A Haunting at the Light

Dwight, I commend you on the telling of your para-normal experience in
Harry and Beulah’s house way back when.

I will now tell you all a story at Sadie’s request regarding her
Granddad Theodor O’Hara, who was of course Beulah’s  dad.

Carol and I went to Port Bickerton light as assistant to Fred Budge in
July, 1862. We got settled in the assistants dwelling which was the old
combined light and dwelling that is now the interpretative center. This
structure was identical in plan to the one I spent my first eleven years
in on Green Island. The stairs went up along an outside wall; near the
top was a ninety degree landing , the last two steps put you in the
upstairs hall.

As one entered the hall, first door on the right entered the light
room. This room was allocated for storage of supplies for the light and
the steep stairs leading to the lantern went up from this room. That was
the original lay-out; but now with the modernization of the dwelling
this room had been pre-empted for a bath room. The bathroom took about
half of the original room.

Continuing down the hall, the next door was on one’s left. It opened to
the smallest of three bedrooms, continuing on to the end a bedroom
opened off each side.

We took the smallest bedroom as a nursery and set it up for Darren,
with crib, dresser etc.. From where the crib was situated one could see
through the door, across the hall, and see the door of the light
room/bathroom.

One evening a short time after we got settled, supper was over and
Carol had put Darren up in his crib with a bottle and had come back down
and she and I were watching TV. The sun was just going down.
Suddenly Darren started hollering, “ Hi, man.! Hi man!! “ 
He kept it up and got so excited that I went up to quiet him down. 
“ Man gone,” he said in a mournful voice. 
“ Where  did he go, “  I asked.
 “ Bathroom. “
Was his response.

This was intriguing, because was really excited about this man, so I
quizzed him about the visitor, and he described Theodore O’Hara in great
detail, right down to the rolled down thigh boots that Theodore
habitually wore in his daily walk through life. At that time of day he
would be going up to light the light. Presumably Hattie would have been
in the kitchen preparing the evening meal.

Theodore was one of the long term keepers at Bickerton and was a very
good friend of my dad. I am sure he manifested himself to that little
boy that my dad verily worshiped. This was the one and only sighting we
had in the year we were there, before transferring to Liscomb.