Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1885-08-29

~4e~ PSF 1tfIY Us W LS, Tue ". n. ~. cftt
the c. L. A. Picnic as it Was, nth Note
and Attractions Extraordinary. An Ea'
cttrsionthe r. r. Officials failed to Recog
'aise as Such. Who Was He Modern
lied Kings English. Mayors Rem
antscenses.-The Ne,o Telescope, Peer
at the $ Mass In The Noon. 1.-THE Zoa,
aces Sharpshooters, Some Compliment
tary Remarks. The Presbyterian Picnic
Personal Points.-Etc., Etc.
The excursion of the G. A. R. and the
Camden Light Artillery to Island Park
last Saturday, was one of the successful
picnics of the season. If could write
poetry or even blank verse, I'd enlarge
on the beauties incident to the average
picnic, especially the rising up with the
early bird to catch the figurative worm
and pack the hamper of diet for touristic
appetites. And l might enlarge in glow
ing terms and poetic effusions upon the
wild, weird outline and beautiful aspect
of the Earth s surface between Martins
burg and the point where John Brown
made his tragical debut before the nation.
oht iOoo 10 blc Vic puDllC kdtu.
There is very small sympathy for the as
piring aspirations of the average poet. A
cold, unfeeling world is impolite enough
to-in vulgar parlance-sit down upon
them so heavily that they seldom, if ever
recover, and just now I have very urgent
reasons for wishing to live, have doz-
en- complimentaries on hand, not includ-
ing stale ones left oyer from the Zouave,
A ~ WALL
we reached Harper's Ferry without any
very series attack of the descriptive symp-
tons aforementioned, and for the TWEEN
tieth time clambered over the everlasting
hills. The beauty and attraction of Har-
pers's Ferry is its ruins, with all due
acknowledgement of the personal attrac-
tions of its fair women and brave mem ;
we found the house that Harper had
built hundred years ago, and mean
dered over the old graveyard in search
of his grave until fear of snakes induced
us to give up the vain quest. The oldest
inhabitant tells tale of ghostly terrors
about this decayed cemetery and the
phan tom armies rising at the echo of the
long since silenced reivillie, and the flash
of sabre, that would make far more
effective background for telling novel
than the wastes of Chattanooga. Some
day when we have plenty of opportunity
we will surprise this community with a
production in which Harper's Ferry will
play a prominent part in making us fam
GUS, but / don't advise you to hold your
breath until that time comes. We got a
sketch of John Browns Fort and of JEFF
ferson's Rock, and then the weather in
terposed its wet hand and we drifted to
shelter The condemned " bridge is
guarded to the extent of nickel, even
to the walking tourist and the Press As
ISOLATION. By and by the people will
yell for free Harper's Ferry as they
have for free Niagara. Of the two
crossings to Loudon Heights, the Ferry
boat is preferable and the more enjoyable.
The element of vandalism or weather, or
both, have treated Washington's rocky
profile with careless hand, the face has
become so defaced as to be recognized
only by very elastic stretch of the i'm
agination. Of course you want to know
about the picnic? well, the company
into ranks and marched
across the bridge to the Island, where
they entertained the visitors with vol
leys from one of the mouth pieces " of
the company, shipped down for that pur-
pose, target shooting and sham battle.
They were accompanied by st. Joseph s
Drum Corps. There was plenty of dane
ing and amusement of all kinds, The
Winchester Light Infantry and the Wood
stock Guards, who are encamped on the
Island. added to the attractiveness and
pleasure of the day. In the evening these
companies and the c. l.. A. gave short
drill and dress parade, with Major Ma
gruder, of Winchester, as commanding
officer. The military powwow was all
so much Choctaw to us, but if we are
any judge of appearances, these compa-
MES are to be congratulated upon their
looks, form and uniform. The music by
the Cornet Band was excellent.
NOTES AND SPECIAL ATTRACTIONS.
One of the Artillerymen was fearfully
the gun-carriage Z" backed too
+" and he left his impression
on the Island, there is some talk of fenc-
ing it in as curiosity, the impression,
not the Island.
We saw some of the Winchester Infan-
try see-sawing and playing at peekaboo
with some of the Martinsburg girls, who
were indulging in the same infantry
Messsrs. Blondel, Walt.
Pat Cunningham and A. L.
Criswell wandered around like sheep
without a shepherd, but the most enjoy
able speciality on the Island was Lieut..
Fiedt tussling with the crank that turns
the flying horses around and declaiming
from Shakespeare F: Oh, that this too,
too solid flesh would meet" All curios-
ity as to what could possibly evoke such
exertion from that ease-loving parsonage,
was satisfied when we gazed upon the
riders of those fiery steeds, and-as we
might have known-it was a woman.
And indeed there were plenty of symp-
toms meandering around the Island to
Justify the Poet in his assertion that love
rules the camp, the court, the grove.
If you want to hear Andy Criswell ex
plain, Just ask him what is the difference
between Jefferson's Rock and John
Browns Fort.
-
The excursion that the NJ. G. Band did
not give to Potomac Isle on Monday
night was reported as being an entire
success.
Who was the member of the late fish
ing club that came all the way from
to learn to row as rapidly
as his best girl does, and to renew his
youthful sport of sliding down hill, la
base.
The language OF the day is so expressive that
1t is sometimes subject to grave Kisapprehen-
sion Some friends went into an ice cream
saloon a few evenings ago, and the bland pro-
prietors smiled and said, cleaned OUT and
they were puzzled to know whether he meant
to insinuate that the escort was minus funds
or whether they had been giving things an an
nual clean about the premises.
Mayor Lambert occasionally INDUCES in some
personal "reminiscences of Harper's Ferry dur
ing the late National dispute. He says he wa!