Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-08-12


plougkiRg he bed oJtte drD,o'y canal and next
day planting Il ,riM potatoes. Neither has the
government derived any benefit, as the first
payment has not yet been made, although 1t
WAS due eight months ago, and, strange to say
it has not been demanded. On the contrary,
there is now bill before Congress, backed by
the influence of these spectators, TO extend the
time of payment and give those gentlemen a
chance to extort from the Railroad Company
the purchase money and to have clear gain
of the whole property.
Now, would il not be well that next Winter
an investigating committee of Congress be APP
pointed to attend TO this somewhat mysterious
affair? In the first place there is room to
doubt the wisdom of the arrangement that per-
mitted a sale of such valuable property with
out exacting q payment dorm to guaranty the
good faith of the purchaser. If 1t should be
considered out of place for this committee to
comment on the action OF former legislators who
are at least supposed to have known what they
were about. it certainly would be proper for
them to inquire why, according to the too easy
terms of the. sale a payment was notdemaId-
ed on the 30th day Of November, 1870. In
the next place it might be q matter Of interest
to the people of the United States to know If
aIly officers Of any department. Of the public
service are engaged in specializing and using
the knowledge they have OF government affairs
to enrich themselves at the expense Of com
munities and Of the whole nation. Is there IN
the departments at Washington ring like the
Infamous one lately exposed in New York, aud
is the whole machinery of orr government,
national as we'll as state, rotten to tue very
core This is q matter Of deep interest to all,
but especially to the people Of llarper's Ferry.
/ 10 is true they feel well founded pride in the
/ fact that they have in their town the Champion
| Potato Patch Of the world-only a couple OF
acres in extent, but worth one hundred and
seyentv-six thousand dollars without the pota-
/ toes What the crop will be worth time will
/ tell. but if it be no better than The Narpers
] Ferry Manufacturing and Water Power Com
/ pany /: viii DO -ssasll potatoes, indeed. An
enthusiastic Irishman who frequently expert
enccs the divine aillatus, thus gives vent 10
| his admiration Of the Potato Patch =
/ live t-avcl ould ireland from Down 20 Kinsae.
/ From Howth 20 the mountains OF Kerry,
/ Diyil d sight,will We catch of one pratie patch
That can equal the ere at the Ferry.
lis full mile long and thirty feet vide,
With walls IKE the city ofDcrry,
/ And the owner it cost half 4 million Almost
/ Il I owned SIGH patch IA feel mighty big
fut taller than Billy McSherry,
And I'd raise 4 few crops thea rebuild the shops,
And set all to work At the Ferry
HurrooI
The writer Of this is ye-y humble man.
conscious Of bis inability to handle this subject
and he undertakes it only because. nobody else
4 will venture. Il is related tha; a shockingly
profane teams,er once, during the late war, got
his team hopeloSsly stuck in the mud. His
companions crowded round him expecting to
bear something appalling in the way Of swear
ing bst they were disappointed; for he uttered
not word. On being asked why he bore his
mishap 50 patiently, he replied that it was be-
cause, with his acknowledged talent for swear
ing he dospaired Of doing justice to the sub
Jet. The same consideration would have de-
TERED the writer Of this from yenturing before
tho public had anybody else shcwn DISPOSE
ton to drag this monstr0us humbug before the
public gaze and expose the cruel trckery that
is eutailing untold misery on hundreds of wor-
thy mechanics who, with their helpless fami-
lies, are reduced to the very veSge Of starvation
IL is evident there is q niger of the biggest
dimensions somewhere in our feuce-corner, and
il is tho duty Of every friend Of humanity to
search for him carefully, and drag him from
his lurking place. II Capt Adams or his
company have paid for the llarperS Ferry
property according to the terms of sale, of
course nobody has right to dictate to him or
them what shall be done with it, II the b.
Is 0. r. y Company are treSpasSing on Capt
Adams and bis firm, say make them pay
reasonable damages. If, however, us there is
reason to fear, the purchase was bogus, and
the purchasers have not complied with their
contract and never intended to Go so unless at
the expense of the Railroad Company, then the
people would like to know why these heart
less spectators are allowed to keep possession
of property owned by the nation in common
to the ruin of this hapeSs community, and
why they dare to harass the Railroad Compa-
ny for possession of ground to which Capt.
/ Adams & Co. have no more right than !, until
they Shew at least prim0 fdcie title by max
ing their first payment The Railroad is alb
solutey the only source of revenue Harper's
Ferry now has, and notwithstanding the at
! tacks of "F. c. a." Harper's Ferry will beg
leave TO sympatiise witlr the Railroad Compa-
ny, especially while they ere fighting the COM
mon enemy Of everything at the place.
In Justice to Captain Adams, the writer will
say that few, if any, lay the whole blame Of
these troubles at his door. He has never claim
cd to be more than an Agent, and every al
lowance is made for him. lie is, moreover, a
very courteous gentleman who, from what
little is known Of linn at Harper's Ferry, would
| appear too good a man for the company he
keeps No one at Harpcrs Ferry respects
| him more, and no man more regrets the neccs-
sity for this communication, than the writer.
A SUFFERER.