Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1915-09-23
Story Of Harper's Ferry.

+ A eorresT ondsnt Of the Cincinnati
Commercial las revived old and inter
estinR "reminiscences Of this quiet cele-
brated locally. He writes:
/ will 60 back to the time when this
romantic sp,t was a bowling wilder
, ness. the silence of the eternal hills
broken only by the rumble of the Poto-
mac and the Shenandoah, as they rush
to each others embrace, and roll to the
ocean.
Robert Harper was carpenter and
house builder, living one hundred and
fifty years ago In Philadelphia. In IT,
AZ he was employed to build church
BY the early settlers in the Deighbor-
hood Of what is now Winchester, vir-
ginia. Making his way to that point,
through the almost trackless country,
he was at Frederick Maryland. told
that he could save distance by taking
q route through place called 1.-The
Hole where the two rivers met. And
that was the first that Robert Harper
says of Harper's Ferry. Could he
have looked down the vista Of time q
century and quarter what emotions
would have filled his kindly heart.
Perhaps he would have declined to
establish ferry there, and link his
name with spot that was to drink up
SO much human blood.
at THE Hole" Harper found one
solitary person, man named Stevens,
who had squatted on this corner of the
almost limitless Fairfax estate. Har-
per was so delighted with the scenery
and the prospect of fair business re.
turn by establishing ferry and direct
ing travel this way, that he bought out
Stevens for so pounds sterling, got q
quit claim deed from Lord Fairfax.
who did not seem to have high opinion
of that section of the wilderness, and
settled down to the ferry business.
having first built the church at VIM
chester.
And this was the origin of Harper,,s
Ferry. When then a single small boat
barely large enough to hold horse and
wagon, did the business. now hun
dred trains day thunder past.
Harper conducted the ferry until 49,
72. when he died and was hurried.
A small settlement of rather rude
people had grown up around him, and
he must have thought that the place
would have some considerable populat-
ion. for he donated to the village ten
acres for cemetery, and was himself
buried in the center Of it.
looked for his grave but could not
find it. The scourge of war has popu-
lated this little enclosure until graves
have been dug on graves, the rude It,
tie headstones knocked over and whole
sections closed as unknown.
Before the civil war the government
operated extensive rifle factories at
Harper's Ferry, but after the John
Brown raid. and probably because OF
lit. were abandoned. The location was
considered an admirable one for such
an enterprise. The fact. is mentioned
by the Baltimore American in an editor
torial suggestion that The Importance
of Harper's Ferry be revived by max.
ing it the location for the great ex-
perimental laboratory which will prob
ably be constructed for the inventors
board of the navy which Secretary
Daniels is organizing.
At the same time, says the American,
1T could be made the location of gov.
eminent munition works, for the man
ufacture of shrapnel and other shells,
and any novel forms of munitions that
the inventors might develop. Levels
of the mountain which rise above the
historic old town are we'll adapted as q
site for the proposed laboratory.
Three states meet there Maryland,
Virginia and West Virginia-it is on
the main line of the Baltimore & Ohio,
has other connections, and possesses
ample water power through the con-
Auence of two rivers.
That it is more than sentimental in
terest which prompts the American to
urge the Government to establish q
laboratory and munition works at Har-
per's Ferry is shown by its argument
as to the advantages which that city
offers. The more one reflects upon its
location and the topography of the sur
rounding country, the stronger, be-
comes the impression that Harper
Ferry is the ideal place for such gov
eminent enterprises Beckley Messen-
| ger.