Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1880-03-27
HARPER's FERRY.

flying visit TO Hsrpers ferry anu SPen'
few hours among the people OF That
town in very pleasant manner indeed.
Perhaps this town suffered more during
the late war than any town along the
border States. The National Armory
having been destroyed and as we are
informed about $50 dwelling houses
met the same fate, the town would ma
turally be considered dead one, but
from the movements OF people on the
street on Saturday, we were impressed
with the belief that if 1t was corpse, 1t
was ''migAfy hUe one" The citizens
of that town, though confronted during
the past ten years with obstacles al
most insurmountable, have not become
entirely dishearteneG, as is evidenced by
that magnificent structure, the Bridge
across the Shenandoah river which had
Just been completed ct a cost OF about
twelve thousand dollars When We re-
member the destructive floods which
have heretofore swept person and prop
erty along the Shenandoah river, par
ticularly the floods Of 1870, and we
say that it required stout hearts TO carry
out the undertaking of erecting such
Bridge. This Bridge is perhaps one OF
the most elegant and substantial in the
State, and will be living monument to
those who embarked in the enterprise
of its erection. 1t was given out at
contract to the Kings Iron bridge
Company of Cleaveland, Ohio: work
on i, was commenced last spring, and
but for the litigation between MIR. Ma
son and the Company it would have
been completed last fall. On Wednes-
day of last week the County Court ap-
pointed viewers who reported the Bridge
complete, whereupon the court gave the
Company a schedule of toll-rates, So on
Monday last it was opened to the pub
lie The gentlemen comprising the
Company which built this Bridge are
Geo. w. Green, President; G. L. Myers,
Secretary; Stockholders and Directors,
Joshua Cavalier, r. A. Alexander,
Thos. \. Kirwin, G. Nirts, ,Ino. Hehe-
bower, Mr.. Mullendore, NJ. Walsh, I.
w. BeaI, DR.. J. S. O'Donnell and some
other gentlemen whose names we have
not learned. The good people of our
county and of Loudoun county, Virgin
ia, will ever hold these public spirited
gentlemen in kind remembrance for
their courage in erecting "pubiic I'M
provemeut' of this sort which must
prove a great benefit to the two coun-
ties. We are not prophet, still we
say that the people of l1arpers Ferry
have good reason to hope for prosperity
in the near future The immense and
valuable Water Power at that point,
now owned by the Government is to be
offered for sale on the 25th of May
next, and surely, now that the county
is on the high road to prosperity, CAPT
talists will not let this opportunity slip,
bat will avail themselves of it, and will
purchase this one of the most valuable
"water powers in the world,
Capitalists should not lose sight OF the
fact that at the present time there re-
sides at Harper's Ferry some of the first
skilled mechanics in the country, and
tina, as soon as they complete their
shops and get ready for work, there
they will find the mechanics ready to
enter their service. We all remember
that when the late war broke out the
mechanics of the Harper's Ferry Ar
mory were eagerly sought for by both
the Federal and Confederate Govern
ments, and what great service they
were to the Federal Government at
Springfield, Bridesburg and Washing
ton, and to the Confederate Govern
ment at Richmond and Fayetteville.
To the people of Harper's Ferry, We
say, be of good cheer, for we predict
that the day is near at hand when your
once prosperous and beautiful town will
he as 1t once was.