The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1944-03-02

and when she saw the empty plate,
it was promptly replenished with a
new supply. There was very little
talking at the table. This restraint
was kept up but as years passed and
things began to be a little more
modernized, there was a little "inch-
ing in" on the old folks. Coffee be-
gan to be served a little oftener
than only on Sunday. So 'the girls
sometimes made coffee for the har-
vest hands, which they drank up
stairs. The furniture of the house
was as simple and as plain as the
fare The chairs were homemade;
the seats plated with broad, smooth
shaven slips of white oak or hick-
DRY, while the walls were lined
with plain benches. The floor, of
course, knew nothing of carpet.
But the floor was made every Satur-
day, to assume a perfectly white
appearance, under the operation of
water, sand and broom. The cradle,
the writer says, in which his father
and his brothers and sisters were
rocked, was nothing else but one
side of a hollow gumwood log, about
three feet long, shut at each end
with a board. Philosphizing, the
writer observes: I'm this simple bed,
lying upon the floor like half
moon upon its back, the worthless
of the past generation slept and
dreamed the sweet dreams of in
fancy" The clock which stood in
the room was bought with Cont
mental money. This venerable old
man of the Harbaugh family pros
pered "by industry, economy and
the blessing of God" He, it was
said, exercised the same authority
over his grandchildren as he did
over his children, and the right was
granted him.
It is interesting to recite that a
member of this family became a
noted man. His name was Leonard
Harbaugh, born in York county,
Pa, May 10, 1749. He moved to
Baltimore from York and resided
in Baltimore up to 1892. He built
houses of every kind-churches,
taverns, dwellings, warehouses and
even bridges. He performed one
of the greatest wonders of those
times, that was ever done in the
city-placing a stone arch under
meath a very large two-story brick
house, used and occupied as
court house, and then removing all
the earth on which it formerly
stood, and all from around it, leav-
ing the house standing firmly and
safely on the arch of stone, where
it remained for about Is years, and
then was removed to make room for
other Improvements. 1t stood on
the very spot where the Battle Mon
ument in Baltimore now stands. He
moved from Baltimore to Washing
ton in 1892 and was Immediately
engaged in building for himself
and Others, He could boast of hav-
ing George Washington as a very
particular friend of his on many
occasions. He built the War and
Treasury offices as they stood pre-
vious to their destruction by the
English in 1914. He did a great
deal of work on the Presidents
House" when it was first built. He
also assisted in the carpenter work
about the Capitol, built bridges
across Rock Creek, etc. He at
length entered into an agreement
with the Potomac Company to make
the Potomac River navigable for
long boats. This job commenced at
the Big Falls, a few miles above
Georgetown. The fall of the water
at that place was very great and it
was necessary to cut a passage
through the mountain of rock. At
that time this was considered an
impossibility. Nevertheless he I'M
dertook it and accomplished it in
less time than he asked for. The
three locks he cut through the
mountain are no doubt still stand
ing there to this day. He made the
Potomac navigable for long boats
up above Cumberland. He then
commenced operations on the Shen-
andoah River at Harpers Ferry and
made that river navigable by build
ing locks and cutting canals for up
wards of 100 miles above the Ferry.
After this work he moved to Fred
erick county on the Monocacy
Creek, within two miles of Freder-
lex, where he built a very large
stone bridge at cost of $55, 5000.
After this work was finished he
again moved to Baltimore and was
variously engaged in building