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After breakfast, John, Darrell, and I walked south to meet "The Gypsy" at Skin Art Creations Tattoo Emporium, 1024 Military, 316-856-5938.  He also owns American Biker Supply, and his wife has Romantic Delights, 316-856-5737, a women's clothing and lingerie store.  He's chairman of the Baxter Springs Tourism Committee, a joint venture of the Chamber, the Historical Society, and the city government.  He told us that group is working to preserve a pre-Civil War cabin which the highway department planned to bulldoze to accommodate the new highway.  The 15 x 20 foot log structure, located two miles north of Baxter Springs on highway 69A, sits on an overgrown trail which could be the Military Road which linked several forts along the Kansas-Missouri border.  The cabin is being disassembled, and will be stored until a suitable location can be found.   There is interest in re-creating Fort Blair, which was located in the block between 6th & 7th, and Military and East Avenues.  It is one of only 4 authentic Civil War battle sites in Kansas.

"The Gypsy" is also considering starting a Spooklight tour, to take tourists by bus to the apparition's remote hideout.  He also told of another spook which haunts the former P.M. Clark Furniture and Undertaking building across the street.  His business was located there for a while, and he said that the lights and air conditioning switches were located in the basement.  One evening he turned everything off and was climbing the stairs, when he heard furniture move.  He searched the basement, found nothing, and once more climbed the steps.  Again, he heard furniture move, and he let out an uneasy laugh.  When he got home, he mentioned to his wife that the store might be haunted.  She said, "Why, did you hear the furniture in the basement move?"

  After that, sometimes the front door would open and close by itself.  Also, the TV would change channels or turn itself off and on, even though its push-pull knob was hard to move. 

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