Island” is a nickname for Morgan Island, South Carolina. Over 3,500 Rhesus monkeys live on 400 acres in a free-range environment. In 1979, 1,400 monkeys were relocated from Puerto Rico to live isolated from humans. Although owned by the National Institute of Allergy + Infectious Disease, a division of the National Institutes of Health, the monkeys reside on a portion of land leased from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to Charles River Laboratories, Inc. Humans are not permitted on the island. Visitors may travel by boat and view them from afar.

The island is 100 miles south of Demtre Park. A monkey could not have traveled or floated to be washed ashore. See the map with a black line showing the distance by air. The blue line shows the path the monkey would have taken to get from Monkey Island (south point) to Demtre Park (north point). It could not have traveled on its own.

Further, the skeletal remains do not resemble a Rhesus monkey skeleton. The skull does not match the skull of a Rhesus monkey.

Hopefully, the remains are properly examined, and an announcement made identifying the animal.

Space Chatter: Breakthrough Listen Initiate Data Released

17 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by in Ufology, UFOs

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Last week, the Breakthrough Listen Initiative released the largest data dump of audio files of space noise collected through a $100 million project commitment. The program seeks to open access to the data and to encourage the public to assist in combing through the extensive data. Founded in 2015 by billionaire couple Yuri and Julia Milner, the organization seeks to identify extra-terrestrial life. According to its website, “It is by far the most comprehensive, intensive and sensitive search ever undertaken for artificial radio and optical signals.”

If interested, please click https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/opendatasearch. Experience coding in Python is required.

Whispers Estate Accepting Backup Offers

17 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by in Haunted Houses, Real Estate

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The Victorian mansion known as Whispers Estate is for sale. Listed at $130,000, the home boasts 4 bedrooms and 2 1/5 bathrooms, totally 3,700 square feet. The Zillow site lists the status as “accepting backups.” Reputed to be haunted, the home has sketchy history.

Local lore claims that the former residents, Dr. John Asa and Jessie Ruth Gibbons, suffered great loss. The home’s website states that the couple adopted or orphaned several children with 2 dying tragically. The stories are unsubstantiated through local newspapers. It is questionable whether a 10-year-old girl named Rachael died in a fire or that a 10-month-old infant named Elizabeth died in the master bedroom.

What is know is that the house was struck by lightning in 1917, and a chimney came down from the damage. Mrs. Gibbons died of “broncho-pneumonia” (listed on her death certificate) on May 31, 1934. The home’s website claims she died of double pneumonia—possibly an error from inaccurate reporting.

Dr. Gibbons was hit by a car a couple months after his wife’s death, July 26, 1934. He died “from complications” on July 6, 1944.

The couple did foster one girl: Helen Marie. She died in 1994. Other than that, few of the claims on the website can be verified. However, the home shows well. If interested, search the home’s address, 714 West Warren Street, Mitchell, Indiana, for more information.

Dark Tourism: Ghost Village of Al Madam

07 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Dark Tourism, Djinn, Roadtrip

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Thirty-seven miles from Dubai sits a small experimental town that has been reclaimed by the elements. Known as “Ghost Village,” “Old Village,” or “Buried Village,” this abandoned hamlet holds many mysteries.

Built during the 1970-80s, the town was conceived as permanent housing for nomadic tribes. The UAE (United Arab Emirates founded on December 2, 1971) sought to built towns for the Bedouin or Bedu tribes. One such town was built outside of Al Madam.

The “Ghost Village” consists of two rows of houses and one mosque. The colorful interiors contrast with the inhospitable sandstorms that push sand dunes into the buildings. The town gave way to nature.

UAE government agencies have attempted to identify who lived in this town. Unfortunately, there aren’t many people left to explain how and when the people fled. It is believed that the Al Kutbi tribe resided here. But no one knows for sure.

Dark tourism tours have popularized the town. Talk of an evil djinn named Umm Duwais inhabiting the town and scaring tourists out are making the Internet rounds. According to Arabian legends, djinns can be good, neutral, or evil. Maybe this djinn is good and is merely telling tourists to be cautious when entering the desert.

For Sale: Lebold Mansion

07 Friday Feb 2020

Posted by in Historic Places, History, Real Estate

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Looking to own a bit of Abilene (KS) history? The circa 1880 Lebold Mansion is for sale. Listed at $429,069, the house boasts 23 rooms. Banker C.H. Lebold assembled the Bicknell Company of Chicago kit house at a cost of $18,000. The home has had several owners and boarded several dozen more. It’s now owned by the Dickinson County Bank after it was auctioned off in a Sheriff’s sale in 2019. The home has had two extensive renovations; one by Fred and Merle Vansholtz in 1975 and the other in 2010 by Gary Yuschalk and Larkin Mayo. The home is one of 8 architectural wonders in Kansas.

