A sure-fire way to get the attention of children, grandchildren and many adult friends and neighbors was to tell tales of ghostly encounters or unexplainable circumstances that occurred in the mountains of Dark Corner.

This was not an interest that developed in the New World. For centuries, Scot-Irish and English ancestors, in particular, relished telling stories of ghosts or haints that had been seen, heard or felt around old houses, deserted castles, farm structures, churches and graveyards.

Most defied logical explanation. A few could be attributed to idiosyncrasies of a natural world.

Tales of eerie, spine-chilling sounds were most popular, especially when they were accompanied by the storytellers replication of&bsp; the sounds.

Not all ghostly encounters took place at dusk or during night time. Many occurred in broad open daylight.

Such was the instance of hearing a phantom baby crying about 10 oclock in the morning.

A fellow named Lindsey, from the area now known as Travelers Rest, was on his way to visit relatives who lived on the back side of Glassy Mountain above the North Saluda River valley. (This is part of the Poinsett Reservoir and Greenville Watershed area today.)

As he approached a turn off to a one-room log cabin that stood about 50 yards from the roadway, he heard the wailing of a small child at the cabin. The crying was so loud and disturbing, he decided he had best turn in and see what was wrong. Perhaps he could do something to help.

He rode up to the cabin and tied his horse to a locust post in the yard. He then walked to the porch, knocked on the door and called out, Is something wrong? Do you need any help?

No one answered. The babys crying stopped.

He slowly pushed open the unlocked door and was amazed to find there was no one in the cabin.

Suddenly the baby started crying again, but this time it was outside at a log barn in back of the cabin.

He went around the cabin and found a path that led through a corn field to the barn.

When he got about half-way to the barn, he&bsp; stopped to listen.

Suddenly, the babys crying moved from the barn back to the cabin!

Though he considered himself a fairly brave soul, a sense of fear of the unknown began to well up inside him.

He started walking back to the cabin; each step getting faster and faster. He hurried to the post, untied his horse, mounted and started for the road.

He turned right and headed toward his relatives, spurring his horse to the fastest gait he had ever ridden in the mountains.

He still could hear the baby crying as he crossed a creek about two hundred yards from the cabin entrance.

At the end of the next tale, a possible explanation for this ghostly tale will be offered. Meanwhile, who, or what, do you think was behind the eerie babys cry?

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As of August 1st, I am available to conduct tours of Dark Corner on any and every week day, not just on weekends. While maintaining a relationship with my agency of 26 years, I am no longer obligated on a daily basis. If youd like to take a tour, call me at 864-468-4949 or contact me through my website, http://squireofdarkcorner.com.