Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-02-24

wheels. The teacher being an ad ept
in mathematics, and County Sur
veyor, had a number of grown up
young men as students. | recollect
Tillitson Fryatt, Robert V. Snod-
grass, Jacob Myers, Dennis McSher.
ry and Lawrence Wilmer, among
these. Three of them | met, after
IA lapse of twenty years, in the leg
islature of Virginia.
Among my earliest recollections of
eminent public men, | may cite a
discussion at the old court house in
Martinsburg, between Alfred III.
Powell, Federalist, and Henry st.
George Tucker, Republican, for the
position of State Senator. 1t was a
rich intellectual treat TO me, dis,
cussion between two courteous and
polished gentlemen, strongly i'm
pressed on my youthful memory as a
model of forensic eloquence. Both
these gentlemen were afterwards
eminent members of the National
House of Representatives.
My memory naturally carries me
back to the era in which prominent
citizens of Berkeley were in the
vigor of life and usefulness-such as
Col Elisha Boyd, Judge Philip G..
Pendleton, Col. William Gregory,
Maj. Andrew Waggoner, Maj. Jas.
Faulkner Capt. Rob't. Wilson, Capt.
Capt. James Mason and others, who
were in military service in the war
of 1872
Among the regular army officers
of 1912, who went to the Northern
Frontier from Berkeley, remember
Capt. Lewis B. Willis, Capt. Hiram
Henshaw, Lieuts. John Strother and
David Hunter, the of latter whom
was killed in Canada.
l cannot omit reference to an
early friend, who kindly stimulated
my ambition when struggling with
adverse fortune-I mean the late
John r. Cooke, eminent at the bar,
and in the Constitutional Conven-
tion of Virginia-a gentleman in
every sense of the term, with a
heart open to melting charity" Nor
do | forget my apprentice days on
the old Martinsburg Gazette, pub
lished by John Alburtis, one Of the
most even tempered gentlemen l
ever knew, and who, like my old
teacher, Capt. Maxwell, seemed ever
gratified at my success.
Well do | remember the venerable
Edward Beeson-Beeson's mill Bee.
sons orchard, from which urchins
like myself, OF tender years, often
were. supplied with fruit and Bee
sons meadow, on Tuscorora Creek,
upon which an Indian tribe of that
name had frequent sanguinary bat
ties with other tribes. The tradition
on this subject is sustained by the
frequent finding of arrow heads and
various implements of Indian war
fare. Other objects OF interest
abound. This recital may not be
worth the time to read it; but the
very suggestion of ones birth place
awakens memories of hills and val
lies, teeming fields and gushing
fountains-such as old Berkeley is
blessed with most abundantly.
1t would be interesting to as
certain how many now survive, who
trod those hills and vallies, and laved
in those waters,
Just one hundred years ago
Yours truly,
JOHN s. GALLAHER.
In another letter of the following
day he mentions:
"Ephraim Gather, the dignified
and gentlemanly proprietor Of the
Globe Hotel Philip Nadenbousch,
long a magistrate, whose sons wor-
thily represent the name; Col. Geo.
Porterfeld ALSO popular magistrate
and the Chesterfield of the County
Court Charles ID. Stewart, over fifty
years the faithful deputy Sheriff of
the county; Rev. William Riddle,
the preacher and teacher; Michael
McKewan, Luke Pentiney, Alexan-
der Cooper, Thomas G. Smith, DR..
Erasmus Stribling, DR.. j. S. Harri-
son, Jacob Hamme, Geo. Doll, Geo.
Wolff, Adam Young, VIM. Somer-
Vile, the well remembered Post
master Conrad Roush, Anthony s.
Chambers, James p. Erskine, Jacob
Poisal, John Ii. BlondeIl, w. Long,
Ezekiel Showers, John Stewart, Con-
rad Hogmire, Daniel Burkhart, Jno.
Matthews-but my pen must stop;
columns would not suffice to make
up the record of my old friends and
acquaintance"
John S. Gallaher was a man of
strong and vigorous intellect, disci-
plined and improved to the highest
point of which it was susceptible.
His judgment was sound, practical
and discriminating; his temper mild,
just and generous his habits, those
of constant and assiduous labor.
Free from his business employments,
he delighted in history and bellies
letters, and his taste in literature