Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1859-10-01


in providing for his servants, one OF whom
he feelngly styles his "old and faithful
servant, or rather humble fiend." HI:
will as TO his burial was disregarded by
his relations, and his remains were dePos
tied in Chrisl's Church, Philadelphia.
Twenty eight miles from Martlnsbure
is Sir Johns Run, where passengers leave
for the well known Berkeley Springs, a
BAH, Morgan county. The chief atIrac
ton there is the excellent bath. The wa
ter is light, sparkling and tasteless, and is
/ flo II 10 II fab. The town of Bath
mas incorporated in l776, was laid oil II
Tots in l777, and among the purchaser:
were Gen. Washington, Charles Carroll
of CarfoIton, Horatio Gates and other
persons of distinction Originally the
bath was large pool dug in the earth
sheltered by screen of bushes, winch
was used alternately by ladies and gentle
men. A horn was the signal for the Id
dies hour, when the gentlemen retired be-
vond certain bounds. The scene was
that of camp ground and the amusements
were suited TO the times, including be-
sides dancing and revelling, gambling and
horse racing.
There are now elegant bath houses
built by trustees under State law, as at
Capon, the water belonging to the State,
The bath fees are employed in keeping
the baths in order. The gentlemen
bath 60 by 90 feet, that of the ladies, 30
by Is. There are also numerous private
baths, including spout, shower and warm
baths. The water is highly commended
from actual result in cases of general de-
bIity, skin diseases, dyspepsia, chronic
affections of the mucous membrane, grav-
el and rheumatism.
Col. John Strother, real old "snanle-
bit Virgnian," as Col. North would say,
is the host Of the principal hotel which
occupies the plateau near the baths. He
is an excellent landlord, and though adj
vanced in years IS as active as a boy.
which fact he attributes to the daily use
OF the bath From all | coald see during
a short stay. the fare at Suolher's was
most eXcelIent-entirely uneXceptiona5.e.
The mutton is especially good, and seems
to he flesh Of new race of sheep-beng
free from the sheepish flavor, and closely
venson. This large hotel
can accommodate four hundred, while
O'Ferrall's and other places can make
room for three hundred.
A beautiful elm stands near Srother's,
which Washington is said to have planted.
Some doubt it. did not. He was just
the man to plant such tree. find it
much more agreeable to believe the pleas
ant traditions than to doubt them. In
stead of going 10 the trouble to start objec-
tons, | believed, and looked upon the
tree with veneralion and pleasure. Let
us believe a ille-it does us goOd-ll
strengthens our humanity.
Washington was a visitor at Berkeley,
and it was during one of these visits, 1856,
that he went TO see Rumsey propel- his
boat by steam on the Potomac, which is
distant only two miles and half,
The walls of Strother's hotel are graced
with many of the faithful pictures of Porte
Crayon, the nom de plane, Of David H.
who is a son of the Colonel. His
exquisite Virginia sketches published in
Harpers Monthly and subsequently in
book form, won for him a national Iepu-
talon.
The town of Bath is rather Stacking,
though the grounds Of the hotel and the
plateau about the baths are beautiful. A
very large and highly fashionable compa-
ny resort to this place every year. The
only drawbacks to the locality that have
to complain of are the unsighty ruins OF
the old stone courthouse and the everlast-
ing ''li-clik ety-click" of steam engine
dt large tannerv in the middle OF the
town. don't object TO engines like
to hear them; but this is screaklng and
wooden attachment that is lntol-
erably monotonous.
CumberIand,in Allegheny county, Ma
ryland, occupies the site of old Fort Gum
berland, which was so prominent in the
history of the Indian wars before the Kew
olution. Braddock's army paused here
while. Upon his arrival he was received
with a salute Of seventeen guns. The en-
petition went in great style for the day
and the peculiar service. The English
had horses and wagons in such numbers
that Washington was outraged al them
and complained much. The army little
dreamed of the reverse in store for il, and
the men thought they were going 10 drive
the Indians before them without difficulty.
The discipline was rather free and the
camp was infested with Indians, "and es.
pecially females" who were described as
.hnuinn ea1lnN hnnHS md feet md soft