Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1859-09-17
GD8@TI3G1ETT TED.
For The Reg isttr.

TUT INC UtS SttI.
The public will doubtless be panied t.
hear that. that venerable piece of annqul'
',v known as 1.-THE .Ark" is no more, IN
other words it is "SmaShed up." This
word however which is OF such terrible
significance when telegrsPhed under the
head of railroad accidents, has much
miIdsr meaning when applied to the gen,
lie disintegrailon Gf we may SO sPeaAJ
of This old family carriage.
When it was built or by whom IS MOI
exactly known. Some say that II Is Par'
of,he yerilable Noah's Ark, hence lis Ia
miliar cognomen others again less cred
ulous assert that it is impossible and that
the idea is simply absurd. 1t would GER
tainly be a good study for an Antiquarian
society, and if we had such an ASSOCIATION
in our village, what volumes might be
written on the subject, it is impossible 10
say. If it could speak what history ct
bad roads las a warning 10 road commls-
souers) it could relate; of what changes
old Time has made in faces and fashion,
especially the later, as shown by the tact
that il formerly carried six ladies, but
now two can hardly find room. But this
Nestor Of carriages, tho1gh possessed OF a
tongue longer than ever clallered IN Ia
dies mouth, has never told one single
word of lis history, unless It's creaks and
groans, caused by old age and bad roads
might be considered as such If SO there
would be enough doubtless 10 form vol
ume which would be equally as entertain.
ing for an Autobiography as "he Lye o.
b. r. Barnum tcriHsn by himself" and
many other such humbugs Of the present
day. The knowledge of the coolest IN
habllanI" will have to be called into re-
QUESTION to Tell It's origin, history, DC.
We understand that it is recorded IN
tnuslv old diary of gentleman now lIv-
ing ldate not known "went out to-day
to see MIS- new carriage. Doubt
less he meant by the word new only lis
first appearance in this County, Tor II we
admit The fact of its being new II entirely
upseis the beautiful antiquarian theory
about Noah vehicle Of the same name.
mo further seek lis history TO DIS
close" this much we know that II existed
before railroads and steamboats,, and their
conconilant evils, or to use mIlder eX-
preston, those delightful liule episodes
in a modern travellers life, ust 10 vary
the monotony Of sitting in one Place all
dav while the train is moving at 30 miles
an hour, such as collisions, plunge over
precipice, &c, things unknown TO our
siage-riding ancestors. For many years
this venerable relic of antiquity "has kept
the smooth and noselrss tenor OF lie
ways" and now like all "monumentS Of
mortal BIRTH" it has yielded TO fate.
No greater tribute can DO paid to lis
memory than TO say that il lis final DISC.
Iulon it dealt as kindly with lis Passen-
gers as Time dealt with it.
Instead of ragedy which accompan-
les our more modern railway "smash
ups" there was the old fashioned Sero
Comic Break down, which was received
With bursts Of applause by the aslonI'hed
passengers and spectators, and the Old
Ark as it made It's final bow 10 the travel
ling public, seemed 10 say, with the Ro-
man actors al the end of the play IVA
lele vaIele Ter Gcimus yale!e.' We add,
Requiescat IN pace. ~