The Winchester home journal. [volume] (Winchester, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1858-04-15

he comes TO ,heorze upon the causes Of
this "learrul sickness. Why we are told
by this learned informant the malaria
from the Mississippi and Tennessee bot.
tens produce it, the one 200 and the 9TH
er 80 miles distant. Don Quirotte in all
his fantasies about his immortal balsam
is thrown into the shade by this renowned
informant. must believe he is moon.
stricken or has seen vision-perhaps
he is believer in spiritual rappings and
table ,ippings. Now, Mr.. Churchman, in
opposition 10 your n(ormant's testimony,
| place my own personal knowledge and
the testimony Of hundreds Of honest men
who live in the vicinity Of Sewance,
who would scorn to make misstatement
in regard to any thing concerning tina, vi.
entity even 20 obtain boon greater than
that of the Southern University.
The testimony of the honest and learn.
ed old gentleman, who has been con.
ducting Aourishing Seminary Of learn.
ing on Sewanee, at Spencer, in regard to
health. and the blacing effects Of the
mountain air on his pupils, and which
testimony was before the Bishops at
Montgomery, is worth more than that of a
thousand such men as Churchman'S in.
formant.
have been practcing medicine for 40
years in the mel ghborhood OF Sewanee and
do not now recollect Of having ever
had an original case Of fever Of any de.
scripton whatever on the top Of the
mountain. The work on the ScwNnee
rail road on the top Of the mountain
never did suspend on accoun, Of any
sickness whatever, 1t is frequently the
case, during the Summer and Autumnal
months, when sickness is prevailing in
the valies, particularly that Of the Ten
nessee river, that who e families retire to
the top Of Sawanoe, being already sick
or having the seeds Of disease within them,
1t has been this description Of cases, !
presume tina, Churchman'S informant has
seen.
Mr.. Churchman, being d lit,lc ashamed
Of his informant's theory, makes lame ef
fort to help him out Of the difficulty, and
in doing so renders himself about as ridic
ulous as his informant. He has recourse
to my Lord Bacon's "signs indicating
sickly localities "-hgh bluffs with fresh
water oozing from lhem-and in his FRUIT
full imagination to make theory cores.
pond with fact, he makes Sewanee fill
the bill. He sees "eyes OF water" abound.
ing on the margin Of the mountain-many
Of these eyes are running springs-and
Others are capable Of being made so, be.
ing indicated by wet depressions in which
water plants grow. Now, Mr.. Church.
man, let me correct your imagination up.
on this subject. Suppose you accompany
me to the top of Sewanee in your mag
ination, and instead Of slight oozings from
the bluff, you behold, not" eyes" but large
fountains Of "living water" gushing from
beneath the sand rock, and bubbIing away
over "eyes" Of white slick, and forming
beautiful brooks, skir,ed with the wild
honey suckle and eSlantine--,he honey
suckle now in full bloom, exhibiting every
variety Of hue and filling the air with its
fragrance. Some Of these beautiful streams
discharge upwards Of 1000 gallons per
hour at the lowest tide, as reported by the
Engineer to the Convention at Montgom
cry, and which fact ought TO have been
familiar to Churchman if he was in search
Of truth.
have stated heretofore, and reiteratc
the statement without the fear Of success.
full contradiction from either saint or sin.
ner, that there are no loca causes for
sickness shout Sewanee, and | stake my
reputation that will be found 10 be the fact
when it comes to be tested.
We are told by Churchman in conclu.
sion that tho students a. Sewanee will
not only be exposed 10 "milk sickness"
but to that "pes,ilence that walketh in
darkness" and that they will be exposed
10 the "sickness that destroyeth at noon
day." Now, Mr.. Churchman, will you
hear little experience upon this subjec.
if you wish the light OF truth to shine in
upon your misguided mind? During the
of our Tunnel and road