The house is one of the original buildings in Abilene. Timothy Hersey and his family settled in the region in 1858. Hersey constructed a dugout for a home, which is still visible in the basement of the tower. Conrad H. Lebold struggled with financial problems and sold the house to Otis Nelson, who was living in the home by 1887. W.W. Burrell and his family moved into the Victorian mansion in 1888. George Sterl would own and live in the house for 30 years. His estate sold the home to Cleyson L. Brown. Brown never lived in the home. Instead, he turned it into a boarding house for his single female telephone operators. In the 30s, he converted the home into the Children’s Home, an orphanage that housed upwards of 30 children at one time.

The home was sectioned off in the 40s by Jesse Hoover and rooms rented out as apartments. Kathy and Kurt Kessinger purchased the home in the early 70s. In 1975, the Vahsholtz’s purchased the home. Mrs. Vahsholtz restored the home—spending $118,000 to renovate—and gave daily tours until her death in 1999. The home was the subject of the 1997 book, Mansion of Dreams, co-authored by Merle’s son Bob and Carolyn McKinney. Her daughter, Ruth, moved in briefly; however, the family decided to sell the home and listed it for $685,000.

Yuschalk and Mayo discovered the home online and relocated from San Francisco to open a museum. They sold the home in 2010.

The home has several unique architectural features. It sits upon a former mine. Original parquet floors were restored, and a Pennsylvania Dutch-themed ceiling painting was saved. It is the perfect home for someone looking for a classic Victorian home.

There aren’t any reports of the home being haunted; however, the home played host to Halloween events. For more information, view https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/106-N-Vine-St-Abilene-KS-67410/91120914_zpid/

Nellie Mae Rowe’s Memory Head

03 Monday Feb 2020

Posted by in Artists, Artwork, Memory Jugs

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The High Museum of Art (high.org) exhibits the artwork of Nellie Mae Rowe (1900-1982), an American self-taught artist from Georgia. One of ten children, Nellie fled the cotton fields to marry Ben Wheat. They relocated from Fayette County, Georgia to the Vinings, a small town located just outside Atlanta’s city limits. Nellie became a widow for the first time at the age of 36. She married the older widower, Henry “Buddy” Rowe. They built a 2-room cottage at 2041 Paces Ferry Road. Nellie became a widow for the 2nd time in 1948 at the age of 48. Nellie devoted the rest of her life creating art. One of her most remarkable pieces is Two-Faced Head (1980), a sculpture she created when she was close to death.

Memory jugs are funerary objects. Essentially, they memorialize the dead. Most are found in America. Although the origins is unclear, a growing number of experts believe the tradition came out of Central Africa. They are made with an ailing person’s hair and the like. They may also be adorned with items representing the person. Nellie’s father was a former slave who worked his own farm. Her mother was an accomplished quilter. Both would have passed on their African traditions to Nellie and her siblings.

After Buddy died, Nellie was able to turn her home into her studio. She named it the “Playhouse.” Here she made dolls, created yard art, and taught herself how to draw. She adorned her front yard with stuffed animals and art. Symbolism fills her works; Nellie was deeply religious.

Shortly after Nellie was diagnosed with skin cancer, she began Two-Faced Head (1980). She affixed gum she chewed to build the face. She added rhinestones, pearls, and ribbons. She poured herself into the piece, intending it to live on once she died.

Nellie realized fame before she died; her first solo exhibition was in 1978. She is recognized as one of the most influential self-taught artists in America.

Watch a short film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTPIf2jUTjc

The Power of Intuition’s Laura Day

23 Thursday Jan 2020

Posted by in Psychics

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The Power of Intuition’s Laura Day

Bestselling author Laura Day offers daily advice to strengthening one’s intuition. My favorite is to surround yourself with like-minded people and let them form your community. She teaches the power of following your gut and listening to your inner voice. She is the subject of a profile essay in Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/wendysachs/2020/01/19/psychic-capital-laura-day-has-made-millions-with-her-superpower-and-wants-to-teach-you-how/#1dc64ad92383.

Here are 5 things to know about Laura Day:

  1. Day charges corporations upwards of $15,000 per month for 24/7 access to her intuition.
  2. Her mother, brother, and sister all committed suicide. Her mother’s first attempt was when Laura was 10. Two days after Laura’s 14th birthday, she committed suicide.
  3. Laura followed her gut and began her psychic journey after her marriage ended in divorce. She is now happily married to screenwriter Stephen Schiff.
  4. Laura proudly wears the label “psychic.” She is not one of the para-scammers I frequently write about.
  5. She believes men are naturally more intuitive than women. She has published 6 books on how to strengthen your intuition.

Read more about Laura Day by clicking on the link above.