Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1858-11-18
Jim Franklin and the Falling Stars.

Siu fIdhAhm anu tHt FdiliGS OldTS
The meteoric shower that fell on
the night Of the 18th November.
1888, exbibiteda scene long to be
remembered by all who witnessed it.
To the enlightened and we'll informed
it was grand, awful, sublime; but to
the Ignorant and superstitious, over.
wbelming and terrific. @ r!r
! Such a countless number of me-
teors never fell from the empyrean in
so short space of time before OF
since, the theories of Humboldt and
Captain Twining to the contrary not
withstandiug
A few weeks after this grand dis.
play of fire works Jim Franklin, or
''Uncle Jim," as he was most gener-
ally called, was seen hobbling about
on crutches. his lower extremities coy-
ared with superabundance of red
flannel. Jim's early educational
advantages had been very limit d.
His learning from books and schools
was confined to the acquisitions
Of few months, by a mind not
at all inclined to study. But he had
prospered in the world, and by rails
ing cotton in the flatwoods of Elbert.
where he lived, had accumulated
snug fortune. Ye was general ia
vorite in his neighborhood, and but
for slight habit of indulging some.
times too freely in the ardent
might have been termed an unlearned,
shrewd, exemplary man.
Jim was sitting with number of
gentlemen in the Petersburg Inn, his
feet adjusted in another chair, with
bis crutches across his lap, when some
one inquired why he was working
himself in shafts? Whereupon he
explained: "You see we had at onr
house, the other night, a small sprln-
kle of what we honestly tuck to be
the day of Judgment! 1t turned
out we we're slightly mistaken; but l
assure ycu, If | am any judge Of
small matters, it was a right good
counterfeit of that great day, when
there is to be general smash up
Many one Of US. for a while, thought
it was the genewine coin, and, as the
masons would say, conducted our
selves accordingly I tuck the
wrong shute at the star. Now they
say, Man purposes, and God expos
es;' this may or may not be good
Scriptur; at the latter end Of my speri-
ence | would call it good sense.
81 was suddenly wakened out of
sound sleep, not by Gabriel's horn,
but noise mighty nigh as loud, if
not hearn SO fur; wife, children and
niggers we're screaming and hollerin'
'the day Of judgment was come, the
stars wur all fallin', the world was
burning up!' l sprung up and look.
ed at the heaven; never seed-sich pro-
cedencies thar before! Thar being
no mountains or rocks convenient to
call on to hide me, | tuck bee line
with average ingine speed for the well,
which I would say is 80 feet deep
in the clear. It's the deepest hole in
the ground l know anything about.
When got thar l found Bob and
Sam, two of my niger boys, on a
quondary which of the two elements
to chuse. Bob, a bright molatter was
for water Sam, an onmixed African,
was for turning sallymander, and ia
Gin the music, Says /, Boys, clear
the track, and take hold Of that wind
lass, and let me down into the bowels
of the yeth as soon as the natur of
the case will admit Of the outside is
getting unwholesome sure!' Then,
without bat, coat, vest, pants, stock.
ings or shoes, / got in the bucket
and started; they hadn't turned the
windlass twice round when | hollered
to 'em 10 slip the breeching and let
me slide. No sooner said than done,
when | whirled, cur-slasb, nigh on to
three foot in the water. No man
could have made the trip sooner. cep-
tin he bad fallen in, and he'd had to
tuck a far start at that!
.About the time the water settled
around me, and | was kivered all but
my head, Ifelt fire-proof, and calcu. =.
lated they'd have to burn low to gl'
mel Now they say man IN deep
well. in the day time, can see stars
I ALLOW them is fixed stars. The ones
| 7 s,w from that wen that night was
travellers. certain! Besides, i there
Was any tl9s!i fixed stars that night | new
! er seed EN- Some said they saser' sss