Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-07-01

appearance OF the II IOatllS Dalleiy,
on the Potomac river at this place,so
time since =
BORDER LAND MORALS.
"James B. Beck will be the arbitrator
on the part Of Virginia on the Maryland
Virginia boundary line commission III
place of the late ex-Gov. Graham, of North
Carolina"
This item recalls an incident which
may suggest to these arbitrators the
fact that the moral jurisdiction over the
waters Of the Potomac is question
quite as important as the raklng OF oys-
ter beds and fishing privileges.
On the southern bank vi the river
stands an old town, holding some fif.
teen hundred souls, mostly God-iearing,
pious folks, who do all things decentiy
and in order, so that the place has a
peculiar atmosphere OF goodness about
it, contrasting with its surroundings
and its neighbors across the stream.
This may seem strange, as the high
moral side in questions of latitude is
scarcely every supposed to be toward
the South but the concentration and
ABSORPTION of sanction in this vicinity
was really abnormal Its seven church
es, corresponding to the seven prIsma;-
ic. hues of orthodox faith, comprise 4
large majority of the able bodied popu-
lation, and as power and propogandlsm
are ever aggressive, they quite over
awed the poor, pitiable, prosecuted mi
nority of outsiders and sinners in gener-
al. The only expostulation made by
these meek, humble children of Belial
consisted in a Saturday night frolic,
when they solaced themselves and each
other by generous conviviality and mer-
rment, and by making the public ave
nucs vocal with melodies not according
to Watts, but never, indeed, approach
ing towards brawls or pugnaclous dis
cussions. Yet this poor consolation
could not be left to them. The minis
ters, with their usual intolerance toward
anything that ''does folks good, con-
cluded that the meditations preparatory
to the Sabbath were interrupted by this
discordant merrimeDt so they eel
loeued, preached crusade against the
whisky business, and by dint OF main
force in outvoting the other side, they
succeeded in closing every avenue OF
the liquor trade. SO the temple where
the fountains of aqua vitae and refresh
ment bubbled out, were, like the tenn
pie of Janus, closed, and peace and the
millennium were proclaimed.
The minority of the thirsty souls
were compelled to submit TO this EN-
barge upon their personal Liberties, but
compulsory soberness is a sad cond:-
ton, so the old topers lurked around in
mournful quietude, complaining and
musing on the good old times. The
ancient town became highly and dryly
moral, and more of an example OF de-
cency than ever before. Its trade also
fell away alarmlngly, and strange to
say, the good quiet country Christians,
who had helped to bring on this moral
millennium, would sneak off to do their
Saturdays trading in other and liveller
places where they might be rejuvcnated
bv little noise and merriment. This
fact might be used to help along the
argument that the devil is necessary
adjunct to this world.
No doubt the good people enjoyed
their reign of peace and quietness, but,
alas the children of this world are
wiser in their day and generation than
the children of light A mischiefmak'
ing son of Maryland, without the lear
of the law before his eyes, took advan-
tage of the disputed boundary, wherein
his State claims jurisdiction to high wa
ter mark on the Virginia shore. lie
obtained a License in his State, then
built him cabin upon fiat boat, stow
ed it with viler liquors than had ever
before surprised the educated Virginia
palate, yea even viler than the murder
ous brands of Cincinnati wEiskey, and
thus equipped, he crossed the beautiful
Potomac TO open his broadsides from
this floating battery upon the devoted
village. lie anchored within few
wards of shore, SO as to be clearly with
in bounds, then threw out gangway
and MS proclamation that here the op-
pressed and diSconsolate could HE and
obtain their fifteen cents worth OF the
oil of JOY. He needed no further ad-
vertiSement.
Stolen waters are sweet, so is surrep-
titious whisky. The old topers aban-
doned themselves TO their new found
liberty. Never was such run OF Gus
tom before. Especially on Saturday
evenings the ministers from their stee-
pie perches might have seen the broad,
downward road leading to the river
lined with those who were going down
to the .'blue but comfortable ruin, and
might have been incited to many moral
meditations thereupon for use next day.
1t was vain to plead with the inexora-
BILE old scamp who commanded the Iioat-
ing battery. lie boldly stood his-no,
not ground, but water, proclalming that
he was selling Maryland whisky in Ma
ryland State, SO if the gentlemen from
Virginia elected to come over his gang
way boundary he was happy TO serve
them lawfully with the best in shop.
Not even providential freshet was
sent, and the nuisance continued until
abated by the injunction of Maryland
Court, but this was not until Virginia
Courts had re.issued the licenses to the
old vendors, who had always carried on
their trade decently, with the fear OF
STRINGENT damage law before their eyes.