01/02/2025
Happy New Year greetings, everyone, from the land of the hereafter. Henry here, your pesky Chisholm Trail Museum spirit.
Finally!! No more of those annoying tourists and local looky-loos. The museum is closed for the season, and now I can get some rest. Truth is, I was so tuckered out when they locked up on the last day of the season that I decided to get 40 winks. You know what? Those 40 winks turned into 400 so Iām just now getting around to fillinā you in on the past yearās happenings.
Now Iām not saying there werenāt some interesting people here this year. We had people from all over the world visiting this old place, including some people from Germany! The spirit of Dr.Hatcher really enjoyed seeing those folks.
That Becky Alexander person has been doing some kind of magic on that social media stuff. I guess she somehow posted my letter last year. I donāt know how it all works. Does that mean she nailed it to a fence post somewhere? Anyway, 3,094 air-breathers read it on that face-look thing. I was blabbergasted!
Didnāt have any ghost hunters this last year. And, you know, while I complain about them, I kind of missed them. No one to pull ghostly pranks on! So, I got bored one day when those Dana Anderson and Jim Bales characters were checking out the security cameras, and they saw my mysterious orb on the basement camera. They went downstairs and there wasnāt anything there. They got real serious ābout that time. One went downstairs and waved his arm around in front of the camera, where the orb was supposed to be, while the other one was upstairs watchinā the monitors. All the while, they were talking to each other on those cell phone thingies! I was laughing my sheet off. That Bales character was waving his arms all over the room. Even climbing up on chairs trying to catch the mysterious orb. I finally had enough and whispered in their ear to clean the lens of the camera. I let them think it was just a spec on the camera lens. Oh, these air-breathers, they sure can be entertaining.
Now letās see if I can get this old nogginā shook loose so I can tell you about some of the other goings on this past year. The big project for those above-grounder museum folks was fixing up the Music Room and Library. Louise Leslie and her committee painted the walls, polished the woodwork, rearranged the room, and got it pretty spiffed-up. Recently they acquired that oversized angel harp that had belonged to Betty Glamann. Boy, could she play some ghostly jazz on that thing! Thatās the instrument I would have been playing if I had just followed the light. But then I couldnāt pester you folks! After they got it all spiffed up and looking good, they had a big hoop-dee-doo where they opened the doors and let everybody come in and wander through the museum looking at stuff while they enjoyed drinks and horse-doovers. They had a couple guys playing music. Some guy named Dan Pan Hand (Handpan Dan - Daniel Baird), umm, maybe I got that backwards, he played some kind of metal spaceship lookinā thing. The other guy was David Brody, playing some classical guitar music. I guess he used to teach music or something here in town. Anyway, they both sounded so beautiful and heavenly, I became a little confused and misty. For a moment, I thought I had passed over. But then the mist cleared, and I realized I was still here at the good olā Hatcher Hospital.
The big finale for the year was just a couple weeks ago. They had an event where they brought back to life some of my old spirit buddies, like old Dr Hatcher. He was still looking for his misplaced eyeglasses, which donāt make much sense ācause spirits donāt have eyes. But I was impressed; he spoke pretty good for being dead for 80 years. Or was it 70? I donāt know; my brain donāt work too good either. Wait, do spirits have brains? They brought Mrs. Maddy back too. She was down in the Music Room bragginā about her sons. And Sheriff Lingenfelter was there in the Chisholm Trail Room telling everyone that old shotgun story that Iāve heard a milliontimes. Griff Crawford was in the Railroad Room all decked out in his conductor uniform and talkinā about the Red Carson shooting. Overall, there were lots of ground walkers movinā around havinā a good time. It was enough to make you give up the ghost!
I overheard them talking at one of their board meetings about them hosting a National Orphan Train Complex traveling exhibit this coming June. Itās about that Orphan Train, and some of them orphans that were brought here to Sumner County about a hundred years ago. I suppose that means some of the spirits of those orphan brats will be running around inside the museum here disturbing my sleep. Oh well, the more the merrier!
Well, thatās about all I got to say for this year, and thatās plenty. Takes a lot of spiritual energy to communicate with you fourth dimensioners. Iām begginā you, please donāt send any money this year. Theyāll just use it to fix up another room and have another big event. AND keep me awake all winter!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Iāll see you on the other side--of the New Year that is! Henry out!
Henry, CSO š»
(Chief Spirit Officer)
Chisholm Trail Museum
