Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-04
Shooting the Alleghanies-And Aitere


NATURAL BRIDGE. VIRGIHIA.
September IL. 1869.
Correspondence PUBLIC LEDGER
| believe that at the end of my last
chapter l had reined up my Pegasus at
the burg of Greenville. Tennessee. This
is not an amusing place, although the
memories clustering about its history
may be interesting to tailors and Presi-
Dental aspirants. 1t has peculiar in
terest to meas a fortune teller once
tol1 me that l was destined to be Presi-
dent of the United States one day.
So, leaving Andy and his goose cold,
and squirting up our iron staed, we soon
find ouraelyes in Jonesboro. / looked
about for the Union Flag, that the Cali
Killers particular friend and stoker,
Grsham, waves with such frantic zeal.
l found, near the railway, little old
house perched on q side hill, with the
front some ten feet from the ground, up
held by very slender brick pillars, and
the rear burrowed in the earth-and all
80 toppling that it appears desiroas Of
getting off its stills and taking more
modest position in the ditch below. This,
home. made signboard informs the pub
lie, is the Union Flag office, and the
headquarters of George Edgar and true
LOYALTY. l understood that George Edgar
was on that day in the woods, gathering
hickory nuts. Let us hope he was doing
something equally innocent.
Evenings cleaning came upon US as
we entered Bristol, Virginia and Tennes-
see." This semi. quavering town is situ-
ated precisely on the boundary line OF
the two States-thus suspended like a
bead on thread, belonging to neither
side, yet to both. Nothing of note is OBJ
served here-except repetition at sup.
per of corn-dodger and "briled chicken" :"
And now am on the sacred soil of the
Old Dominion. Permit me at the thresh-
hold, hat in hand, to make my most pro-
found obeisance to the msjesty OF old
Virginia. My first pilgrimage to the
Mecca of Southern hopes-the school of
chivalry-the Mother and the Sepulchre
of Presidents i approach you with
bowed head and bated breath, with rever-
epce in my manner and joy in my eyes.
"Old Virginia |" What depth of feel
ing-what a host of memories : that
sound stirs -.
But yet, ye have suffered the throes of
revolution and misery. Ye feel the iron
hand of a masterl Your industry is con-
stipated; your fair proportions are cut in
twain to crafty the insatiate desires OF
hungry parasitesl Let me paraDhrase
few lines from Goldsmiths deserted
Village"
Thy sports are fed, and all thy charms
Amidst thy bowers the tyrant's hani is seen.
And desolation saddens all thy green;
One only master grasps the whole DOMAIN.
And half tillage stints thy smiling plain;
No more thy CLASSY brook reflects the day, -,
But, chok'd with sedse. works it weedy way"
Yet, generous hospitality greets the
well disposed way-farer. A stranger
comes among ye, and if his demeanor
bears the stamp of nobility, he is taken
in the fatted calf is killed, and wines
aud fruits from many hills are offered.
But, by the savory memory OF Epicure,
why don't ye learn to cook I Have ye
lost, with the pride of ancient blood, the
humanizing art that makes US Christisnsf
(For no man can be Christian when be
goes with an empty stomach. No true
philanthropist ever possessed bad
cook). What sad degenerscy i note in
this particular on my ramblings through
this dominion. And such is the inten-
sity of my feelings on the subject that i
would, upon little persuasion, turn lee
turer on cookery, and instill into the peo-
ple Of this commonwealth, IT possible,
Just appreciation of so important an art
1t lubricates the joints of the world, and
does more to disseminate honesty, virtue
and religion than all the sermons OF the
Apostles
Bat it seems to have become, in these
districts, one of the lost arts" This
letter may be tedious, but as Mr.. Dog
berry says, "Trply, for mine own part,
if | were tedious as king, | could find
it in my heart to bestow it all on this
subject"
"Corn dodger and briled chicken is
the chief staple in the culinary depart
ment nope tue gnose VI the' cu'SAcu
will not disturb the imagination of the
reader as il does mine. But it greets the
traveller in this realm morning, noon ard
night 1t ia unfsiling, irrevooable and
inexorable. You cannot texcommunicate
IL. nor supplsnt it. You must msstieate
IL or damn it. Then what's way-worn,
stage-weary wight to doP
But now that l have written the above,
[ an frightened at my temerity, and
fearful that will soon acquire the repu-
tation of one who would "qusrrel with
his yictuals;" and to deserve the repro
baton which Milton has so emphatically
bestowed on those impious persons, who,
-s'with senseiess, base ingratilude,
Cram, and blasphsme their feeder.P
Odsbodkinsl no. Isl am not critical,
am dumb. PdrConRezf
What DEPRESSION 1t leaves me no
space 10 this letter for my experiences in
tie mountains. Most Of all, !; oOmpsls
N e 10 defer the Natursl Bridge to future
one; when by that time ! will be at the
end of my jsarney-Lexington. Bat d.
gressious are we'll enough sometimes.
irL.~ - oftan lila the dranerv in n