Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-02-20
nEIGHBORIHG NEWS.


The Virginia Annual Conference of
the United Brethren Church will meet
at Berkeley Springs, w. Va, on
March Sd.
| A new gas company is to be estab-
lished in Hagerstown, and gives notice
that gas for Illuminating purposes
will be 81 90 per thousand feet.
Near Hancock, Md, last week, Mr..
Alex. McKibbons, while working in
the woods. accidentally cut one of his
legs off. File died from the effects of
his injuries eight hours afterward.
Frank Mcpherson, aged about 16
years, son of Mr.. John Mcpherson, of
Smithburg, Washington county, Nd,
committed suicide last Monday morn
ing by shooting himself with gun.
He was found lying dead in thestable
attached to his fathers residence with
the gun lying by his side. The cause
that led to the lad taking his life has
not been ascertained.
The Potomac river was frozen over
again last Thursday night. A small
quantity of the ice from the first freeze
passed off last week, but nearly all the
upper Potomac is yet frozen up.
There is a big gorge at the bend of
the river just above Shepherdstown,
and the ice is jammed solidly from
the shore to shore. There is also a
small jam against the piers of the rail-
road bridge.
Rev. j. B. Keller, pastor of the
Lutheran Church in Williamsport,
Washington county, for number of
years, has rendered his resignation, to
accept call from Easton, Pa.
A very interesting Revival meeting
is in progress in the Shepherdstown
M. E. Church. Five have protested
conversion. The meeting will be con-
tinued on next Sunday night.
DEATH OF FREDERICK MERTENs.
Frederick Mertens, prominent cit
izen of Cumberland, Md, and we'll
known by all persons who have been
connected with the Chesapeake &
Ohio Canal, died on Wednesday after
short illness. He was 60 years old,
and a native of Hamburg, Germany,
where he learned shipbuilding. He
went to Cumberland in 1852 and began
bodybuilding, in which he had been
engaged ever since. He also went in
to the lumber business quite extern.
sively. Last fall he retired from the
active management and the lumber
business his sons taking charge, but
he remained in active control of the
boatyard, where many Of the boats
now used on the canal were made.
Mr.. Mertens always took deep inter-
est in the Chesapeake and Ohio Ca
and coal shipper. He was a director
in the Blaen Avon Coal Company,
and in the Third National Bank of
Cumberland. He was a democrat
in politics, and served two terms in
the city council. He was very large
in person and Of genial temperament,
and generally popular. He leaves
considerable property. His wife, with
five sons and one daughter, all grown,
Nv
prominent member of the German
Lutheran Church.
BOLD ATTEMPT AT RoBBERY.-An
audacious attempt at robbery was
made at the Lee Central Hotel, in
Shepherdstown, Wednesday night of
last week. A thief entered the hotel
through a kitchen window, opened the
doorfor an easy way of escape, went up
stairs, opened doors SO he could run two
directions if discovered, locked that
wing of the house from the other
part, and then blew out the light that
was burning upstairs. Having made
all his preparations, he entered the
room usually occupied by Mrs. Lee,
the proprietress. and was searching
for the keys when he awoke Miss
Virginia McGlincy, who was occupy
ing the room. She raised an alarm,
and the thief at once took to flight
without having secured any booty.
Mrs. Lee has several strong clues, and
expects to have an arrest made short
ly.
On Monday last the clerk of the
County Court of Orange County, Va,
issued marriage license to Benjamin
Creel, aged S2years, and Mrs. Armina
Herndon, aged 73 years. 1t is safe to
conclude that there were no cruel pa
rents to interfere with this couple.
The disfguring eruptions ON the face,
sunken eye, the pallid complexion, indi-
cate that there is something wrong
going on within. Expel the lurking foe
to health. Ayers Sarsaparilla was de-