Book excerpt: The bustling metropolis of Charlotte is constantly growing and changing. Yet there are spirits from the past that refuse to give way to modern growth, or to be forgotten. The ghost of a Confederate officer, complete with his wooden leg, still appears at historic Cedar Grove. A longdead fireman continues to hang around his old station, and even changes clothes there. At the venerable Manor Theater, the spirit of a former manager often materializes late at night; he sometimes helps with the sweeping. A deceased bootlegger still tries to produce alcohol for his customers. And one small Charlotte house is so haunted that a former resident describes the interior as liquid black, which absorbs even light. Despite the Queen City's long and rich history, until now there has been no published collection of ghost stories from the region. These 19 tales gathered by Stephanie Burt Williams, and enhanced by her superb photographs, were worth the wait.