Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-06
H. B. Harnsberger, Originator of the
Shenandoah Valley Railroad.
For the SPECTATOR. ]

We have been DESTROYS for a long time to
get hold of the original and early history
of the Shenandoah Valley Railroad. Whilst
the road proper, bearing that name, begins
at Hagerstown, Md coming South, yet, as
will be seen further on, the original char
ter, as it first became law, made its com
mencement on the Potomac river. The
Cumberland Valley road, beginning at
Harrisburg, via Carlisle and Chambers
burg, reached, as we think. to Hagers-
town, where connecting with West Ma
ryland from Baltimore, via Westminster
in Maryland, Waynesboro', Franklin coun-
~, Pa, at its western extremity, at that
point assumes the name of the Shenandoah
Valley, and thence to the Potomac at
Shepherdstown. We do not know if it was
| built before or after that from Shepherds
| town south.
1t is now, to our mind, perfectly clear,
that perhaps the very first percraniu n, or
knowledge box, sometimes not always
| found inside of that piece of anatomy.
perched Cd the shoulders of biped called
man, and usually designated as his head,)
| chat conceived the thought of this road,
was that of the gentleman whose name
heads this communication. He was men,
| Der of the House of Delegates from Rock
| ingham in the session of 1S67-6S, Col.
Baldwin Speaker. We do not remember
who were his colleagues, nor does it matter,
as neither of them sympathized a particle
with Mr.. H. in his desire to secure his
charter. Why, it may be asked? Because
his charter proposed to start the road at
point on the Potomac between Harper's
| Ferry and Shepherdstown, and to extend it
| to Salem in Roanoke county. The only
| ether member who did sympathize with
him was Isaac Long, Esq then represent
| ing Page for some time past a resident
of Keswica in Albemarle. Both of these
gentlemen were regarded by the rest of the
Hause as clear daft, and had any one pro-
posed to take out commission de lunaiico,
&C., it is more than probable no one would
have opposed it. The project was deemed
so utterly wild and visionary, that Col.
| Baldwin, in addressing the House, we do
not remember upon what particular ques-
ton, referred to the two gentlemen and
their bantling in a humorous vein, and said
| the House might very well vote for it as a
| qualification to his friends, on the principle
| of giving toy whistle and a jewsharp to
a pair of boys to crafty them Under this
state of feeling, the House passed the bill,
which, under no other imaginable state of
facts, it would have done. About that
time, the Hon. VIM. Mines, who had
bought ont Daniel aud Henry Forrer and
taken possession on January 1st, 1866, of
| the 5000 acres of land, embracing their
several iron developments, found his way
| to Richmond. think am correct in say
| ing that Messrs. Harnsberger and Long
had then secured their charter. This gen.
tleman seemed quite anxious to secure a
DETECTION of the road, to be made at or near
to Elkton, so as to carry it to Harrisonburg,
to which, as I understand, Mr.. Harnsber-
ger would not consent The above is
| brief history of the salient points as con-
nected with the first move in the Legisla-
| ture for the charter Of this very important
road. So one of you, Messrs. Editors, who,
in location, is found Immediately upon it,
it will interest you to know that through
one of those mysterious Providences we
cantt explain, it has been vouchsafed to
Staunton- raised boy, who was brought near
the grave, to have been Immediately re-
stored to health by the accident of friend
who lived Immediately on this road, in
viting him to go home with and spend the
summer at his house. At that moment he
hadn't walked for IS months-weighed 80
pounds. His disease baffied his physicians,
some of whom thought it was cOnsump-
ton. He had in all those weary months
been carried like an infant from place to
place, having lost the ,se of his limbs.
Carried to the cars, Charles w. s. Turner,
az Harrisonburg, was placed in Mr.. Henry
z. Bears carriage, and at his house, two
and half miles east of Elkton, for the
first time drank from the most remarkable
spring on this continent, and. as we believe,
in the knoSn world, ''Bel Air. owned
jointly by the two brothers, Henry E. and
Adam G. Bear. 1t is the only lithia water
in the known world without trace of lime,
and which will cure that hitherto incurable
malady, Bright disease. We have said to
Mr.. Kimba |, without for a moment de-
tracing from the merits or policy of invest
ing in the purchase of the Lulay Caverns
or the Natural Bridge, or building up Big
Lick. (Roanoke,) he same money, if in
vested in town, after the order of Sara
toga. around this very ''Pool of Siloam,"
with hotels suited to the poor and rich, and
not like the White and many of our Springs,
where the first are shut out, it would have
been found most judicious expenditure.
We should have said Charlie was soon
himself again. and to day is in perfect
health, and heavier than at any time in his
life. OCCASIONAL.
PORT REPUBLIC. April Goth, 1885.