Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-12-20
Letter from Harper's Ferry.
GUNNER:

Letter from Harper's Ferry.
FRIEND GALIAHER:
am sorry 10 learn from your last issue
that You have become mixed up in our Bridge
trouble. You did no more than Justice to the
parties who Withdrew their names from your
subscription list when You called them clever
men aud you may be sure tia! they believed
they had good reason for their action. At tie
same time. must d goa the justice Of saying
that have seen nothing in your paper to in
dictate the direction 10 which your sympathies
ruo aud, admitting all the legal rights that are
c.aimed for Mr. Mason, it is not reasonable 10
suppose that You would very warmly advocate
a monopoly which, although It may be legql,
involves extreme inconvenience 10 whole
community. Between you be it, however,
You are all very well able 10 take care OF your
selves aud so are Mr. Mason and the Bridge
Company and, as the ITishman says, may the
Devil take any body who would stop OF sp il
a fair fight There is, however, party 10
this business whose rights have not yet been
considered either in the Courts or at the street
corners. aud mean to draw attention 10 the
claims which that party POSSESSES, notwith-
standing The fact that. hitherto, those claims
have been contemptuously ignored. mean
he people and the rights which they are some
times, supposed TO have, especially in free CO.
vernmeuts am no LAWYER and, indeed ina
ny people. myself Included, believe that have
no more Scuse than tie law or a reasonable
lawyer would allow, and will not venture m
opinion as 10 the rights URder the lQic Of Mr.
Mason or Of the Bridge Company There is
one thing, how ever, which think know a
bout legislation and that is, that laws are. al
least supposed 70 be, made for tie bencf, Of
The many aud that it is an EXON in popular
Governments tlaI Individual Interests must
ut Interfere with public convenience. II
am right in Ills, | would ike to know why il
is that the people Of llarper's Feiry are obliged
10 cross the Shenandoah in a boat when they
eau have bridge and when they are anxious
o. have one, not o.iy Tor their own benefit bu,
f.T that Of tie popuIous country around them.
II any one Of our citizens has occasion 10 visit
LYudOuu or the ns-Sheuandoah part Of our
own county, he must stand slivcriug or roast
ing on the HarpeT's Ferry bauk until it suits
the convenience of the Ferry man to ,raus-
port him across. lie must undergo the same
ordeal on his return aud, should it happen, as
il too often does, that there is a food, or il
masses of ice should be descenlng the stream,
then. Indeed, is all communication cut oil and
be must sigh for that " blessed shore from
which De is debarred by Mludamus or Jo-
cause somebody has what Tom ColliuS the IA
nous lash constable, used - call Fiery
face against him. When il IS remembered
that OUT market IS supplied almos, exclusive
IS FROM Loudoun county, the positive Injustice
u this affair becomes the more apparent.
About ten days ago, a very respectable citi-
zsn Of our county living South Of tie Shcnan-
doan was taken suddenly i'll aud q messenger
was seat, in hot haste, for an eminent plysi-
clan lately ol your town but, now, resident
he,c How the Doctor succeeded in getting
across 10 see lis patient DO not know. bat this
/ al know, that. after having ministeEcd to tic
sick person. De was detained all night Oh the
,-roay side Of the river, on account Of the diff
Guilty of making the voyage 10 the darkness
aud that, IN order to make up for lost time. le
was obliged Oh ,he fllloHins morning to swim
his horse across tie Shenandoah, at some poiut
near Reyes Ferry. The patient 10 this case
was IN O very dangerous condition aud, Jc-
lieve +, Is conceded that % the skill Of the ply
siciau is 20 be attributed the preservation Of
this very valuable life Let us now suppose
that The river was DO such a stage Of water as
it is many times every year, and that the Doc
tor could bot cross at all, or, let Us suppose
that he was drowned while Fastening back TO
other patients who were sorely il need Of his
attention, aud will ask what consideration
@ould weigh against either catastrophe, and
If the advocates Of the Ferry could feel alto
ge,lcr Innocent Of murder.
Now, friend Gaiiaher, as said before. adj
nit NY deficiency in acumen aud, indeed,
there is no one WHO knows better than YOU do
how thick-hcaded am, but I can not help
thinking that am right IL saying that, il there
IS q law which ojlses US to cross . river in
boat. at ;he risk Of our lives aud prohibits Us
ION building some c0utrvauce for our safe
tran. uortaton. the law ought 20 be repealed.
TO tfct.on WHO made the law, 81 they are vet
alive vii, say 'bat ! hope none Of them will
have an obolus 10 pay CbaSon for the passage
which we must a. take, some day, aud that
their shades may he oLligc! to wander a hun
drcd years, ou tie gloomy laraS II the otyN,
as the Law 10 such cases prov. les.
BIZ the way | am reminded That. some years
ago, we dbl lose very valuable citizen toy
ncaus Of tits Fcrry-Mr. William y icewan-
DER. uos. o,timable man whose death we al T.
leit very koeuly. TWAS not charged that the /.
drowning Of Nr Nicely was occasioncd by any /,
catc'cssucss ou tie part Of the Flrrymau or by .
any defect Ia TIE boat. nor as far as Know. /
are any eech charges brought nor. but this .
makes my case tie stronger, Tot, if with every
precautiou ior The safety Of passengers such .
accidents sometimes happen what a'ay be tie
c.tsrq uelce II cage,cssless o. want 81 skill in
tlc tlrryuan.
In.erl.d to stop "a, tLis p.iut 'at thought
las i.si entered nay tliek sku,l, aud viii
plbnsA i, i.r tio benefit of auy body who eau
see merit 10 10. Next year the candidates for
tlc yarioas oficcs IN the Sin Of the people
wiil be crossing aud ra-c'ossiug ,hc Slcnaulo-
ah The nights are, Sos,sfmes dark and our
tluglo-i.ot whiskey is, Arrays, strong, and it
may be we'll o. provide against contingencies
Dear Candidates. a., us Lave Bridge we're il
on.y ilT gor g,rR saiss and mine. i wori 70
iAe wise Ac
Tirls i BflcE.
IArrsGs FEgLY December Is. 1879
Fer Buuor;ok's 8ud all the lates, pat
ous. Crepe c,.a-a ana Stamping. % 70 ile
f.a O. o. Tsr-...-