Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1908-07-23
Church "reminiscences.
BY ST. JOHN BYER.

IN its architectural structure and II
its furniture appointments, stands IL
memory the first brick edifce built BY
the Lutherans here in Shepherdstowr
at the close of the eighteenth century
and shortly after the American Revo'
luton. This barn-Iike, rectangular
structure had a wide centre aisle
paved with mosaic, towit, the usua
red brick burned hereabout. 1t di'
vided the two long rows of pews al
though to separate the sheep from the
goats. At its centre stood an I'M
mense stove of the old template pat
tern, made especially for this temple
ly the Bryn furnace on the mountain
1t was long and large enough to &C.
commodate full cord stick OF wood
of which comfortable pile usually
lay alongside. The old sexton would
sometimes subpoena several OF the
heftiest Of the deacons as a posse co.
rnitatus to assist him in heaving a
weighty backlog into the caPAcl0us
frebox, thus giving the spectators an
example of the manner OF welding the
old battering ram as an engine OF des-
truction and wonderment that 1t did
not ram out the further end OF this long
coupled iron fire horse.
This stove was objected to stren-
uously by one of the pastors, who said
that it would be taken by any possible
visiting heather as the idol of pagan
temple-a Moloch with its fiery fur
mace before which he would PROSTATE
himself in awe and worship. The
pipe from this stove was somewhat
less than a mile in length, but 1t
reached high up toward the round
ceiling and would not be considered
ornamental nowadays. Just fancy
that stove and its long pipe now stand
ing in the new church-it would be
more grotesque and funny than any
stage scene.
Yet this stove was the pride of the
old sexton, Sam Show, who would put
in extra chunks when he suspected
the preacher would be long.winded.
Yet at times he ratified the scraping,
screeching old fire door for new sup
ply when the parson was at his fifth
ly. This colossal stove should have
been kept as proof Of the text, "there
were giants in those days" but likely
it went the way of all the earth and
was melted up into dozen pigmy
descendants.
Beyond this stove, which fronted
toward the entrance and awed the In
conner into a worshipful mood, at the
chancel end stood circular altar, en-
closing wineglass pulpit, perching
the preacher at a good height, whence
he could look down and shoot his re-
marks or reproofs with clear aim al
any baldhead or bonneted sinner.
One minister said it made him dizzy
to wind up the steps into the rOstrum
1t would not allow any rambling
about Of the Dewitt Talmadge style
perchance the old doughty Germans
presumed it would also forestall any
rambling in discourse. Behind this and
far above in the wall, was a small cir
cular peep hole, about seven.bY-nine
pane, for the benign countenance ol
the old Sexton Show to look through
when he had rung the bell to see if he
had rung in suficiency of the faith,
full for the service to begin. His quaint
old face, like that of Quasimodo, in the
Hunchback of the Notre Dame, seemed
to be part of the institution. He
was the typical old grave-digger. bent
over with age and gravity. he it vas
however, in some dispute with the
church authorities about the grave ar.
rangements, being riled to the e1'
treme, de6sntly cast into their teeth
the challenge that "he would never b.
buried in that graveyard-no, never,
not so long as he lived"
Some quaint stories have come dowr
by tradition as part of the history o.
this church. One of the ministers had
a parishioner, a Doctor Rheinecke
who annoyed him aud interrupted bis
discourse just at the most impressive
moment, or about fifteen minutes be
fore his finally, by getting up anC
hurryiug out as though imperativell
called to some death bedside. Tn
old minister, thinking it strange tina
so many perverse people would choos
that special moment every Sunday +
need the doctor, made some inquire
as to the matter and quietly pOckete,
the information. Next Sunday, whel