Beverly Yates, son of Barzilla Yates Also Barzilla Yates (coming soon)
From the Journal of Sanford Porter, Pg. 12, Vershire, Orange, Vermont, approx. 1798
When I was 7 or 8 years old, I was in the barn whare father was husking corn. I was thare just to keep him company. The corn had been picked bailed up against the hay mow. He would throw the husks back toward the stable and got a pile of loose husk 5 or 6 feet high and piled up agains the stable. One of the big dores was open on the south of the barn and one on the north side.
I called out, “Thare goes Beverly Yates.”
Father sort of twisted around in his chair, said he, “whare goes Beverly Yates?”
Said “He came in at the south dore and went out at the north door.”
Said father, “You rascal, what you teling that lye for. How could he get over that pile of husks and I not hear him?”
I run to the north door and ran round the barn but could not see nothing of him. The barn stood in open meadow and no fence within a hundred rod or more and thare was no place he could hide in an I went back into the barn.
“Well, do you see anything of him?”
“No sir, I cant see him a no whare.”
“No you villain and you haven’t seen him in the barn neither. I have a good will to give you a switch thrashing. Will learn you better than to tell sutch lies.”
On that I was scared and grieved to the heart for I did not know what to think of it and I went to the house weeping and sobbing. Mother wanted to know what was the matter and I told her who I had seen go through the barn and father said that I lied and I have not lied. I have told the truth, for I know him just as well as I ever did. His hair was all frozled up as it always was, he never wore either hat or capher. Had on the same close he ware every day and I knew that I could not be mistaken. Mother told me to stop crying and grieving. So father would be in soon and she would talk to him about it.
Father came in soon and began to scold at me. Mother told him he had better stop, for she believed I had told the truth. Something was going to happen to Beverly Yates soon. She belived it was apparition that I had seen and we would know more about it the next morning. As we was at our breakfast, the news came that Beverly Yates has got kicked by a horse and killed. Said mother, “Thare now, we can believe that Sanford told the truth. He did see him. It was Beverlys apparition that Sanford see, thare is no mistake.”
Beverly and me was the only boys that had the opportunity of playing together, that lived in the neighborhood, that was near our age and size. He was larger than I was and some older but good play mates. His appearing to me was a mystery and a wonder to our folks and every body that believed that he had appeared to me but some wont flatter themselves that’s was mistaken; I was to young and small and perhaps it was only imagination. They could not make father and mother think that I was mistaken, for they said they was shure I would never have thought of such a thing. If any one asked me about it, I would tell them nigh as I could all about it and that I knew it was Beverly Yates and you need not try to make me think it was not him. I know it was or it was his spirit that looked just like him. I know it is truth. They thought generally it was marvelous. Why in the world should his spirit appear to Sanford; and he, Beverly, then alive and well, how could it be and why should it be, no one can tell. Great is the mysterys of God.
