Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-03-02
LETTER FROM KNOXVILLE.

THE LAW '~sPROUTING" AND BLOSSOM
ING" IN KNOXvILL.-THE FRUIT
LIKELY TO BE DOLLARS" BY TIKI
100000"
Knoxville has been visited by a pagu.
mot the Small Pox, or Cholera, or Blacl
Tongue, but a kind of Itch, superinduced
by the pushing out and forward of num'
Der of biHs-not musquitoe bills, but bill,
of presentment by the grand jury of ole
Knox, against the persons, c~onsciences.
and purses of the entire brood of mer-
chants. for a violation of what is called the
Revenue Merchant Law"
The ''ill' being one that much fat sleeh
flesh is about to become .'heir to-" a rem
edy, of course, must be sought with as
little delay as possible, and applied as q
poultice, dose of pills, counter %iritants, OF
regular sneezing powders, as might be es'
teemed most advisable.
A '.Board of Trade" meeting was call.
ed, and the patients were mostly "abroad"
each one feeling his own pulse pocket.
book and eager to see who would be the
"Moses" first to push up a pole of relief
with a "golden greenback" serpent upon
it. that the afflicted and ''presentiment-
bitten might look thereon, and be healed.
Mr.. Fleming. late County Representa-
tive, and a kind of putative father of the
obnoxious law, said, that not being a mem
Der of the Board" he would keep quiet
until the official proceedings were ended.
Then. he had a pole with a snake ''onto'
the upper end' of it, which he would
push up as a panacea which all hat were
bitten might see, and seeing might live.
Attorney General Thornburg, was call
ed on for a speech, that is, for a pole with
a serpent "a healing one) on the upper
most end of it. He said he had a 60, d
pole that was long enough for all or any
desired purposes as he felt certain if pro-
perly or impropeyfystraightened up, would
be at least $4,000 high; but that as yet
there was no h%erling serpent on either end
of it; but that some kind of a snake he
believed could and would be raised, IA
low voice back in the audience-'let us
be careful that in raising it we don't raise
the deviD and that if a subscription for
that purpose were started, he would head
itswith 500. (Sensation of relief with
the audience). But he would take special
occasion to say that the garment which had
bitten so many, was not only q lac, but
the lar. and that himself and the County
Court Clerk, and the Grand Jury, had not
only been performing their sworn duty,
but had acted very unsel6shly, and were
entirely blameless.
After a ',moniatary Sanitary committee
had been appointed, room was made for
Mr.. Fleming to ''push his pole high up
but to the displeasure of every body, his
pole was simply the ''originni snake"
He said, that as a snake and a first class
biter." it was a good thing to shave about"
That he was its decided advocate on more
occasions than one'-that, in fact, he had
helped to set on and warm the egg that
had Matched it into existence !; that after it
had grown into something like "Ship-
shape he had held its mouth open whilst
its fangs were being inserted (Sensation y
and that it was, not only so disposed, but,
in fact, would only bite "Rats' and "Bea-
GERS: that it could never, and would
never say to an honest man and merchant
"you n~eed'ntput yourself to the trouble to
shake your CORY locks at me and saying
that / did it !" that in fact it was the true