The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1872-04-24
Renaissance Of an Old Nash.
vile Inn.

The following amusing reminis-
cence, connected with the history
Of a famous Nashville hostelry,
that was numbered among the
institutions of the past, long years
before the war, is told by the
Franklin RerieW and Journal,
which says that the principal ac-
tors are still living:
While the old inn stood on the
square in Nashville it was the fav-
oritc hotel of the travelling public.
On one occasion, among the many
guests there assembled, were Har-
vey B, from Williamson Coun-
ty, and John C., from Maury
County, intimate friends and both
conviyal in their temperament.
They had imbibed freely of spirits
and were in that happy condition
in which they considered the
world all their own, and were
rather noisy in their dcmonstra-
tions. Some Of the visitors COM
planned oftheir noise, and the pro-
prietor, after some persuasion, in.
duced the gentlemen to retire to
bed. He conducted them to their
room, saw them safely lodged in
bed, waited patiently until they
slept, and drew the bed which, as
was then to some extent fashiona-
bic, was attached to the ceiling by
cords, up nearly to the ceiling,
raising them some nine or ten
feet from the floor: Everthing
passed off quietly, the gentlemen
sleeping soundly until l or 2 o'clock
in the morning, when John c.,
who was sleeping behind, called
out to his friend;
"Harvey, get me the water !;
the pitcher is on the table there
in the corner"
Harvey demurred little, but
finally yielding to earnest solici-
tations, he threw himself out of
bed, in the pitch darkness of the
room to the floor beneath. He
was unprepared for the leap, and
the shock of the fall surprised him.
Instantly ne conjectured that he
had fallen down stairs, perhaps
through a trap-door, so he got
down on his hands and knees and
commenced groping about to find
some means Of ascent to the room
above. The delay occasioned by
these movements was torture to
John, who was parched up with
thirst. So he called in language
more profane than polite:
Harvey, what are you doing?"
The answer came from the
depths below, "John, I fell down
stairs and can't find the steps to
get up again"
"Well, must 1 come down there
to show you the way up?"
Il wish you would, John, for l
can't find the steps,"
John, thoroughly vexed at the
stupidity of his friend, sprang out
of bed, when 10! he, too, went
whirling through the air into the
distance below, and soon found
himself sprawling On the floor
beside his companion.
Harvey, fell down stairs my
SELF" was the first exclamation.
Then the two commenced q
search for the staircase, a ladder,
anything to enable them to get
out of this deep abyss. Round
and round they went upon their
hands and knees. They found a
table, upon which they discovered
pitcher of water. Quenching
their thirst, they resumed their
search. Their clothing had beer
deposited on the foot of the bed,
so this was beyond their reach,
and the weather was intensely
cold. They must keep moving or
freeze. The weary round was
kept up until the gray dawn be-
gan to streak the East. when they
ascertained their true condition.
Stealthily they lowered the bed,
hastily donned their clothing, and
only remained long enough to pay
their bill to the night clerk, when,
mounting their horses, they made
their tracks for home.