Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-18
FOR RENT
UNION AND AMERICAN.
WANTED TO SEE THE MUMMY.
ERuraiist's Views of Egyptian En-
baIEniDg.


Several quite amusing scenes have oc-
CURED at the Capitol during the las. few
dsys, when halls, rooms and corridors of
the spacious edifce have been thronged
with our rural friends and visitors. Large
numbers CT persons from The country and
adjoining counties along the line Of the
Chattanooga Rsilroad ard its branches,
have been with Us. These have consisted
Of old men and young men, ladies, misses,
youths ard children, of ali ages and SIZES.
AS might be expected they are not much
used to city ways, ard evince determined
persisteucy to see all the sights while the
opportunity is offered. To these Wis tors,
the cBpiioi aud its surroundings have sf-
forded a chief source of attraction. They
nave gore to the building by the scores
and by the h1ndreds, and divers have been
the souvenirs they have carried away as
reminders Of the visit. The polite officials
Of the build rg have been kept astir, doing
their other duties and extending courtesies
to cur friends. Sundry and various are he
incidents with them Of the last f-w DAYS
One or two in point we must re'ate as
specimens. It has gotten abroad that
there is q mummy in the library; a regular
embalmed Egyptian, who may have watched
the building Ct the galleys of CLEOPATRA,
or witnessed the march Of Cambvsus.
This mummied man probably came from
Thebes here he lived before her hundred
gates rotied down, and Were the thirty
fyrants ruled with iron rods. To see this
shriveled skeleton form of man, who has
come down through thiiey centuries, mole
or less, TO be placed in the library, formed
chief feature of cur iosity with the sight
seeTs. The rush fJr the Capital has been
immense, and Where's the mummy" the
universal query. Officials have been over
run, Mrs. Hask.ells uniform courtesy has
been taxed, clerks have been run down,
while Nun my" Mummy" has bsen
the cry. On Tuesday the throng increased,
and could mummy" have become again
animate Ie might well have wished himself
back to The Nile country, or under the
shade SIS of the Pyramids. During the
mo'.oi3g crowds rushed into the offices
WITH the question. "Whar's the mummy ?"
'''In thelDrary" was the uniform reply, and |
to the Li5la'y they rushed. This vas re-
peated every few minutes. About noon a
party Of ladies, with their SWANS, entered |
the MARSHALL Office. They were full of |
dust, heated and perspiripg, and full of al |
most bTesthless excitement. "Whar's the |
mummy asked one. ''Whar ia the |
mummy Z" querried another. 1--WE want |
to sec the mummy" anxiously said third |
In the blsndest manner poss,b e, and in pa |
thetic tone, one Ct the attaches of the Of |
fee arose and said:
''M7 fnepds l am sorry TO inform you |
that the mummy is sick and"
''Sick?" asked one.
"Wiil he die?' asked another, and |
Have you got a doctoi?" chimed in a
third
''The mummy, continued the officer,
'fs very SICK; he was taken suddenly last
night, and is row in charge of physicians.
His case is critical
What's tie matter put in several
voices.
Complicated, said tho official. HISS
not Iested well for the last thousand years,
and he is overcome with heat and the
crowds, aud in low tOne) they fear he is
taking the cholera.
"CbOley0' exclaimed one sghast
''Come, Bill, les CO." said another, as
the party left.
Another iDcidsnt, though little per
5onal, viii b. ar telling. Dr.. Morrow, the
Treasure. with all his business qualiica-
lions, Is ford Of good joke. OF Col.
Pennebaker, the worthy Comptroller, the
same msy be said. Daring the dull DAYS |
and the business intercourse between the |
two Offices, many Pleasantrias and jokes at
he expense Ct each. other are facetiousy
All dsy Tuesday Dr. Nor
low Office was ibronged wi per-
5Ous If both sexes and all
-ges ard sizes, with inquiries concerning
he everlasting mummy. In each instance
% had told them in the library, and had
Lowa many # them where to find it.
,eRI three o'clock he had passed into the
.omptrCllsS's Office for a moment, AID see
Ig Cd. PenDehsksr stretched upon a
auug L. king a short nap, he went back :
% bis oul oflice. Scarcely Lad be entered,
when party. consisting Cf an elderly lady {
nd some younger girls came in with the ,
nlti-y, Where's he mummy? a MS :
hieS oGs thought hen and there came into
be Dr's. head. 8 l Wiil show HIM to YOU :
o said Leading The way he took the
.arty inside tae door of the Com Dtro!lsrs
flee. The eifls walked on tip-toe, and /,
be old LADY timidiy followed. Just I
q they bsd stepped inside the |
cor, Morrow grave!y pointed to c
'ennebaSer, as be lay stretched upon the {
sunGe as still as death. That, ladies'" i
aid ne, il the mummy; h5 is suppos. d to Y
3 three thousand end i've hundred years I
Id, yet he has been SO carefully preserved s
nat be looks As natural as he did then. +
he cid lsGyPut her sPec,Gcles to her eyes; :,
le girls opened vide their eyes and q
louths in wondermant.
sob, dear me, said old Lady. :,
''Well, III declare, said you4g girl.
''How natural he looks, said old lady.
ola, me he wars close like a man." o
I'D another. q
With this the party retired, fully salts s.
ed with thair experiences at the Capitol, t
ld most lavorabiy Impressed with the ap- b
saTauce Of the mummy in particular. C