The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-08-04
DICK RIVER VALLEY RAILROAD.


Barbecue and Speaking at Shady
- Grove.
A conservative people like the citizens
| OF Hickman county, are slow to change
their opinions, and never take hold of
an enterprise without thoroughly know
| ing and carefully weighing the cOnse-
| quences. 1t is absolutely necessary to
| convince them that a thing is right
| before they will endorse it. When n
few enterprising gentlemen first agitat-
ed the subject OF the Duck River Valley
| Railroad, great many of the best peO-
| pie were opposed to it, and the majority
| Indifferent The enterprising projectors
| got up a barbecue at Centreville, and
Gen. Whitthorne and Hon. d. B. Thorn
as put the people to thinking by their
powerful arguments in behalf of rail-
| roads. The tide of opinion is now flow
| ing in another direction, and Hickman
] county may be put down in favor of the
Duck River Valley Narrow Gauge Rail-
road. The line of this road will be sure
to go by Shady Grove, and the people of
that neighborhoOd had
BARBECUE,
! last Friday. The hill near the village,
| from which it takes its name, was COW
cred with hitched horses, and the beau
tiful grove in which we found Gen.
Whitthorne speaking in his earnest and
eloquent style, was crowded with the
fair and brave of the Hickman hills.
His clarion voice penetrated every ear
and convinced every head in the large
audience. He did not take the position
that many do, that it is useless to argue
in favor of railroads, but in a spirit of
kindness and love, explained in Ian
guage that the youngest boy there could
understand, the great necessity Of rail-
roads, and the duty OF the people to
build the Duck River Valley Railroad.
The eloquent speaker was listened to at
tentiYely, and no doubt his words of
truth and soberness sank deep into the
hearts and cOnsciences OF his hearers.
Before Gen. Whitthorne left the stand,
he introduced to the audience,
MR.. HENRY FowLKEs,
promising young lawyer Of Franklin,
who proceeded to address them. He
said he was a native Of Hickman coun-
ty, and loved her people He advocated
the building of the Duck River Railroad
and used many convincing arguments
and illustrations to show how it would
rebound to their interest in many ways.
The venerable
MAJOR BOILING GORDON
was observed in the crowd, and at the
urgent request of the people, he con-
scented to speak. He has been honor
ed many times by Hickman county, in
past years, and his learning, experience
and wisdom are still relied ON by his
people. He said he was in favor OF the
Duck River Valley Railroad being
built, and by a system of cOgent rea-
soning, clear. practical, and lucid il
lustratiOns, and Unanswerable argu-
ments, he produced powerful influence
on the good people, who are wont to
look to him for advice.
Hickman county is blessed with u
Sheriff about as worthy and excellent
a our own, Sims Latta. He Is named
John BAkEF,
and is one of the prime movers in the !
railroad project After Major GOrdon's |
speech, Mr. Baker made a few remarks !
He said he would be one Of four hun
bred men TO give one thousand dollars !
apiece to the Duck River Valley Rail- !
road; and if more money was needed TO
finish it, he would give another thou |
sand. Can Hickman county show four
hundred such men as Mr.. Baker, If so. !
she is rich indeed, in men OF sterling |
worth and enterprise. Mr.. Baker an |
nounced that Mr.. Walker, one Of the |
Commissioners, would now open the I
I
books, tor persons TO subscribe, and |
many went mp and put down their 1
names Mr.. Baker also stated that Ia
dies would now 90 to dinner. and the 1
gentlemen would have 10 wait till they
had enough, and retired. At the foot \
of the hill the pits had been smoking /
with savory barbecued meats all morn |
ing, and now they were placed on the /
long tables The tables were guarded
by a strong Inc of grapevine, and the
ladies flied in, and left their escorts ont
side of paradise. II was quite amusing
to see the men standing around looking
at the ladies eating. which sharpened |
their appetites all the more. But there
was enough and to spare, and when their
appetites were appessed, the gentlemen
took their places at the tables, and soon
they too were full OF the good things of
Hickman. We mention the fact that
the ladies ate first and by themselves.
because il showed to our mind the cour-
tesy and gallantry of the men of Hick-
man county. Altogether, il was a day
long to he remembered, and much good
was done for the railroad. Keep the
ball rolling, and let the good people of
Sawdust Valley. Big Bigby Greek and
Cross Bridges, have Barbecues at no
distant day.
nj NAV Al. I
As the crowd was leaving, Major Cor
don's carriage-horses became frighten-
ed and ran away. Fortunately, the la
dies got out before they went far.
Away they went through the crowd,
over stumps and logs, some predicting
that the carriage would be dashed to |
pieces, and other more knowing ones
saving, "Jones will bring them out all
right Mr.. VIM. Jones, of Virginia, a
relation of Major Gordon, was driving
the horses, and he proved himselfa very
RareY in the art. He Is now out safe
among the hOrsemen, logs and stumps,
but where can he 20? 1.-The attempts 10
20 down the lane. he cannot piake the
short turn, surely, and destruction stares
him in the face. But looki he has made
the corner, and away he goes as upon |
the wings of the wind. He soon re-
turns, with every spring in his carriage |
sound and whole. Jones is now a hero
in the eyes of the cheyaiier people of ;
Hickman.
]. h. Oathey, W. ;. Thornton, G.. A.
Pucket, b. h. Mobley, and others. were
the managers in getting up tho Barbe-
cue.