ry. Its "general intelligence" is rather
questionable, though there is no doubt about its being a "journal of
romance," strongly tinctured with humbug and imposture. It has a
"Message Department," the proprietors of the paper claiming that "each
message in this department of the "Banner" was spoken by the spirit
whose name it bears, through the instrumentality of Mrs. J. H. Conant,
while in an abnormal condition called the trance."

I give a few specimens of these "messages." Thus, for instance,
discourseth the Ghost of Lolley:

"How do? Don't know me, do you? Know George Lolley? [Yes. How do
you do?] I'm first rate. I'm dead; ain't you afraid of me? You know
I was familiar with those sort of things, so I wasn't frightened to
go.

"Well, won't you say to the folks that I'm all right, and happy?
that I didn't suffer a great deal, had a pretty severe wound, got
over that all right; went out from Petersburg. I was in the battle
before Petersburg; got my discharge from there. Remember me kindly
to Mr. Lord.

"Well, tell 'em as soon as I get the wheels a little greased up and
in running order I'll come back with the good things, as I said I
would, George W. Lolley. Good-bye."

Immediately after a "message" from the spirit of John Morgan, the
guerrilla, came one from Charles Talbot, who began as follows with a
curious apostrophe to his predecessor:

"Hi-yah! old grisly. It's lucky for you I didn't get in ahead of
you.

"I am Charlie Talbot, of Chambersburg, Pa. Was wounded in action,
captured by the Rebels, and 'died on their hands' as they say of
the horse."

It seems a little rude for one "spirit" to term another "Old Grisly;"
but such may be the style of compliment prevailing in the spirit-world.

Here is what Brother Klink said:

"John Klink, of the Twenty-fifth South Carolina. I want to open
communication with Thomas Lefar, Charleston, S. C. I am deucedly
ignorant about this coming back--dead railroad--business. It's new
business to me, as I suppose it will be to some of you when you
travel this way. Say I will do the best I can to communicate with
my friends, if they will give me an opportunity. I desire Mr. Lefar
to send my letter to my family when he receives it--he knows where
they are--and then report to this office.

"Good night, afternoon or morning, I don't know which. I