Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-05-02

| COncord-PbiIadelp Knoxville
Churches-:.SOhOOls FarIners-Ma-
s0ns-A Privileged Centennarian.
To the Editors Of the Union and American.
MoRRIsTowN, TENN, April "a, 1871
Resuming my East Tennessee trip from
LoudoD, stopped at Concord in passing
Lenoir's station between tfese points. |
had five or ten minutes to look at DR..
! Lenoir's farm, one of slmost surprising
beauty. At this point is a grand water
power propelling the machinery of cotton
| factory. Fine school and church near by.
! l had the pleasure of DR.. Lenoir's &C.
ouaintance while at Loudon attending a
meeting of the Medical Society, l found
him an active, intelligent gentleman, it
seems to run in the family. made the
acquaintance of five brothers of them at
different points. Near Philadelphia l
visited the farm of Mr.. Cannon contain
ing 14O acres. At the close of the war,
there was not fence upon it, no stock, a
waste apparently. 1t now looks as if it
had never been disturbed. From the i'm
mense fields of wheat, corn and grass,
the start he is making in fine stock you
would suppose your Col. Killebrew had
been his neighbor uprising his practical
ideas of agriculture. This farm is part
of Sweet Water Valley mentioned in my
last. Concord, fifteen miles from Knox
vile, is pleasant place, good land and
people. The Masons have erected a
monument to the fraternity, by
building a fine brick temple, dedicating
the first story to education, and church,
and Sabbath-school purposes. The Cum
berlsnd Church has erected a new
church, which adorns the town. All 9th
er denominations occupy the Masonic
Temple, thus promoting Christianity and
morality through the pulpit, thus exhib-
iting an important principle, that politics
and sectarianism are no part Of Masonry.
| Old Concord church, for which this place
! is named, is about two miles distant; that
was organized some forty years ago, by
that excellent brother Mason, (wno has
gone to his reward, Brother Baker, for
whom Baker Lodge, in Carroll county, is
named, and of which he was a member.
! Our distinguished Bro. DR.. r. A. Young,
was reared and educated here, his old
homestead being only two miles out.
Rev. DR.. A. A. Doke, professor of Stew
art College, GAINESVILLE, was raised about
two miles of this place; his relatives are
now living hereabouts, some of whom l
have met most pleasantly. A fine school,
under the control of the Fraternity, also
a college three miles from the place, two
other churches, one and one and q half
miles out thus showing the people here
abouts are not Grip Van Wrinkles" l
met here Thomas MsrgTaves, of Lead
vale, born in Virginia. At bis next birth
dsy-the 14th of Maybe will be ninety
eight years old; is a privileged character,
having free passport on al the railroads, and
is constantly travelling to and fro has fine
memory, not stopped, moves shout, talks
and jokes pleasantly, hiss fine memory,
| good sight with one eye, he other is blind,
weighs "a pounds. ChOta Lodge dOna-
ted 8, 200. The fine Cumberland church
here was built by an old member of the
church, Mr.. Boyd, now on bis last bed of
sickness; that the larger portion of the
money was furnished by him. His rea-
son gwen for it is worthy of imitation:
CHE said he could not see the good ne
had tried to do, and did not know OF a
better mode of doing good to posterity
than to leave them house, dedicated to
his Master The son of this good
man is Master of Chota Lodge, a
worthy son of worthy sire. My
next, at Knoxville, the metropolis of East
Tennessee, where was met by DR.. John
w. Paxton, P. G. NJ, who hurried me
off to his residence, where l spent the
greater portion of my time with his very
interesting family; u portion with Bro.
Smith, Il. p. met the L 0dge two eve
nings-a large attendance-enjOyed my
self finely, and feel much gratifed with
my visit to Masters Lodge; which donated
$4,000 to the Home and strange, to
say that among so large a number there
was not dissenting voice. Bros. Il. NJ
Aiken and Thos. O'Cenner, each one
hundred dollars l fully expect
to have from fifty to one
hundred more names to the Barton Club
in Knoxville. 1t is unnecessary for me
to mention anything about Knoxville; it
is well known everywhere. The i'm
provements since the war, and the extern
sive buildings on the way to completion,
the new Customhouse, the general bust
ness and activity visible, indicate the
onward and growing importance of this
already important city. In a word, was
well pleased with it. Forgive me, as l
will here stop, only giving the donations,
until my next resume, viz: New Market
$500, Messy Creek $500, Bros. w. NJ.
Branner, VIM. Jones, W. W. Lawrence,
w. L. NJ. Candley, l. A. Branner, each
800, Morristown $4,000; thus from
Chattanooga to this place, $15, 800.