Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-01-08
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES.
Shepherdstown Folk in the Early DAYS
of Shepherd College.

do not claim TO be aged, but there
are sharply-outlined recollections of
men and things that center about
Shepherdstown and vicinity from
about 1870 TO 1880, to which am Of
ten almost compelled to give express
sion. Having few evenings ago sat
up until after IL o'clock with some
Jefferson county persons comparing
notes as to those days, jot down the
following with the promise that il
more of the same is desired I'll try to
comply with the demand.
One of my earliest recollections Of
men of prominence in the vicinity of
ShepherdStown is of my grandfather,
Mr.. Samuel Knott, in connection with
Mr.. Christian Reinhart. They lived
near each other in the region of Mo
ler's Cross Roads, and came daily to
town. The Cross Roads would be
their meeting place, as well as their
point of departure when returning
from town" | cast no reflections
on the present generation when say,
those men in appearance and in dig
nifty as we'll as in standing have never
been excelled by any of their progeny,
This is putting the case as mildly as il
is safe to put it. | would like to say
more
Both men rode remarkably we'll
groomed horses and were themselves
better dressed than any country peo-
pie | know now in the entire COM
munity. well remember my Grand
father Knott, and have reason to be-
lieve that Mr.. Reinhart was not whit
behind him in care as to personal ap-
pearance. Here is the picture as
recall it: A dress of black, immacu-
lately kept, shoes or boots carefully
polished, a silk hat, a "stock" and
high linen collar, a clean-Shaven face.
with gray "Burnsides," and a voice
which was deep, slightly rasping but
carried with il authority. He rode
dark chestnut colored horse, "Mor-
gam" and | verify believe no thunder
storm could induce him to urge that
horse out of walk. He went daily to
town, and at the same hour. He an
tedated "rural free delivery" for he
brought our mail to us on time and
threw i; il: the yard as he passed. He
did this for as many as lived on his
cline"
MIR. Reinhart died some years be-
fore my grandfather, and the death of
his "pal' was a great blow to him. Al
ter that time he and Major Reinhart
would frequently ride together. Both
Of these Reinhart men were distin-
guished looking.
In the town itself my first recol-
lections are of DR.. John Reynolds. He
was our family physician and a great
favorite with everybody. can never
forget the odor of that little Office Of
his down on Main street, near his
home. / am sure that il | had been
there blindfold | would have recog-
nized the medicine" smell of the Of
flee. DR.. Reynolds had a very must
cal voice, rode horses that invariably
dog and the doctors fav-
orite attitude when he rode was to
look down at one Of his feet and
strike his foot with a riding whip. He
resembled DR.. !. S. Tanner to some
extent, in general appearance. But DR.
Tanner never got over his Confed-
eracy-surgeon air, and would gallop'
his horse along after a soldiers fash
ion. His movements and his speech
were much quicker than those Of DR..
Reynolds.
Among distinguished men in looks
as well as in fact | recall the hand
some Mr.. Tom Butler. He was nv
ideal Of what man should be in ap-
pearance. I can see him now-straight
tall and finely-built, gracefully walk
ing the streets Of the town, greeting
people with a grace that was truly
"Old Virginian." He followed the
fashion of the day in a full but close
ly-cropped beard, that was iron-gray
when ! first knew him. From a child
| had been taught by our entire fami-
ly to have great respect, if not rever-
ence, for the above-named men.
Among merchants that | recall as a
child were men such as Mr.. D. S.
Rentch, Richard and Welshans; the
two Lickliders; the Adams store, and
Joseph Stonebraker, where my father
always took me for oysters; and Bert
Magruder and Henry Billings, the
drttn l.