The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1868-11-06
A pillar of Fire.
The following is from tho Louis

Inc 1Oll0Wlng is from inc LOUISVILLE
Courier of the Sd:
a gentleman of this city, passing out
Sixth street a few nights since, between
III and twelve o'clock, alleges that he
saw one of the most brilliant meteors
that ever astonished the dwellers of this
mundane sphere. AT the time, the moon
was shining brightly, and a great bank
of light white mist had settled over the
sleeping city, giving the atmosphere q
peculiar mellowness and softness. As
he was walking rapidly along with his
head down, he was suddenly startled by
n bright flash of light directly before
him. which in another instant was
thrown along a portion of the whole
street, rendering objects for some dis
lance as clear to- his vision as if he had
been walking in the brightness of
summer day. Looking up, he beheld =
blazing globe of fire in the northwestern
sky, to the naked eye, equal in size to q
large drum, having the appearance of
molten iron. Hardly had he looked ere
I the great white ball seemed parted as il
by an explosion, and showers of beauti-
fully oolorcd sparks fell like rain of
blazing jewels, and were lost in the
night. The nucleus Of the bright body
remained for an instant, and then, asst
dartcd swiftly carthward, another ex-
plosion seemed to occur, and second
time The meteor threw off its glittcring
showers then disappeared altogether.
"A number of other gentlemen, beside
our informant, who saw the meteor, cor
roborate his account oft. The sublime
spectacle created much comment among
! the few who were fortunate enough to
witness it. and some of the more imagin-
alive thought they read in the descend
| ing particles the names of Seymour and
Blair. Others read "Grant and Colfax,"
while others again thought they saw
distinctly, in well defined letters, the
terrible word WAR" OF course all
these spccuations as to the portent of
the meteor, or the shape of the falling
fragments assumed, are mere imaginings
the meteor itself being only the result
of natural laws. and only uncommon in
its great size and brilliancy. ".
The Benefits of n Railroad Illus
trated.
The IIopkinsvile (Ky) Conservative
says of the benefits conferred by the
railroad from Nashville to that point:
We presume there is scarcely doubt
Of the fact that IIopkinsville is now in
creasing in population and business
more rapidly than any city of its size in
Kentucky. New buildings are going
up i'll every direction-both business
houses and residences. Our course il
onward, and in a very short time Hop
kinsvile is destined to be the great COM
mercial emporium of Southern Ken
lucky. We have just returned from
visit to the cities of Henderson and
lOwcnsboro, on the Ohio River, and can
say, without cXageration, that there il
more stir and go-ahead-ativencss, more
people on the streets, TO be seen in Hop
kimsvlle in one day than in either of
the aforementioned cities in three, ex-
cept on public days. This is no idle
boast. And what has awakened tho
hitherto dormant energies of our peo-
pie? The railroad. Five months of
railroad connection has done more for
llOpkinsvillc. than had been done Gu
ring the previous Swcnty years. .