Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1867-12-05
B, TENNESSEE: THURSDAY, DECEMBER g. 1857,
A Characteristic Scene.


A San Francisco correspondent
thus describes a curious scene il
that city, Immediately after tn
recent election
Some days before the election
when it was generally conceded
that the State would go for Cor
ham, but the city would give the
Democratic ticket a small MAORI
| ty, Mr.. Higgins, a warm friend of
Mr.. Gorham, bantered Hayes, an
equal friend of Mr.. Haight, for a
bet in any shape on the result
Hayes fought shy, but finally said,
II will bet you one hundred dol
lars that l will propose a bet you
will not accept" That bet was
taken, and Hayes proposed to car
ry a hand organ before all the
banks and hotels, and solicit con-
tributions for the orphans, the
proceeds to be equally divided be-
tween the Protestant and Catho-
lie asylums, if Haight did not car
ry the city by one thousand five
hundred majority, and if he did
carry that number Higgins was to
do the same thing. The bet was
made and Higgins lost. Now
mark the result. Anywhere out
side of California the terms of the
wager would have been carried
out, attracting a big crowd and
creating much talk for a few days,
but there it would have ended.
Here, however, the people took
the joke to heart and called on all
the candidates, elected and de-
feated, to walk side by side in
procession, and assist in the col
lection of the funds, and to their
credit be it said, most of them
Gorham did not come up to the
mark, however--accepted the chal-
lenge and turned out. At 10 A.
M. and on that day, I rode through
Montgomery street and found it
packed from end to end with men,
women, and children, while every
window was full and every balcony
was black with heads. At IL A. NJ.
the cortege turned into Montgom-
cry street and fifty policemen, on
horseback and on foot, commenced
struggling with the heavy mass
of humanity to clear the way for
passage southwards. First came y
full brass band playing "When
Johnny comes marching home"
"Battle Cry of Freedom" "March-
ing through Georgia" ETC., etc.
Then two collectors with huge
buckskin bags to receive the sill
yer and gold which was rained
down from roof, balcony, and win
dow, in showers, as the process
sion advanced. Then came a large
tin box, capable of holding thou
sands of dollars, which he express
ed a determination to fill before
night. Next followed w. Ell.
Higgins, who was fanked on ell
ther side by two friends, one car
rying a monkey, and the other a
splendid floral ornament next
appeared the two treasurers for
the occasion, Messrs. Miles D..
Sweeney and J. B. Badger, seated
in a coach, from which each held
suspended canvass bag as large
as a four-sack, labelled, "Remem-
ber the orphans After them fol-
lowed several of the elected and
defeated candidates, and a host of
people. The first halt was made
as soon as the organ-grinder had
crossed Jackson street, when the
crowd were clamorous to judge of
Higgins music-grinder power, and
he played but amid the babel of
shouts, hurrahs ana laughter, not
a note could be heard twenty feet
from him.
For three mortal hours the po-
lice struggled to clear the way and
fought with the good-humored
crowd for the passage for the pro-
cession before it reached its desti-
nation, less than half a mile from
the starting point. A thousand
dollars were gathered on the first
block, and the start was hardly
made. A long row of teams to
carry provisions and clothing, any
thing for The benefit of the or
phans, followed the performers,
and no less than ten wagon-loads,
worth some thousands of dollars,
!were gathered in this manner.