Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-10-26
NOTES BY OBSERVER.

eoh.'' mark passes. The old
-. AIS there a long, long time
80 -..rks on locust sills, and
n'-,, I.,s- ,-- locust lasts almost indef-
~ ,-c flooring had to be replac-
u. r- r.rairei frequently. Inc town
.-r~,H finally concluded to replace 1t
,...- q concrete structure, and the con-
W., MS awarded TO r. q. Miller.
r. town run is thus obscured en-
.;.sr, for not only are the street and
.:seysiks on either side covered with
,,,,rr-l. but the run is also bridged
ss,,,c.s4. the fireman's building.
S,r,show Observer regrets seeing the
s,n.;,c waters thus permanently con-
Ds,rs5 for the new bridge is there to
.,,y and IS utilitarian TO degree.
Tte,s i now left but one wooden
b,ijge along the town run, that on
High street.
Older folks will recall the interest
leo enisotes connected with these
.,teets where the town run flowed
,,seIy in DAYS gone by. They were
Watering places for one thing, where
horses and cattle we're watered at
least twice day, morning and eve
ming What a splaShing and below
inc there was, as the animals crowd
ed each other for the best places.
Small bows riding bareback on the
borses we're at times bitter partisans
and manv a fight has taken place as
,hey sought advantage for their own
stock In those days almost every
householder kept a horse or COW
or both-and town farmers" had con-
siderable herds of cattle and num-
her of horses Now there are few
cows and still fewer horses. 1t was
a great place, too, for washing bug
pies and carriages. The mud roads
made this operation frequent ne
cessity and small boys enjoyed help
inp at this work in the summer time,
when thev would splash around in the
water to their hearts content. Then,
too when there was a fire the boards
we're dropped down, the water damned
back. and the old hand engine run to
the stream and hastily manned.
"Down on the suction" was heard
there many a time, as they pumped
away on the engine. Some seventy
odd years ago when the Methodist
church and parsonage were burned
double line of men and women reached
from the run to the church-one line
passing full buckets of water and the
other handling the empty buckets on
the return 1t is said that a consid-
erable stream of water was thus kept
moving
Observer remembers very we'll the
great day when Van Amburgh's cir
Gus came to town. With other small
boys he was up before daylight wait
ing for the vanguard of the circus
equipment to come. How thrilled we
we're when the first of the wagons be,
gan TO arrive. Ii was interesting to
see the scores of magnificent horses
taken TO the run for water-the spotted
ponies that we're billed to do such won-
derfu featS, the trick mules-and the
cameIS, The small boys, with their
neaiS full of stories as to how much
camel could drink and how long he
could 90 without water, were confident
mat three or four camelS could easily
drink the run dry, but the homely
creatures refused to do anything spec
tacuIar. But the elephants! the eIe-
P9nantS they made up for all Other
clsaPpointments. The way they drew
III great dTaughts of water and then
sEuifted II over each other or any other
creature nat happened within range
was absolutely satisfying. 1t was
msaVehIy TO gaze on them, free, and
sath their aquatic enjoyment. even
;mVuen tneTc was imminent danger.
~ Ouf MINDS, that they might encirc'e
VIZ SNl'i BOYS in those Squirming
M.nhS .s ana hur! them hundreds of feet
Mousn The air. But no untoward in
sIelt si happened, except that we miss
S. :. our H-eakfasts. John Fayman
Jagged and strutted for weeks be-
.asSy .aa. ne mad been bold enough to 90
S;,1.s.sht.y !, near to an elephant to have
squirt water on him. Cam Shugart
t5,, -'..neF .I time Informed his mother
in ,.,.. u,v elephant had two tails-one
o,,., ,,o' anl one behind. What a pam
ross;s,. ;.;s '."i he enrolled if it were
! ,b,, ,," % nave pictures Of the scenes
MAC. enacted at these old watering
ye.-., ~ 1'7.n" the past two hundred
has ,,.' - street. where the new bridge
in,a,sSs." 'Cen built there was much of
The &, ~, hundred years or more ago.
ahla S ..S stone row" now comfort
was S.L SSIE .Wcll-kept dwelling houses,
was 49,. brewery. Here beer
ul- ~. yea. go. and lis product was pop
gs-. b.1.., with the town folks who
ore-. rL ..v inclined, hut the wag
Te~-.... rove their teams from
tim.-s ,rl IN nearer points to Bal
vrc7 .,.. rs were large consumers
oy4. ."00cd in Shepherdstown
H-.w.-. across the street from the
g-.,t-,.. 'nn flowed underneath
-hc r-,t. Gibson dwelling-house
cd -7- ...r t,'rounh which it pass
S.clra f.. N.lin'v seen. This was
u -se-.-. Long before the days
the s"' FLINDERS or even OF
y,sf .- .. .. me sickles that were