Mad Mike The Ghost they Hired to Scare People on Mt Washington

Seems Pittsburgh has had its fill of phony ghosts over the years but one legend which some claims to still exist to this day is a character by the name of Mad Mike
who was hired by the Duquesne Incline supposedly to scare people into not using the 1300 step Indian path down Mt.Washington and instead use the newly Opened incline for 5 cents

You have to go back to May of 1877 and the newly opened incline was just not getting enough riders so the owners hired some local disabled people to make hissing and other noises at night  to scare people .Especially since the trail had no lights .

One such actor who became known as Mad Mike was so good many would run but if they did not he would jump down from the tree he was hiding and hit people with a stick.

http://www.phenomenalplace.com/2013/09/haunting-in-pittsburgh-is-mad-mike-for.html

Well it worked and soon the incline was making a profit..

But to this day they claim if you decide to check out the remains of the old trail near the big Sprit sign which shines down from mt Washington you can still here mike trying to scare you.


https://www.facebook.com/PghGhostTour/posts/scary-times-on-the-inclinethe-duquesne-incline-stranded-30-people-on-the-mt-wash/10156472222849072/

 

Even More Ghostly activites on Pittsburghs South Side

Another ghost story dug up by Donna Gunton  on Face Book Page  South side History Buffs

About the Fate of a  Poor Widow.





Pittsburgh Dispatch 1890

A Walking Ghost which Terrified Pittsburgh South Siders in the Late 1800's

Having spent a lot of time in the South Side in my youth I never heard of this story till now
which I found in a  Face Book Group  South Side Pittsburgh History Buffs  posted by Donna Gunton
Excellent research Donna. 


Seems Residents where frightened by the site of a ghastly ghost looking figure was tall and thin with heavy slouch hat and cloak   first seen at a local cemetery walking among the graves  at 15th street . While police where quick to dismiss it as some one playing games after the 2nd such time it appeared

 But not so fast He appeared
many other times and in different places mostly on moonless nights.
Never uttering a word and often accompanied with a ghost dog.

One man even supposedly striking the dog with a stone he threw at it and it made no noise as to indicate it was even hit. People got so scared there was a call for it to be shot.

 So who or what was this ghostly figure seen walking around the South side  was it a real ghost looking for something it lost  ? or some one playing games ?
Unlikely we will ever know as all those involved are now long gone and so is many of the areas the ghost walked being replaced by the steel mill and housing .
The South Side  has completely changed since the  mills are no more so many structures have been ripped out and replaced .