Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1921-01-13
Some Shepherdstown Landmarks
BY J. o. Knott.

In days aCone, farther back than I
would care 10 advertise TO the world al
large, the way from the community in
which | lived TO ShepherdStown was a
long one, particularly when the roads.
were heavy" One man, Charley
Knott, could make the FIVE miles from
the Knott quarry country TO Shepherds
town in less than two hours His two
fast little bay horses could skim
IN what is now reckoned as slow auto
mobile time
Going 10 town in those days mea
day en- for nothing could be con-
Sidered as worth doing that could be nj
tempted before going or ar er return
ing. ii the roads were unusually bat
horses went walking all the way. the
Spring-wagonS (our favOrite vehiClel
grooming through thick mud or sluShing
through deep puddes of water, while
the horse attached pulled pitiably un
til you got actually tired at seeing the
poor animal tugging to land his load
safe and sound in town. Not long
since, on a night when rain, snow and
mud were rivaling each other for mas
terry, made this very trip with my sis
ter and some others, in their automo-
bile, in twenty minutes. That trip on
that stormy night suggested this rem
iniscence.
To boy driving a spring wagon and
a treacherous horse, Mr.. Oliver Sher-
mans farm, southeast of town, was like
a dangerous shoal in the ocean that must
be charted. The reason was simple
enough. He had an ox-team, the only
one believe at that time in the county
and that oX-team was more of a bugaboo
than a locomotive to country horse.
If the old Dutch navigatorS, in ap-
preaching the Tappan Zee on the Hud-
son river, used to shorten sail and inn
plore the aid of ST. Nicholas until they
got safely by, | most surely used TO
pray that the dreaded ox-team would be
out Of commission or otherwise engaged
than making its way to Shepherdstown,
when ! drove out the family horse in
our spring-wagon, with my mother and
the younger children Of the household
by way of the Sherman farm to Shep-
herdstpwn. Once had these fierce
looking oxen with heads down and hor-
rible horns goring right and left as
though they would sweep the road and
impale an entire horse and wagon me-
me when | was driving my mother in
the wagon, and our horse suddenly
turning upset us and dashed up agains
a stonewall, while the frightened horse
Strewing dishes and dry goods along the
road, flew back towards Shepherds
town. Boys of the age of nine years
are sufficiently impressionable to re-
member such incidents. range to
say, | met Mr.. Sherman many times
after had grown UP, but never saw
him without asSociating him with that
horrible ox-team.
Mr.. Sherman's father was very o.
when saw him, and was of the old
school. His son, Oliver, was a man
of good size who kept his face clean
shaved, had very little hair-almost
bald, in fact and was for time quite
a prominent man about Shepherdstown.
He had one Of the finest farms in the
county, was bachelor, and in the
presence of ladies was almost French
in his manners. But his love for spec
ulation and some want of power to cal
culate the markets correctly involve =
him so that not only did he lose his
property but carried down with hin
others.
One of the landmarks upon ap-
preaching Shepherdstown by the Mo-
ler's Cross Roads route was the Snyder
shop, where we all we're sure to stop
and have our vehicles and horses ''made
over" To my boyish fancy Mr.. Coon"
Snyder, who had peg" leg, and who
the most interesting men about town.
His face is quite clear to me as ! write
His mouth was drawn a little to the
g nd alt
severity in it. He was a powerful man
physically, and looked like one who
feared neither man or the devil. As
a child had heard the story of his
Civil War doings which made him the
more interesting 10 me. ! can not
vcuch for its truth. He is reported to
have had cane made of tin, painted
to look like wood, and when the Yam
kee forces, for the time in charge of
the town, had assumed to manage the
dealing of all liquor, and had prohib-
tied its use save as they. permitted, Mr..
Snyder had used this tin cane. 10 hold
what he wanted for himself and his
friends. But, on one occasion, think
ing the joke too good to keep. he walk.
ed up to a Yankee officer, and asked
him to have drink. The officer in
surprise said: "What have YOU to
drink ?" Mr.. Snyder proceeded to take
off the top of his cane, and offered the
well-flled receptacle to the astonished
Yankee. The story goes that the Off
Ger handed the cane back, saying, "You
have out-Yankeed me-"
At the eastern edge of Shepherds
town, as YOU approached the town from
the river road. was the blacksmith shon
of Mr.. Ray. The proprietor OF this es-
tablishment was quite man in his
way and in his day. When saw the
great London preacher, Mr.. Spurgeon
Just before his death, and noted his
size and general appearance as he sa'
and preached (for he was para'v7"'
L tkannht ne Me- pau HID nIIr fnrrne-