The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-04-02

HARRISON, HAMILTON CoUsTY.-Having
spent day or two recently at the flourish
ing and attractive county seat of Hamilton,
we must ask the indulgence of few re-
marks in relation to the town, location, &e.
And in doing so, We are conforming to GUS
tom. Modern travellers arc always writing,
giving their views and impressions. Bay
ard Taylor's smoothly moving pen has da-
guerreotyped almost every inch Of ground in
the old world, throwing new beauties around
the balmy South and investing the inhospi-
table regions of the North with an interest
they.neyer possessed before-Mr. Mitchell is
entertaining John Martin. Esq, Rue de La
cepede, Paris" with "a Tour liz the South.
West"-the editor of the Knoxville Wing
writes immensely when on the wing, and
even the Cleveland Banner occasionally
grows descriptive over trip to Benton and
Decatur. Who then will deny US the privi-
lege to say something about Harrison and its
surroundings! No one, ofcourse; and there
fore to Begin.
In some respects il 10 the most remarkable
place in the world. Beng county town
it might be presumed to be always in commu-
nication with The contiguous country. Such,
however, is not the case-there are times
and seasons when the people of Harrison are
rs remote from the outside world as was
Alexander Selkirk on the island of Juan Fer
nandez-seasons, when the citizen rises in
the morning nothing but wide waste of wa
ter meets the eye, and if he steps forth, like
the dove Of Noah he can find no dry spot for
the sole of his foot. Situated not far from
the Tennessee, when that usually stad and
majestic stream gets high and goes on a bust,
one Of its first feats is 20 surround Harrison
and confne the inhabitants 10 their domeis.
In addition to this, all the rain that falls
around there seems to be attracted to the
town. At the time of our visit, within the
corporation was body of water about The
extent of Lake Winnepiseoga, into which in
Vulnerable streams and rvulels continually
poured. In fact, all approach to the Tenn
pie of Justice-vulgary, the Court-house-
was cut off without the aid of canoes; and
while his Honor was in the attic ladng out
law, the b'hoys could be seen standing on the
window-sills of the lower-rooms fshin' for
cats. The older inhabitants have become sort
of amphibous, and don't mind it; but We
noticed that visitors and transient persons
generally had bricks in their hats to prevent
injury from the aqueous properties of the
atmosphere. Mind, we are not saving word
against the people-for the men are kind,
clever, and hospiiable, and the women as fair
as "water-bells," those singularly beautiful
flowers that rear their heads above the Ia
oonsof Venice, bloom for few days, and die.
We are simply speaking of the locality and
its surroundings. The Arkan-saw Bottoms
amt printing TO ii. Whatever induced such
n selection for atown we cannot Imagine
Water is great element, essential even to
the manufacture of whiskey, but Temper
ance man as we are we cannot help thinking
there is possibility Of being blessed with
too much of it. AT least that was our i'm
preston while at Harrison. The thorough
fares through Hamilton are Of the most ex-
ecrable character, the people of that county
having by some means imbibed the notion
that 1t is against both law and gospel to
work The roads.
But we must close. Harrison has a good
hotel kept by Major Arnett, some three or
four stores, large Academy, two or three
resident lawyers, doctor or two, and pref
ty considerable graveyard. As the recent
Legislature established Courts al Cha,tanoo-
ga, and most of the business will probably
be transferred to that point, If our friends at
Harrison will pardon us the suggeslon-and
we make il in all respect and kindness-we
would advise them at the next spring tide to
cable the town TO fat-bost and move il
down.
lSS- A Washington letter to the Nashville
Union and American applies opprobrious