Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-03-13
GRAPHIC READING.
Report Of tho Grand Jury ON County
Affairs 20 His Honor Judge
Reeven.

with the life ofpassing events and touched
around the edges with pen dipped in the
inksiand of misunderstanding
live, fresh and kicking The public likes
to read after such writer's as Dickens
because he gives sketches from life so
wildly that his characters seem almost
to move and have an identity before the
reader; so, also, the great mass OF people
like to read the thoughts and descriptions
Of all writer's who are accurate observers
of the minor details of human life. This
morning our eyes fell upon the report OF
the Grand Jury, a document generally
supposed to be dry and formal, but in this
instance rich, rare and ford. The most
experienced Bohemian Of the city press
could not have drawn up better sensa-
tional article, after travelling about the
country o week in carriage--the mode
Of travelling most preferred by all Bohe-
mians.
They commence in the County Poor.
house, and, after meandering through
that institution and testing the beef and
other Injuries, visit the Jail in Memphis,
but fail to get Quito Raleigh; go through
all the cemeteries, where appropriate
tears are wept for all the dead take
skirmishing glance at potters field; travel
over all the big roads they could hear of;
speculate scatteringly on the subject of
county property; dive into that profound
subject, the morals of the county, and
finally swamp themselves in the county
finances, when they sign their names
and abandon the pursuit Of local items.
1t was well to stop when they did, for
that last subject has run a good many
men crazy, and still the mysteries of
county finances were unsolved. These
problems can only be worked out by
such men as the County Com issioners.
The Grand Jury may get along very we'll
in poor-house or a cemetery, but
county finances they had better let alone.
A few extracts from the sprightly "re-
port" before us, we think, will be &C.
ceptable to all of our readers who like
good festive reading. They say of the
COUNTY JAIL:
We visited this institution on the llth
inst, and found it to be large, hand
some brick structure, Of the Gothic style
of architecture, in the center of which is
an isolated paralelogramic iron tower,
four or five tiers high, in which are some
two hundred prisoners cells, oil built on
the most approved style for comfort and
safety. Beneath this and on each side of
the ground floor are dungeon cells under
ground-dark and dismal places, and by
the aid of the rogues' lantern We saw
large drops of dew hanging ell over the
inner walls, which made those abodes
appear as though they had the crystalline
small pox-together with the peculiar in
terlocking of the numerous great iron
doors, as placed sjsr, one would think
that the devil himself would admire these
cells as place of punishment; and yet,
after all, the system is perhaps as humane
as any to be effective, when judiciously
VOICE FROM THE ToMBs.
The Elmwood, as this great city of the
dead is called, on the southeastern bor-
der of the corporation, is very large en-
closure, owned by stock company, who
sell and rent out the lots. This pic
turesque cemetery ia deliberately planned
aI Of mi oh - Ca
with beautiful evergreens neatly trim
med. Owing to its extensive drives,
beauty of forest shade and proximity to
the city, it is q favorite, and we might
say pledsurable resort from Memphis
hence, perhaps, the evidence of the wan
ton hand of dissertation was occasionally
seen, the tombs. some of them, being mu-
tilated, and we were informed that thieves
had on one or two occasions, although |
the premises are we'll & uarded, broken in |
and robbed the graves of their ornaments. |
PoTTERs' FIELD.
But that which struck us with most |
was another grave yard |
east of this calvary Cemetery, some
few hundred yards in the bend of
morass. With some difficulty we found
the spot-the Golgotha, the Potters'
Field, the receptacle of the county and
city's dead. Great holes are dug suf-
large to hold half dozen
corpses. As these are brought they are
cast in until the hole is full; then 1t is
slightly covered over with the mud of the
so slightly that the stencil at the
time we were there "a raw day in Feb
ruary) was almost insupportable. We
saw one Of these holes, partially filled
with coffins, uncovered, and were in.
formed by our colored guide that the |
dead often lay on the ground for days,
waiting to have a sufficient number for
an interment AS sanitary measure of
he neighborhood, we would recommend
he abatement at once.
Who would stand unmoved by the
grave of their nearest friend or relative
and see flower, or even q leaf of ivy
near, snatched off by the wanton hand Of
much less the articles of
material value, the mementoes of affec-
ion for the dead ? But what shall we
Jay Of the speculative turn of mind
which causes to be placed oonspicuously
n view to catch the eye of the pilgrim
be words No credit here;" or
shrubbery and fruit trees for sale
TO grop = or that
Jumps the carcasses OF their poor in a
inkhole to turn q penny, and then ask
from tsxsiion2 We eau only
present these facts to our enlightened
community and your Honor, and let the
rest on whom it belongs
COUNTY FINANCES
We would most respectfully submit that
We have endeavored assiduously to in-
arm nnrsnlvna nn this innnnrfant branch |