The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry, with Legends of the Surrounding CountryBarry, Joseph
History
The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry, with Legends of the Surrounding Country
Barry, Joseph
Harpers Ferry (W. Va.) -- History; Harpers Ferry (W. Va.) -- History -- John Brown's Raid, 1859
In giving the names of Harper's Ferry-born clergymen we might have
mentioned Father William Lynch, pastor of the Catholic church at
Roanoke, Virginia, who, if not quite a native of Harper's Ferry came
very near having that claim on us. He was born and brought up at
Halltown, within four miles of Harper's Ferry, and those four miles
deprived the ancient village of the honor of being his birthplace, and
us of the credit his education would have conferred on us. He is,
however, regarded by us as one of our own, and the author is as glad of
the great success the good father has met and is meeting with as if he
himself had made him as he made the others. From this rather extended
notice of the ministers of religion to the credit of Harper's Ferry it
must not be inferred that the place is not entitled to the honor of
having produced other men of marked ability who adorn other professions.
Some sixty years ago was born in Bolivar, a suburb of the place, the
Hon. E. Willis Wilson, an eminent lawyer of Charleston-on-the-Kanawha.
The civil war broke out just at the time when he had got a fair
education and his studies were, of course, interrupted for a time. His
native energy, however, was too much for any obstacle and as soon as the
reverberation of the cannons ceased around his native place, he went to
work at the study of law, entered politics, and was chosen to fill
various places of honor and trust until he was elected governor of West
Virginia, and was inaugurated on the same day that saw the same ceremony
for President Cleveland. The election of Governor Wilson was the more
remarkable for the violent opposition to him on the part of all the
monopolies in the state and his was a triumph for the right as well as
for himself. His administration was a model one and as he is young
enough for further usefulness, the people of West Virginia will not lose
sight of him.
Another native of the place has risen to eminence in the law. The Hon.
James D. Butt was brought up under some disadvantages in the matter of
education, caused by the civil war but, as he was young enough at the
cessation of hostilities to resume his interrupted studies, he made up
for lost time. He is now Referee in the Bankruptcy Court of his native
district.
In medicine, too, Harper's Ferry has many sons to be proud of. William,
George and Robert Marmion, three sons of Dr. Nicholas Marmion, were
themselves famous physicians and surgeons, especially in diseases of
the eye and ear. The second--George--died some two years ago, but the
oldest--William--is still practising in Washington City, and ranks among
the very highest in the profession. The youngest--Robert--is in the U.
S. Navy. They were all our pupils in the long past.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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