Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-01-12
NOTES BY OBSERVER.


AZ the National Museum in
S,s1;,pton that could settle the ques-
.,'n whether or not George Wash
80 ."' narped through Sunday sermons
n Christ Church, Alexandria, va. The
s.csion could be strictly re led on, for
the reason that the organ was there at
,hs time. Unfortunately for history
We rail and somewhat grandfather
oIockish instrument is dumb in every
rSy NJ the five octaves, though to any
rna,bematician able to put two and two
,ooether and make five of it, its dim
nshoeany and tarnished gilt speaks
mr. the prosperity Of our ancestors, two
Centuries back, who could afford to
ir,nort luxuries until war came along
and gave US liberty and home made
nelOdeons. -,
"The George Washington organ"
was brought from England in 100,
but was not placed in the Alexandria
edifce until it had served in the
choir of a church in another part OF
Virginia. After an uncertain stay in
Christ Church $50 far as the label
will diyulge) its adventures took it
10 Shepherdstown, Va, and later 10
Hancock, Md, where it remained until
the yestry donated it to the museum.
where it now heads CO lection of
musical instruments which vary in size
from a rattle TO a grand piano and
represent every world-peripd, from
Pans pipes 10 jazz.
We find the ABOVE item floating
around in the newspapers. II brings
back, of course, memories and Incl
dents connected with its long stay in
Shepherdstown, for it graced Trinity
Episcopal Church in this place for
many years. Very few persons know
that George Washington, who is said
TO have had an agreeable bass voice,
sang TO its accompaniment when he at
tended church in Alexandria. The or
gan was brought to Shepherdstown at
at uncertain date long before the Civil
War and installed in the Episcopal
Church at the corner of Church and
High streets. There are a few per-
sons still living, doubtless, who can
remember when Mrs. McEndree was
the organiSt and John S. Pierce was
the tenor Later, when the new
church was built on Main street the
organ was moved into the handsome
stone structure and placed in its gal
leE. Miss "Tippie" Pendleton waa
me oTganlst for some years, and later
Miss Minnie Hall was the soprano. ST
John Byer occasionally played on this
instrument at church services and for
his private edification
Inc old organ had a pecu lar sweet
ness OF tone and an expressive dignity
mat was appreciated by real lovers of
gIoa music and as Mr.. Byer remark.
CO. lis simplicity made quite a con-
uaS' 10 me compeXity of the modern
organs with their machinery ALWAYS
MaUle 10 Re out of order" There are
nose who thought that the ancient or
gan decreplt though it undoubtedly
was, eXcelled in usefulness and sweet
ness the modern r're organ now orac.
ing Trinity Chu-~'
%hat an interesting history the an
nalS OF me Church choirs of Shepherds
'oSn makes. The Lutherans have al
Na!S seemed 10 hold the lead in
snuIcn s music in Shepherdstown. OBJ
sr rrSt reco lection is OF the
SSeet "t melo leon in this church. with
miSS ,osS Bette Shcctz as organ;st, In
aon. or 1868 Dr. Daniel Bittle be-
0aStor hf the church. His
sa,T,,ieceSSor sa,, was DR.. Richard Camp
v;a, vH,,' a rather grim preacher, who haI
VIZ ~ ''S 'Wn about music. indeed
or, on ocCas,on, DR.. Campbell gave
,nl .no. hvmn, rea ling it in full
s., en- 80. l. 'urn ne 10 the choir, sternly
Ol, ,,...' rvs h'mn TO the tune of
Y. want none OF these
h- - I'm N this church ;"
wr Wa a. ~ entirety difYeren.
wi; ''S i" E music and sang
n, effectiveness either tenoJ
be- ., 'c a. on the old sofa
Oil. o., -. .'F fine voice rolled
to, ;. -, = N"o'- and conprepa.
We host efforts HE wife
the .,, uro""7'" oood musician, and
TIM. ,a rem orrnnized a choir
mo- WIS ''more co. ma,y yea,s 49,,
s,i,r w'"'N "-e NJ r Snohn
Ss-.. m r"77"r- 'o''rs,l and accsn.ohia Snoi,il
NJ b.. d. 'r church.
pipe o-c,r ~ pl hold of secondhand
chr-,a u somewhere, and when the
rem 'ol.I :. 10y DUN IN 1881 was
ga,ro-,. N 1868 it was nut no On the
been % ' w ne new choir, that had
ncie,.l,, ".' ORGANIZED and so 81
its ca-oo- "n"7 BY Mrs. Bittle, began
Be..o hmong its members were
cleor so"r, florence Harp, the one a
trsl,o rano and other a rich ~,
thev wo,. 'ne ~, 'o!ces were as sweet as
Brisco. uherrinelv true; Miss Ellen
Miss w,r:o uuo Miss Nan Riehtstine:
seductiveI,a Rlckard. whose alto was
Hill. vii sweet; Bette and Newton
came q bo,om, nm,th' who afterward be.
Synof: mo- %Ygo minister Of the Virginia
Harr wmar,a Humrickhouse. lanes
an Go~roo |, x: Deck, Fred Keplinaer
Named po,.; fon'z. or the above
an Fred ,s Ko,,H Harp tnow Mrs. Spohn1
living an ~ IN.gplnger are the onlv ones