The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-02-08
From the N, Y. Sun.
HARPER'S FERRY MIDDLE,

FERRY MUDDLE.
WASHINGTON, Jan, 30,-"Harper's
Ferry hasn'tprospered since old John
Brown was hanged" said an aged
citizen Of that unhappy municipality
a few months ago, and | begin to
think he was right, The Govern
ment sold its property and the very
valuable wator.powcr there in the
winter of 1869; and in so doing made
a very serious blunder concerning
the title. John W. Garrett, of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, had set
his heart on the property, and be-
cause he could not buy 1t at his own
figures, resolved, with characteristic
obstinacy, to make it of as little value
as possible to any one else
No sooner had the purchasers be-
gun making Improvements than Gar
rett set ups claim to certain portions
of it; and, indeed, assailed and threw
a cloud over the Governments title
to any of it. Bills and cross bills
were filed in the State courts, and
hearings and rchearings had for
nearly two years without a satisfac-
tory result, Finally the Government,
with the purchasers, fled
a bill in the United States District
Court of West Virginia to sustain its
title as against the railroad company.
The real object of this movement was
to have the question of title finally
decided by the Supreme Court Of the
United States. The case was argued
before Judge Jackson at Wheeling,
who decided against the Government
and in favor of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad. Upon this decision
Attorney,General Pierrepont ordered
the case appealed.
This appeal was serious impedi-
ment in Mr.. CARROTS way, and it
hchooved him to get it set aside, at
any cost, or suffer heavy damages
The services of a noted West Vir-
ginia politician were called in, but
they were of no avail against Pierre
points determination to have the case
carried up and decided on the law
and i.e merits. Other friends of the
railroad ;mpartuned Pierrepont to
set aside the appeal and have the
resold, but mot with no
success. The strangcst part OF this
strange case is that President GRAFT
and Secretary Belknap were called
in to aid the railroad company in
getting the appeal set aside. While
the appeal was pending, the following
notice appeared in the Erening Star,
of this city:
President Grant, Secretaries Robe.
son and Bclknap, and Postmaster
General Jewell spent the day at the
seat of John W. Garrett,
near Baltimore, Nd.
Garrett is a careful reader of char
acter, and could measure Grant at
glance. Now, | have the very best
of reasons for believing that during
that visit, which lasted from Satur-
day noon until Monday morning, the
Harper's Ferry question was dis
cussed, and the whole thing made
perfectly clear to Grants mind. In,
deed, he was made to see the question
exactly as Garrett saw it. Garrett
knew that no outside party would
purchase the property with a cloud
over its title, and hence the
would be afforded him
Of buying it in at his own price,
Only a short time after Grants
visit to Garrett, and a day or two
after Pierrepont had declared that
under no circumstances would he or
der the appeal set aside, it became
evident that a change had come over
his feelings and his actions. lie
had simply weakened to Grant
When asked to explain his strange
action, Mr.. Pierrepont, with some re-
acknowledged that he was
by the President, who had
become We y much interested in the
ard desired to have the APP
peal set aside and the property re-
sold. Mr. Piorrepont said he should
bring the matter upin Cabinet meet
ing, and he did; but, as usual, Grant
had his own way, The restraints of
law were ignored, the appeal an.
and the property advertised
and offered for sale on the decree of
Judge Jackson's court
And now for the curious sequel
Nobody wanted to buy the property
except Garrett while the cloud he
had placed there was hanging over
the title; and CARROTS bid was so
small that the Government declined
to accept il, In that dilemma the
Government was compelled TO again
become the purchaser, and thus it
made itself responsible for all cncum.
branccs, claims for which are coming
in thick aud fast, The United States
District Attorney for West Virginia
is a chirrupy young man of tle name
of Goi, a Republican Of the truly
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