History of Western Maryland. J. Thomas Scharf
and Miss Nannie F. Little had charge of the fancy table. Among the interesting articles exhibited were the following: An oil-painting of Gen. Washington when forty-five years old, painted by Charles W. Peale, by order of Congress while the army was encamped at Valley Forge in 1777, which now belongs to Gen. T. J. McKaig; also a head of Washington woven in silk at Paris on a Jacquard loom (which was shortly afterwards destroyed), as fine-lined as a steel-engraving; also an engraving of Gen. Otho Holland Williams, the founder of Williamsport; a portrait of Commodore Jesse Duncan Elliott, born in Hagerstown in 1780; a portrait of John Henry Purviance, secretary to President Monroe, with an autograph letter from Samuel Purviance; also Robert Parker's certificate of membership in The Society of the Cincinnati, dated 1785, signed by George Washington. On the right of the stage was an oil-painting of Mrs. Gen. Heister, the only daughter of Jonathan Hager, painted in 1780.
On the east side of the stage was an Indian wigwam, in front of which was a table containing a number of articles of Indian workmanship. On the left: of the stage there hung an engraving of President Monroe, taken from an original painting by I. Van der Lyn. On the stage was a chair one hundred and seventy-five years old, which belonged to Mrs. Dr. Bates; and a pair of arm-chairs, imported by Col. Daniel Hughes, of Antietam, in 1770, and another which belonged to Mrs. Murdock, of Frederick, one hundred and fifty years old; also a memorial picture, worked in silk by Rev. Mrs. Thompson's grandmother, Mrs. Hannah Upham, in 1797; a facsimile of Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge; an autograph receipt from Gen. Washington to Mr. William McAnulty, dated Jan. 25, 1774; two autograph notes to Capt. Van Lear, inviting him to dinner; a copy of " John Drane's Poems," published in 1560, and a number of other ancient volumes. In addition to these were the watch of Jonathan Hager (founder of Hagerstown) and the watch of Mrs. Gen. Heister, his daughter, together with articles worn by Capt. Jonathan Hager, of the Revolutionary army, including two embroidered vests, shoe-buckles, knee-buckles, suspender-buckles, stock-buckle, brooch, saddle ornaments, and Mrs. Hager's shoe-buckles. Besides these the exhibits comprised a copper kettle used by Lafayette while in the Revolutionary army, presented by him to Col. John Holker, of his staff; a medallion on satin of Louis XVI. and Marie Antoinette, presented to the Marquis de Lafayette, and given by him to Col. John Holker, agent of the French government during the Revolution; a pair of brass candlesticks, one hundred years old; a pair of solid silver goblets, one hundred and fifty years old, which belonged to Col. Hughes; a set of teaspoons and sugar-tongs, which were brought from Switzerland one hundred and twenty years before; an amber bead bracelet, which had been worn by six generations in succession; a set of tablespoons made in Hagerstown from Spanish half-dollars in 1785.
Among the china was a water-pitcher with the coat of arms of the thirteen original States, painted in 1778; a butter-dish and cup and saucer which were used in the family of President Monroe; a small box made out of the table on which the Declaration of Independence was written; a pitcher made the year after Washington died, to commemorate his death, which has on it a quaint picture; three dishes which were used in the Mitchell family when Maryland was a colony; an old set of china, used in the Price family over a hundred years; a set of spoons sent during the reign of George III. to Mrs. Kealhoffer's great-grandfather, then a missionary on the island of Jamaica.
The various supper-tables were ranged around the sides of the room, each table having the name and motto of the State it represented on the wall above it. The ladies in charge of the tables were:
Virginia, Misses Lily Cushwa and Lily Syester; New York, Misses Rene Boullt and Ada McComas; Connecticut, Misses Lily Seymour and Lottie Croynin; South Carolina, Misses Eva Poulke and Maggie Keller; Rhode Island, Misses Lily Scott and Nannie Ogilby; Massachusetts, Misses Kate Marshall and Sue Love; North Carolina, Mrs. Allan Yingling and Mrs. W. H. A. Hamilton; Delaware, Mrs. S. D. Straub and Miss Sue Herbert; Pennsylvania, Misses Bettie Zeller and Cephie Herbert; Maryland, Misses Emma Herbert and Mary McComas; New Jersey, Misses Nannie Cushwa and Lily Ogliby; New Hampshire, Mrs. E. C. Bushnel, Mrs. P. B. Small, and Misses Nellie Gibson, Eliza Keller, Annie Campbell, V. Dunn, and Mary Small; Georgia, Mrs. Kate Fechtig, Mrs. A. K. Syester, Mrs. C. Bechtel, Mrs. Joseph B. Loose, and Misses Louisa Johnson and Laura Keppler.
