Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-06-18

A 8isnOmer-EdueaaIO Facilities
Milan COIIege-A Worthy Example
Public Spirit Of Its Citizens-Exten-
sion Of the Mississippi Central Rail-
rOad-HOteI-A Fable EmehaRtress-
short Dresses-MateFiaI for wives
Crops.
Correspondence Of the Union and American.
Of all the towns in the State of Tennes-
see, Mlanis the largest TO be in the woods.
1t stretches itself in every direction, taking
in more land and more timber than it can
well manage. Its godfathers were not hap
py in the selection of name. It should
have been called FenneltOB, for the on
nipresent and invincible dogfennel takes
every available spot, sullusirg the air Wi b
an aromatic odor anything but refreshing
to the olfactories of a stranger. Like rail-
road towns generally, Milan is built up for
the most part of plank houses,
roughly put up and suggestive of
the haste with which the town
was built. 1t has population of 800.
During the past year or two many neat
cottages have been erected.
The citizens, some four years since, feel
ing the need of increased educational faci-
ities raised eight thousand dollars by sub
scription and built the imposing and conve-
nient ediGce of the college. 1t stands about
six hundred yards south of the depot and
has capacity for two hundred pupils. It
is at present under the able superintend-
ance Of Prof. Anderson, a graduate of
South Carolina College who with an able
and effective corp of teachers is giving
great satisfaction to the citizens Of the
place and the surrounding country. Dur
ing the past scholastic year one hundred
and sixty pupils were enrolled only one
of whom, Mr.. G. Y. Rankin, was allowed
to graduate. The example of
this yonng man is well worthy of imitation.
Serving in the army until the close of the
war, he then learned the carpenters trade
and stuck to his business until he amassed
a sufficient sum TO educate himself
Entering Milan College he has by great
assiduity, assisted by a natural vigorous in
tellect, graduated with mind well filed
with useful knowledge. He enters the
world with the hearty good wishes of all
who know with what persevering industry
and indOmitable will and severe priVations
he has won his first prize.
1t was the fortune Of your correspondent
to attend the closing exercises Of this insti-
tuition. The young ladies and gentlemen
acquitted themselves with great credit, and
the style and subjects of their compositions
aud speeches were such as to foreshadOw
! future success.
The following are the names Of the young
gentlemen who made sDeeehes, Z. P. Dan
mel, subject occupation, which he discuss
ed senslbly, Next was a speech from D.
S. Boyd, on the subject of woman, I. NJ.
| jackson had chosen for this subject the old
adage., No excellence without great labor"
I He handled his subject well, and closed
I with the words of the immortal Roman
poet, labor OHlRid Uincjt. j. P. Rhodes
then presented us with the Claims of the
Age on the. young men of America. Next
! S. B. Williamson spoke on the theme,
| ''Righteous men-the want of the Govern
ment." He took the position that righteous
men were wanted in every position Of the
| world, but confined himself particularly to
the corruption in political affairs, and
showed the especial need Of good men in
the Government.
Finally the valedictory was delivered by
| @. Y. Rankin, who seemed TO be very much
affected in its delivery.
The following we're the essays read W ith
great spirit by the young ladies, and many
of them created by the originality of sub
jects or the manner of treating them, or the
happy style in which they were written, a
| profound interest in the audience:
FictiOn's Cay Scenes Miss Sallie Moore.
| Leaves from Life-Miss Pattie Barton.
/ Never Despair-Miss Josie Pillow,
| FareWell-Miss Maggie McI4aTen,
The Bow in the ClOUds-Miss Matte
Ellis.
The citizens Of the town of Milan have
a great deal Of public spirit. Not only have
they built the college, but recently, in order
to secure the passage of the Mississippi Cen
| tral Railroad through this town, the voted
I twelve thousand dollars in money aud gave
| about seventeen acres of valuable land,
| worth four hundred dollars per acre, for Q
| depot. They now speak of establishing a
system of municipal schools, Of which Mil
an college viii be the high school. For the
population snis is doing well and acting
I literally. The leading citizens are men OF
/ progress. A few old fossils yet lingel
among them whose puBy efforts to stay the
! progress of events are about as futile and
as absurd as would be the efforts of a bob.
tailed bail to stay the progress of a steam
engine, and the results in both cases will
/ be about the same.
| The work of extending the Mississippi
| Central RailFJsa from jackson through
Milan to cairo, viii begin about the IF
} teenth of July. The Illinois Central, We
/ learn, has endorsed the bonds Of the com
pany to the amount of S8,0000O0, which
guarantees the early completion of the road
/ When it is finished it will be the direct
route from Chicago to New Orleans, and
| viii be the great trunk line between the
lakes and the gulf.
The hotel at Milan is an excellent one
It is kept by Mrs. Flack, North Carolina
lady, who has not yet learned the art of get.
ting something for nothing. The heds are
soft and dowDy and supplied with snow
| white linen. Tbs rooms are ne2t and well
ventilated, and as for the table, your cor.
respondent has 56cn unable to recall tx
dishes fi-.0m the fact that the food ;s handed
around by such fairy litsle nymph, with
elastic step and winning way and laughing
eye, which make her fit cup bearer o
Jupiter, that the food is lost sight of. Th'
eye becomes enraptured by the gentle grace!
and easy manner of this Psyche Of tht
table, aud the question becomes not wha
one eats, but how often he may be waiteJ
on. ...
Dress does not seem to constitute so i'm
portant a part of the Lady here as in somt
| Dlapns I have seen. Here they shOu