The Hickman courier., 1871-09-09
TIE HICKMAN COURIER,
'ATURDAY, 80: SEPT. 9, 1871.
The Tournament.

ouo beauty and Maids OF Honor. We
now propose to give more extended
account of the affair.
! The day was auspicious as could have
been desired. The sun shed his mildest
rays, mellowed by an atmosphere, tinted
with all the hues peculiar to that season
marking the boundary between the fierce,
ournings suns of midsummer and the
mild shimmering rays of glorious au-
tumn.
1 By o'clock in the morning many
strangely dressed young gentlemen,
i mounted on fiery steeds, with lance in
& hand, were earreering up and down the
s streets of the city ready for the march
4te the Hair Grezvsds, where, not to do
battle for the Cross, as of old, nor the
smiles of some fair del Deboso, but to
take the most rings. Whether in honor
of the most famous achievement Of that
ancient Knight of la Mancha, or one OF
those unaccountable and mischievious
mishaps, Robinson's s mill was made the
starting point of the grand procession.
4 wagon arranged with seats drawn by
four gay mules in which sat the Hiek-
man Band, moving to the measure of the
sweetest strains that brass horns are ca
pable Of, followed by the knights in
double file, passed through the principal
streets of the city, attracting much at
tention. Indeed, the music, the knights,
many of whom were dressed in the
style of IN antique civilization" pre-
sented picturesque spectacle which won
the admiration of all. At 10 o'clock the
audience began to assemble and by II,
the hour specified for the tournament to
begin, there had congregated on the
grounds as many as five hundred per-
sons, the greater number of which was
ladies-and such 4 gathering of the
beauty of Fulton we never before wit
messed. There were blondes and bru-
netts, and all other shades, from which
there might have been chosen Queens
that would have graced all the thrones
of Europe, part of Asia and the Pa
cifc Islands thrown in.
At the sound of the bugle the knights
appeared in the ring, where they were
addressed in a brief and appropriate
speech by c. L. Randle, Esq, in which
he REQUIRED to knight Errantry of the
past, and the many great deeds perform
ed by members of that order. Though
the tournament Of day was different
tls:ag from that which prevailed in what
was called the age of chivalry, yet in
some things there was much similarity.
Feats Of horaemanship-the love of the
horse-to win the smile, admiration and
love of fair women by daring deeds,
were impulses which inspired the brave
and chivalrous of to day and ever would
in the far away future, as in those days
Of the past, which long ages have gilded
with such romantic interest. In conclu-
sion he bade each Knight Cod speed
aud bespoke happy termination of a
laudable rivalry which the occasion in
spired.
The riding commenced and the fol-
lowing we believe is correct report of
the number of rings taken in three rides
by each knight:
j. N. Waltan. knight of Tennessee,
9-10-9-2S.
Jeff Alexander, Nameless Knight,
9-9-10-29.
Met. Lunsford, knight of the Lost
Cause, 9-9-8-26.
Rufus Dodds, Knight of Maxwell,
8-9-S-25.
Jonah Davie, Knight of the Lone
Star, 4-10-S-22.
Alex. Davie, Knight of the Silver
Star, 7-9-9-25.
Louis Lunsford, knight of the Silver
Cross, S-9-8-25.
- Mays, knight of Union City,
5-9-8-22.
James Glenn, Knight of II, 8-9-7-24.
- Mahan, knight of Obion, 6-S /
-9-23.
R. NJ Isler, knight of the Red Jack
ct, 6-6-5-17.
Tom Plummer, knight of Beechwood
Seminary, 4-1O-8-- %.
r. E. Polk, knight of Hickman, Sc
-9-23.
The knight of Tennessee and the
Nameless knight having tied at 2S
rings, the contest was decided by one
ride, which resulted in the first named
Knight taking 10 rings and the last only
g. Here ended the exciting contest, and
many were the sorrowing hearts for the
Nameless knight when his defeat was
made known, and then too vanished the
cherished dream of some fair one of wear
ing crown and enjoying the sweet de-
usion that she was the impersonation of
love and beauty. Oh the perversness of
al human things.
AAo AulSue oi ASHHSoeSS having ia4i
y won the honors of the tournament he
made choice of Miss Alice Parker Of this
place as Queen of Love and Beauty /; /
md the Nameless knight hav-
ng won the second honors chose as first
Maid of Honor Miss Mamie Winston of
Fulton, and the Knight of the Lost
Cause entitled to the third honors chose
Miss Mollie Overton as second Maid of
Honor The royal party having been
to the center of the riding ring,