Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-10-01
snoo,,ue the AIles hanies-And Alter.
SOMEWHERE ON MoUssAIS' !
september ID, 1859.

/
september ID. 1867.
Correspondence Of the Public Ledger
When Lot and his family prepared tt
Zee from Sodom, they we're ADVISED BY
the angel to keep straight look ahead
and not to turn back. Lots wife, being
only a woman, could not resis: the
temptation to crafty her curiosity, and
must needs disobey the injunction. The
result of that "look back" is sad to con-
template.
When l fed from Bonsacks Station,
at the foot of the Blue Ridge, perched on
the front seat of the stage for ride over
the Alleghanies, my angel told me not to
look book, but to "hold on TO the seat.
That il / attempted TO lock back when
we we're crawling over the Jagged surface
of a mountain, / might lose my balance,
and within the twinklipg of sunbeam
I would be at the bottom of the valley in
a much worse condition than was Lots
v;le-tbat there would be too little left of
me to makea pillar of salt"
NV good angel was none other than
Jsbu. who guided the team in the way
thew should go. This Intelligent gentle
man who said he had "driv ever these
mountings for many year." was good
.nouph TO entertain me with much noun
tain lore, and local histery-which l may
work up some day in yellow-covered
novel. But this being my first appear.
ance on the stage, ! was too hustered
and too busily employed in keeping my
balance" to take copious notes. Even If
7 nossessed the capacity of Memphis
steuoprspher, it would be quite impossi-
HE, although, between a stage ride over
The hllepbanies and making steno
uraubic report of Memphis Council pro-
ceedipQs, submit, there Is little choice
that is, when the member from the Third
ward is absent. Seldh ;.
When promised you "a few notes "
from this part Of the footstool, / had no
convention of the difficulties a "chiel"
smoua the mopntoins would encounter
in collecting thsl.. So many quips and
ouibbles rise up before my vision, like
Ranouo's ghost, that the fesst Of reason
and Aow of rhetoric is interrupted, and
INV mind goes off, like Tristrsp, Shan
dy's. after some idle conceit Of butter
Az nature, and fail to get back to the
object Of ny rshaotiug," till the crack
of Jehups lash, or a guaIH Of CONSCIENCE,
warn. me that | sm sbont to tumble of
the road, and that am intensely boring
an editor. =
SoIgo back to the starting point. ]
left Memphis with the example of Lots
wife before me, ] determined not to
look back. When got TO Chattanooga,
| retracted the Differentiation. For,
said to my inner sslf. If this is what I
am coming to, l will risk the fate of Lots
sifs. and turn back, as well as look back.
Par IL il from me to abuse Chatta-
pooga. But if :ke Alleghsniss be con-
sidered the backbone OF North America.
The Shenandoah Valley the neck. What
Gao the site Of Chattanooga BET Exam
inc The mas, sad you will need no physi-
olorist to toll yous-ihe PcaterioF
And it is. The pesierior or srssusn=-
the rear end of existence-the butt OF
ridicule-;he hindsights of bad emf.
nenee-the sntediluvian sink-hole of bad
ambition and worse efforts. And so let
as get ont OF the place ~ soon as possible.
4 half hour is allowed 10 WHICH ~ change
cars. And its long enough, thanks to
railroad energy.
Ere we have had time 10 settle satisfac-
torily in cur seats. the " tintinnabqlati
of the bells" notifies US that Cleveland Is
AZ hand, ard that breakfast can be had,
at = oaly sfy cents" An I-u-ka supper
of corn dosgas ard drilled chicken"
twelve hours before, bad preSassf re TOR
the event to come, and so, with sn
/. aching void" we tumbled out for
skirmjsb 10 the ommSSssry. That same
corn dodges and aka " CHICKEN rose
before py vision. No help for il. paid
my hearty respects 10 j, bat With some
misgiviugs as TO whether that chicken
was of legal sge to vote. But a. every,
thing 10 Tennessee, by the grace of Gov
eepsr Senter, can vote, we fofbore 1us5-
tiouing tbs Hap and brother who helped
rs to i, concerning the meter.
About the noop Of day We rgshed into
Knoxville. where orr eyes vere pFatiGei
BY the rush and Foss and din and CHATTER
OF thrift and industry. | must say it. in
all humiliation, that it ia the only city 10
tho State that indicates a possession Of
the Iife-blood Of energy, or a compreben-
sion of the great nseds Of home manufac-
lures. IL capsen drill Of pride to
observe the thrift and 60 ahead-st;geness
of this city. Oh, ye antiq aated, moss
covered fossils Of Memphis, why don't
ys act put of the ruts of past ages. and
emulate this toyn Of Rockville 7 Shake
off the verdigris OF prejudice, the chill Of
apathy, the paralysis Of stupidity! Absn-
don the jog-trot of antiquity, and let
KuoEgills infuse portion Of its life
blood toto Topr oonstipsted veinsl Visit
these shops and foundries, and take q
Lesson. ye old fogiesl
To our regret. we did not tsrry long OF
Knoxville, bat rushed oui, over the hill,
across Strawberry Plains, and ere we
could scarcely realize it, found ourselves
10 Greenvlle-the abode OF A ]. and bis
gooss. We halted, bat saw him not A
denis IN Of ibst bgrg Informed US that A..
J. was not at home; thai 81 be vas 4
speech making didn't surpriSe
us. took Q good survey of Greenyille,
and hardly think thsi, aIibough it gave
US one President, it will ever give "a an-
other. IL appears to have exhausted H.
self in some great fort. aud now lies 10
q green vale asleep. When Andy ruos
Tor Alderman again, il may wake up.
As this is G good place for a weary
traveller 10 stop. gill rein 10 my Pegss
sus, and put q fais to my Erst chapter
20 be resumed when 1 get TO the end OF
my journey, and Of this Internal stage,
xhieh thOsGh, Jebs says, Is the easiest