On the 6th of June, 1872, the first passenger-train over the Western Maryland Railroad from Baltimore arrived in Hagerstown. The run was made from Baltimore, 86 miles, in three hours and twenty minutes with seven stoppages. The train comprised the locomotive, which was tastefully decorated with flowers and flags, the baggage-car, and a new passenger-car. The latter contained a number of officials and invited guests, among whom were the president of the company, James L. McLane, and his predecessor in that office, George P. Bokee; Robert Hooper, secretary and treasurer; J. T. Rigney, general superintendent; B. H. Griswold, agent at Hagerstown; Mr. Hutton, chief engineer; Col. Longwell, of Carroll County; ex-Senator Briggs, of Frederick; John Welty, one of the Washington County directors; Col. Fred. Raine, of the German Correspondent, of Baltimore, and others. The conductors in charge of the train were Messrs. Besler and R. Stoner. The train was met by the mayor of Hagerstown and other municipal officers, together with a large assemblage of citizens. After being entertained at the residence of Mr. Harris, one of the directors, near the town, the visitors inspected the site of the depot, not then erected, and the officers of the company concluded the negotiations for its purchase with its owner, Richard Wise. In the afternoon they took dinner at the Washington House with the mayor and a number of other citizens of Hagerstown, after which they returned to Baltimore.
The Fourth of July, 1876, was observed in Hagerstown with elaborate and appropriate ceremonies. Two platforms were erected, — one in the southwest angle of the public square and the other in front of the courthouse. The former was erected for the school of Joseph Updegraff, and the latter by the citizens of the town, — a spacious structure, which nearly covered one-half of the pavement in breadth, and was nearly the full length of the building.
Bunting was extensively displayed all over the town, and banners of all nations were flung to the breeze. The eve of the Fourth was celebrated by the school of Joseph Updegraff on their platform on the square, which was brilliantly festooned, and illuminated with Chinese lanterns interspersed among American flags. The exercises consisted of music led by Prof Mentzer, and orations, recitations, and songs by members of the school, which continued until after ten o'clock, and were attended by a very large concourse of citizens.
At midnight the bells sounded a simultaneous peal, which was accompanied by the steam-whistles of the Agricultural Works on Washington Street. Next morning the marched through the streets of the town according to programme, drew up in front of the court-house, when the officers of the day, the choir, and leading participants in the procession took their seats upon the platform, the Hon. Daniel Weisel having been called upon to preside. The young ladies and other musicians under Prof Mentzer occupied the eastern division of the platform, the judges of the courts and other officials the western side, and in the center were the aged men who represented the original States. The music was rendered with effect, the Declaration of Independence was read by W. H. A. Hamilton, of the Hagerstown bar, prayer was offered by the Rev. S. W. Owen, of St. John's Lutheran Church, and the oration was delivered by Hon. A. K. Syester.
In the afternoon there was a procession of the different Sabbath-schools, which concluded the day's proceedings. The heat of the day had gradually intensified until five o'clock, the hour fixed for this parade, when rain fell for half an hour, delaying and interrupting the proceedings. The ceremonies advertised had to be dispensed with on account of the rain, with the exception of the procession, which was formed in the following order by William H. Seidenstricker, chief marshal, with his aides, consisting of the superintendent of each Sunday-school in line, as follows:
First Reformed School — William Gassman, superintendent, 200 in line. Left resting on Householder's corner.
Presbyterian School. — W. H. Herbert, superintendent, 75 in line. South side Washington Street.
St. Johns Lutheranian School.—John Bikle, superintendent, 360 in line. East side South Potomac Street.
United Brethren School.— Mr. Worst, superintendent, 75 in line. Right resting on Beachley's corner.
Methodist Episcopal School. — J. S. McCartney, superintendent, 150 in line. Right resting on Byers' corner, north side West Washington Street.
German