Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-09-21
THE MERCHANTS. FESTIVAL.

bratiOn of the Great Commercial
Union - Four Thousand Persons
Share in the FestivItIes-TabIe-Ta Ik.
Incidents and scenes.
Last night began an era in the CONNER.
cial history Of thfs portion Of Tennessee.
The completion of the Nashville and
Northwestern railroad itself was an event
OF scarcely more importance than the grand
social meeting Of the eastern and western
merchants. The meeting, the greeting, the
seal Of mutual interest followed each other
and united in one great, happy family the
business communities represented there
Long may it be remembered as an coca
sion fraught with future good, and benefits
for all.
THE BUILDING
in which the festival was held, lie large
fve-story structure on the corner of the
Square and North College street, known as
Hicks block. II is one ofthe finest business
places in the city. 1t fronts on the Square,
and loses a story in the descent of North
College street, but gainsa cellor story by the
slope Of ground. That portion of it set aside
for this occasion was quite recently used az
large wholesale dry goods house, and is
admirably adapted for the use to which it
was putIast night.
THE RECEPTION HALL.
The reception hall, on the first floor, is
one hundred and ninety feet long, by TWEEN
~ feet wide, and opens directly upon the
Square. 1t was lighted BY twenty-five
burners, and the long shelves reaching from
one end to the other, were crowded with
ticketed wearing apparel, and fabulous
numbers we're brought into reqcisition in
order 10 ticket everything. The man at
the stairs was memorable, and a hat was not
permitted above the first floor. No amount
of persuasion could induce him to recede
an iota from his pcsition-not hat went
up He was good officer, whoever he was.
At the door Of the room, and scarce able
to stand their ground from the tremendous
outside pressure, stood two of our faithful
Msrshals, Starkey and Ambrose They
did their work well, and with commend
able patience
Just outside, half dozen newsboys were
crying out palm leaf fans, an investment
Of their morning profits from extra sales of
papers, and the little fellows went home
with pockets full of dimes, for the night |
was oppressiYely warm, and the great |
crowd, of course, couldn't help affecting |
the temperature to some extent cool az |
they endeavored 70 keep. After re-
moyal Of all unnecessary apparel, and con-
siderable jostling,
THE DANCING HALL,
A room of similar dimensions with that |
just mentioned, was reached by plain |
side stairway, the spirited strains of the /
enliyening music almost raising one from |
the feet with the thrill of present and an
ticipated pleasure. Crowded with youth, |
beauty, and handsome maturity, the dan.
cling hall seemed a temporary elysium, |
gotten up especially for this great occa- |
sion The bellies Of West Tennessee and |
the beauties of Nashville, seemed wing |
with each other ia all the pleasing charms |
Of lovely womanhood. Very angels they /
seemed fitting in those robes Of flowing |
white, here and there caught by a rosebud or /
a beautifully blending green-tree treasure,
snatched from Natures own robe to adorn /
her pure, lovely daughters. Nobody could /
have had a wicked thought in that great, |
happy gathering. There a murderer's con-
science would have ceased its troubling, |
that his dead soul might live again.
The young, of course, were there, but the
middle-aged and the fast fading were also
there, and happy too. In many of those
who promenaded the long hall up and
down, the anxious, care worn business man
was lost in the fresh and genial conversa-
tionalist, and the continued hum of indus
trious takers lost all its monotony.
Cooling lemonade was served to the |
thirsty guests continually, and the clinking
Of glasses and rafting Of the palm leaves
chimed merrily together
Leaving the dancing hall and gay COM
panV in charge Of the ubiquitous floor
managers, Gen. BIshrod johnson, r. c. /
McNairy, G. w. Cunningham, Bruce Buck
ner, A. J. McWhorter, Jno f. Dimond.
Archer Cheatham, II. J. Hooper, G.. W.
Fall and 10 L. Weakley, We repair to
the great
DINING HALL
in the next story. Here Eve hundred feet
of table groaned under its weight of luxu-
uries and substantials. Here we're the
luscious roast beef, roast chicken, ham
chicken salad, beef tongue, mutton, fresh
pork, sardines, cove and spiced oysters,
sausages, pickles, fresh tomato. pies, iced
and plain and every other kind of cake,
blanc mango, wine Jelly, and a world Of
fruit and other good things, while ice
cream, sherbets and lemonade were all
bountifully supplied. There was no wine
or intoxicating beverages Of any kind, and |
cups Of fragrant tea and delicious coffee
took the place of the sparkling glasses of
Catawba and the seductive fluids that so
often lend strange CLEAN TO eyes of
younger guests on occasions Of THE nature
The doors were thrown open at little
after ten o'clock, and the foil excellence of
the great work of Texier and bOzanne, in
whose charge the preparing of the banquet
had been placed, was soon being most sub
stanhally appreciated, at the rate of fifteen
hundred individuals 10 each successiyetable.
Not less than four thousand persons came
and went from that spacious dining hall,
and so great was the crowd, that toasts and
speechmaking were necessarily dispensed
with, and only the general social chatting
offriends and neighbors was everywhere
heard
THE GOOD NIGHT.
At eleven O'Clock many of the guests
sought their hotels or homes, and from /
that time until the so called "wee sma's,n
parties were constantly leaving the halls.
the more persistent dancers holding out TO
the last
Everybody pronounced the affair good |
and grand, and no better feeling ever exist
ed anywhere. Most of our West Tennessee
guests will leave the city TO day for their
homes
ADEIPHI Notwithstanding
the attractions which the grand festival at
Hicks Hall presented last night, good
house was present to hear that charming
piece, the pet of the Petticoats" II was
a perfect success, and many Of our friends
from the country enjoyed their first lesson
in the dramatic art. This afternoon there
will be matinee, ia which "Othello" will
be PLAYED, followed by the "Duelist" and
the comedy of Jenny Lind" tonight.