Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1875-01-12
MIscELLARE oUs.
VISIT TO CHARLESToWN.

The editor OF: the Kingston (Tenn.) East
Te""csScean, in giving an account of his re-
cent visit to his old homo in this place, says
During the trip We visited Washington,
Baltimore, and other points of interest, in-
cuding the Shenandoah Valley, now historic
us being the scene or the many sanCuinary
conflicts between the Federal aud Confederate
armies during tho late unplcasautuess.
Harper's Ferry, at the lower end OF the
Valley, at the junction of tho Shenandoah
with tho Potomac river, was, before tho war,
thriving village of some one or two thousand
inhabitants, including several hundred artisans,
employed in tho U. s Armory, located At this
place, but Is now almost deserted. The ar
mOry works were destroyed during the war,
and the valuable machinery carried away
Sometime since the ands, buildings and val.
liable water power, were sold 10 several New
York capitalists, Ostonsihly with the view of
establishing manufactures, but in reality to
speculate aud cxtort irom the Baltimore aud
Ohio Ria!road Company, whose road passes
through the land Failing in this. they have
thrown mp the purchase, and the people arc
hopeful of getting Congress TO do something
with this armcry property, through the efforts
OF their newly elected representative, Hon.
Chas. j. Faulkner. They hopo to have the
works revived.
1t was at this gloomy and furbidding town
that John "Ossswhttsmie') Brown and his
cOmpatrotS first made their appearance n the
long to be remembered Brown Raid" Tho
old Engine house where he aud his deludcd
followers made their last stand, and for 40
long and galIantly withstood the assaults of
Colonel Lee and his marines, NAV yet be seen
standing in tho arnory yard. With the ex-
ception Of tho little lite and activity about tho
railroad station, the town appears to be the
dcadcst We saw in our travels.
Ch.rIcstown. eight miles further up tho
Valley. fhe County scat Of jefferson. where
the Brown raiders were tried and executed,
and before tho war tho rival of its neighbor,
llsrper's Ferry. presents quite different ap
Pc"rance 1t has greatly improved since the
war Several extensive manufactures have
recently been erected as we'll as a great many
fue residences, and from an insignificant little
country village before the var il has grown
almost to the dimensions of city The Jail.
Court>EOuse and markct-hOuse which were
destroyed during the war, hive been replaced
with fine, imposing structures. The old field
near town where Brown and his men were
executed, half mile from the town pr6per,
is now dotted over with palatial nansions.
In fact the rapid improvements and radical
>''""SS' A"'S OCSH NJ BICdb UeTFOOb
miliar with its environs just after the wsr.
would scarcely recognize it now. It's rapid
growth is due, in great measure. to its BuiId>
ing and Loan Association which was organ
lied immediately after the war.
Now, as before the war, Charlcstown sup.
ports two frst-class weekly papcrs-Thc Free
Pcss and the Spirit If .Jc6crson the latter
established in the times OF "TippecanOe and
Tyler too" by Mr.. Jas. W Belier, but has
since changed hands several times 1t is at
present owned and published by Mr. s. S.
Dalgarn. We are quite familiar with its his.
tory. because it was .herc We first studied the
mysteries Of tho printing Office, and learned
the ''Art Preservative of all arts" May the
old Spirit live thousand more years. Tho
"OH FIRE. Press" as its admiriug patrons
affectionately cal! it, is published now, as It
has hcen for the past half century, by Dir.
II. n. Galaher, the Nestor of the NrOinia
Press, being. we believe, the Oldest editor in
the two Virginiss. We think both he and his
paper ought to figure at the CentenuisI. Mr..
G. has at present associated with him his SOD,
W w B. GaIIaher. who is q ready writer,
and together make one Of the newsiest papers
in the State.
FATAL AccrDENT.-On Thursday the 18th
of this month, l.. J. Pine was mortaIly iDjur-
ed by the falling Of log, about forty feet 10
IL L.. Ill