The story goes that one day, Captain Manne, a known Spiritualist, docked in town and was met by Jesse Jarvis and Selah Bunce. They asked the captain if he would teach them the rites and mysteries of the faith. They also expressed their desire to hold a séance, something that had never been attempted before by any of the Northport mediums.
A few evenings later, a small group gathered at the Jarvis home. Jesse Jarvis, Selah Bunce, Lewis Craft and Captain Manne sat around a table preparing for the séance. The circle was not complete, so they asked Mrs. Jarvis (Irene) to join, and they all clasped hands. The group sat for ten minutes in silence, when suddenly Mrs. Jarvis closed her eyes and began moving her hand about as if tracing letters of the alphabet. "She wants paper or a slate; she is a medium!" exclaimed Captain Manne.
Irene was furnished with paper and pencil and she transcribed a message from beyond, including two lines from a favorite hymn of one of her old teachers. It was discovered a week later that it was on the very night of the séance that Irene's beloved teacher had died. After that incident, a séance was held once a week- Irene Jarvis would enter a trance and speak in different languages, bringing forth messages, including those from many famous deceased Native American chiefs.
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