Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1920-03-18

bate. ! am quite sure that some who
were assigned 10 take one side or the
other on this question, previous to
discussion. had never so much as heard
of the mighty world-conqueror and
his friend who so nobly murdered him.
But the debate occasioned many TO
search history and cyclopedia, and
probably in lieu Of these, the Hagers.
town Almanac, to discover what they
could Of Roman history. Would that
some one had told them Of Shake
speare's play! am sure, however. that
We would have, 10 go far in our
modern methods 10 get at an institu-
ton which lifted the people of this
rural section so completely out Of
their necessarily restricted vision, and
gave them wholesome food for COM
verSation and reflection.
or the men who took part in these
debates recall Hess Reinhart, then a
slim, eeardless, pale young man. sug-
costing the student in his manner. and
he was really our most scholarly young
man al the time; recall George Os-
borne, with bushy, brown beard, and
rudy fase-an ex-Confederate, and
quite popular; Griff Moler, sandy in
hair, beard and complexion. and sim
ply Undesirable in his personality. for
he would tackle any question any
where, in his own ernacular-which
was not always according to the best
linguistic authorities; Capt. Lee II
Moler, then in his prime and hand
some, and whose home in the COM
munity was the nearest approach TO
aristocracy we had; Jack Hoffman.
who talked like modern machine gun
fires; Phil and Will Reinhart, who
were better at telling war stories than
in debate; Charley Knott. afterwards
mixed in politics, but at this time
with raven hair and beard, and the life
OF any group that he happened to be
in; my own father, who could not de-
bate a little bit, but who would not
have missed being there and having
his SAY" fer anything; Matt Hen
bricks, of whom | have Just spoken
and Harry Lee himself, who naturally
was the oracle.
The Reinhart school-houSe was also
the church center for the community.
The Remnants and Hoffmans we're Re-
| formers; the Moiers Of one branch,
were Lutherans, and the others were
of the Episcopal Church; the Knott's
were Methodists. Thus we had de-
nomnationalism to meet and solve by
| having preachers representing each
| denomination hold, in turn, religious
services in the schoolhouse. Here
| first saw and heard DR.. Bittle. Of the
Lutheran Church, and recall his many
illustrations which | could understand
Rev. ]. G. Bowman, OF the Reformed
Church, was the tallest, thinnest, most
lumiHous-e young divine imagin-
able. He read his sermons, and my
| father told me the preacher was "a
student" ! afterwards knew that he
was. More Of him when come to
| speak Of the pastors in my Shepherd
College days Our Methodist pastors
then were Coe, Fitzpatrick and Neel
The Episcopal clergyman was DR.. c.
W. Andrews.
In this school-house the old-time re-
vivas were held. Dave Fraley, a one
legged man, led the singing. An or
| gan would have been considered sac
| riligeous. | wish to speak with be-
coming reverence, but many things in
connection with those revival meet
ings recalled now, appear unthinkable
! For instance, after the preach
er (FitzpatrickC had preached his
/ invitation sermon and the psyche
logical moment had come to sing, Dave
known then: 81 do believe. now be-
lieve." But the preacher saw that the
audience was dull, and he suddenly
stopped the leader of song by saying
stop, brother, stop-they don't be-
| lieve-sing,
My drowsy powers, why sleep you so,
Awake my slumbering soul!"'
do not know what tune Dave found
to go to these depressing words. but
probably this was the end of the meet
ing for the night, and led to the dox-
oiogy and benediction. On such an
occasion, when the people and pastor
went home glum and gloomy, they
said: "The devil was present in great
power tonight" AS now see it prob
ably a little ventilation in a room that
had been occupied all day by school
children, and was now lighted by coal
oil lamns and little more nntimis N,