Fred Morgan?s first edition of ?Ghost Tales of the Uwharries? was published in 1968. A new printing is available now.
ALBEMARLE ? Happy days are here again for the legion of followers of prolific Uwharries author Fred T. Morgan, who has just overseen the sixth printing of ?Ghost Tales of the Uwharries,? his first book, which has been delighting and scaring the living daylights out of readers for nearly 40 years.
The popular book, a steady seller after its first appearance in 1968, nevertheless became out-of-print for several years. That resulted in more than a few accounts around the state of people diligently trying to locate any available copies. The new printing will apparently solve the problem, but sales have been brisk in the new issue?s first few weeks, Morgan said.
When he first published the work in 1968, the author said, he only ?hoped that it would meet with some success.? He added that he never dreamed the demand it would create would continue into a fourth decade. The new, 152-page edition, like the vintage first issue, contains 20 of Morgan?s chilling stories.
?I began research for this book when I was a young man,? said Morgan, an 80-year-old veteran of World War II. He was born and grew up in ?Big Lick,? a small community in the thick of the sprawling Uwharrie Mountains. Located in seven of the state?s south-central counties, the Uwharries is one of the oldest mountain ranges in North America.
Like other communities in the Uwharries, Morgan?s home area had no shortage of ghost stories and, to the future benefit of thousands of readers who enjoy spine-tingling tales of the unusual, Morgan began making notes of many while still a youngster. He would find that he had a penchant and a talent for writing.
In fact, his writing ability resulted in his being hired as feature editor by the Stanly News and Press in Albemarle after World War II. During his 34-year career there, he found time to delight readers with occasional ghost stories of the area.
?Ghost stories permeate the Uwharries,? Morgan said, explaining that all of the 20 stories included in the book ?are genuine, true in the sense that each comes directly from the folklore of the Uwharries, sifted through many generations of legends and oral translation.?
Going further, the author explains that he has had personal experiences with the unexplained beings.
?The ghosts with whom I have become acquainted still rankle me with their inexplicable quirks and eccentricities. Sometimes I get the feeling that I am the one under closest scrutiny,? he said.
Morgan?s other books are: ?Uwharrie Magic,? ?Haunted Uwharries? and ?Uwharries and The Revolt.? He said he is currently working on a new book, which he expects to be published later this year.
The new issue of ?Ghost Tales of the Uwharries,? which is being sold for $12.95, was published by Bandit Books Inc. of Winston-Salem, which is distributing it. The book also is also being distributed nationally by John F. Blair Publishers of Winston-Salem. Copies can be ordered at area bookstores or by calling the Blair office at (800) 222-9796.
Jim Wicker retired as a reporter at the Times-News in 2006. He lives in Burlington.
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