Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-04-25

arowmsyfrIc--BeII's station = Cage
vfIIe-Odd FefIows-Burfeu Money
Humboldt.

stopped, and put up at the Exchang
: Hotel With friend1 walked aroun
the square, dropping in store occasion
i. ally. Brownsville has improved wonder
fully since the war, and mostly within
!. the mast two years Blocks of store
! and buildings, that will compare favor
ably with many on Main street, occup,
the square Of this rising young city. A
large town hall is situated in the uppel
part of the town, and is much larger thar
the Assembly Hall or any other building
offhe kind in Memphis. Brownsville Il
putting on city airs, and ! appreheno
that Memphians generally do not realize
the importance Of the place, and the
benefit that would ensue to the trade oil
Memphis by more intimately cultivating
the acquaintance of her business men
and citizens. Memphis ought to supply
all the goods sold by the merchants OF
Brownsville, and can do so II
the proper enterprise were mani
tested, and the inducements offered. My
short stay thsre prevented my observing
as much as | desired to do, as my ar
rangements compelled me to leave there
on the o'clock Tuesday morning train.
Il SAW tHOuSuf HohSNSii w NAN"s~ sNN -
sire to go again ere long.
Next ] stopped at Bells Station, a
young place, which has grown up since
the war from q wilderness almost to be-
come quite thriving village, | might say
town, as it is incorporated, embracing
limits of about mile square. Here l
found some twelve or fifteen first-class
country stores, some of which, internally
and externally, would do credit to the
Bluff City All report their trade as
very good during the winter, although at
present it is dull-mainly owing to the
farmers being engaged at home plough
ing and working their lands and putting
in their crops.
A friend, whom | expected, took me
in his buggy, six miles out to Cageville,
an old country-looking place, that was
the commercial center of the surround
ing country, for ten or fifteen miles, prior
to the opening of the Memphis and Ohio
railroad.
Railroads revolutionize the country in
many ways On its line spring up vii
lagos, which expand into towns and sub
sequently into cities, leaving far behind
in the race for progress all towns that
are more than five miles from its track
Notwithstanding Cageville is outstripped
by its neighbor, Bells Depot, or Bellyille
las it is now named in its charter), it |
still contains many of the best people |
in the world and among them are my |
friends Esquire Isaac NJ. johnson and
his son VIM. a. johnson. Esquire John
son is one of the oldest settlers of the |
neighborhood - when West Tennessee
was mostly q wilderness. The positions
of trust he now holds are evidences of
the high esteem in which heis held by his
neighbors and fellow-citizens. If Cage
vile has an old appearance generally,
her people: and especially those of the
Methodist denomination, can point with
pride to the new and elegant Methodist |
church building, recently completed and
now occupied. Its appearance, in the
midst of woods $50 to speak is quite i'm
posing, and would be credit to any city.
By mutual agreement the Odd Fellows
and Masons added an upper story to the
church building, and is used by them, in
common, as lodge room, each having
their private adjoining rooms. Both
lodges are in hourishing condition.
On Wednesday j returned to Bells
Depot with my young friend, VIM. A.
j Johnson, whose kindness in conveying
me to and from Cageville will long be
On the road i observed
that farmers were very busy; some had
planted cotton and corn. and others were
to do so. Spring had just
opened, the forest trees were budding
and assuming their natural verdure. |
stopped at Bells Depot over Wednesday
night, visiting friends, etc, and formed
many pleasant acquaintance. heard
a remarkable incident there: About
fifteen years ago Mr.. Milburn, who
owned and resided on his farm some
three miles distant, died, in good circum-
stances. He had 10 family, and for
merly came from Virginia, where he had
been and was then the executor or adj
of an estate, the heirs
of which lived in Tennessee. 1t
seems that he had full power to rent
or sell the estate consisting mostly of
land), but always represented that it was
leased, and paid over to the heirs the
lease money annually. After Milburn
died, his place was occupied by others,
and has probably changed hands two or
three times since. The present oceu-
pant is Mr.. Brett, who has son some
twelve or fourteen years old. Some three
months ago Mr.. Brett's son was walking
through woods lot, a part of his father
place, and crossing ditch or gulley,
what appeared TO be the corner
of a.box, which the action of rain water
rushing down the gulley had exposed to
view Curiosity prompted him to inves-
tigate the matter, which he did. Ex-
cavating the box, which was pretty well
decayed, he found within tin box, and
very heavy On opening it he found it
filled with gold and silver coin, amount
ing, according to report, to about $4,000.
Such circumstance created no little
excitement in the community. Judging
from the decaying of the outer box, it was
presumed that it was buried
by Milburn, before he died, fifteen years
ago. The heirs Of the lands, etc, in Yir-
ginia, of which Milburn was executor,
etc, have sent an agent there, and find
that Milburn had sold all the property
long ago. Hence it is supposed that the
money found in the box above referred
to, is the proceeds Of that land, and the
heirs either have brought suit or design
doing so, for this money, believing it
belongs to them. Here is a
subject for a romance, which some enter
prising writer can take up and elaborate
at his leisure There is also a nice ques-
ton for legal gentlemen to decide. Sup
pose the Virginia heirs cannot recover
the money, or establish a rightful claim
to it2 Now, as the bow who found IL is a
minor, with father living, can his father
take the money from his son for his own
use and benefit, by virtue of being the