The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1873-11-19
METRoPoLITAN LETTER.
"REMINISCENCES OF EAnL1ER AND BET

"REMINISCENCES OF EARLIER AND BET
TER DAYs-THE FIRST STRIKE
KNOXVILLE ALWAYS A BIG PLACE
HEB PIONEER INSTANTANEOUS
/ AND BAKERs-ssoLD GIMBLET'' AND
AUNT BIDDY''--HER MEMORY OF
EARLY INCIDENTS AND OF WHAT IT
REMINDS THE wRITER--A NICHE TO
BE ASKED FROM GOVERNMENT TO
PERPETUATE HER MEMoRY-RoD-
ERICK, HORACE AND JAKE A
HIT, A PALPABLE HIT"-cAsm OR
sTARvE-THRMLING INCIDENTS IN
PROCURING A DINNER--DIsCoUNT
ING OLD DEBTs--BANKs AND BANK
ERs-THEY ARE STILL ABLE TO PUT
UP NEW BUILDINGS. WEAR PRINCE
LY GARMENTS AND DEAL IN SALMON
FUTURES. COOKS NEW PALCE-
OGoNTz" AND ITS RELATIVES
MACEDONIAN APPEAL FOR PAST SEA-
SON JowLs AND PRESENT SEASON
DEAD HEAD ACCOMMODATIONS, ETC,
ETC, ETC.
KNOXVILLE, Nov. 10, 1873.
DEAR GAZETTE When you, John
Edward, Beany and Shirk Lindsay,
Shoody Howell, Ben Boothe. Nellie
McMullen, Peter p. Pascal p. Saul,
Marchie Webb and I, were boys, the
city of Knoxville was yet a town,
presided over by Commodore D. G.
Stacks, whose right to reign no one
dared to question, for he knew no
superior, save General John Roberts,
the interchangeable gallant,) than
whom no more efficient or self-sacri-
fcing town official ever welded a
municipal sceptre. We had no bro
therhoods, rings, oranges, and ''sich
like" but we had strike. A long
line of drays and draymen, headed
by Armstrong; Bob--now Mr.. Rob-
ert Turner-and Craighead's Henry
now Mr.. Henry Forrest--marched
through Gay street to the tune of
more pay" But Cowan's Lewis
now dead--was obstinate and would
not jine, but proposed to move the
freights of the town at old rates with
his team. With Jordan Council and
'Lum Carlos as his body guard, he
threw himself into the breach, I'M
locked the wheels of trade, floored
the strikers, and restored confidence.
So ended our first strike.
Our second, the great Railroad
strike, is too fresh for me, and l will
leave it for the future historian to
write up. | insist that Knoxville al
ways has been a Dig place, and even
in the days of our boyhood. though
but town, she had as many city
ways as now--and she amt no sloucI
norc. Wsla! as good hotels then as
now, and some say better. We had
a restaurant on Cumberland street,
adjoining Lewis Roberts post Office
and Lindsay Blackwelrs saddler's
shop. kept by "Old GImblet," which
was superior to any of it's kind now
a-days. Our ice cream saloons, run
by Jim Miller and Ruben Emmett,
were first class, for they were too
honest to freeze cbStQrd and call it
cream.
Our bakery on Prince street occu-
pied the ground now covered by the |
Custom House, and | think the Gov
eminent will be very ungrateful if it |
does not allow ''us boys" the privil
eye Of inserting tablet in the south
west corner Of the building, upon
which we may inscribe the name and |
a proper tribute to the memory of |
- OLD AUNT BIDDY," the former pro-
prietress. How long she occupied
the premises l cannot say, but she
told me she had lived there long
time, and we'll remembered having
cooked for the hands that dug the
channel for the Holston river! and
that it was at that time that old I'm
Gle Len Short for Lane wooed and
won her.
The tenacity of aunt Biddy's men,
Dry reminds me of an incident in
which one of our Knoxville boys,
now munster, displayed remarka-
ole evidences of memory. Being
asked if he knew where the grave OF
an old citizen, who had died many
years ago, could be found, he re-
)lied, certainly l do, as it was the
irst masonic funeral I ever attend
ed" But, when they found the
,rave, they also found that the in
upon the tomb stone gave
he date Of the old gentleman death,
which sad event occurred about
wenty years before OR minister was
'Orn. Jim says it was a sumner.
Pardon me for DEPRESSING. l am
n earnest about the tablet or niche
if you prefer being placed in the
lustom House to perpetuate the
memory Of Aunt Biddy, and would
uggest that you interview Roderick
While try to enlist Horace and Jake. ,
feel confident that Horace will jine
IS, for he has ''grubbed" many times
now don't spell grubbed with an
a, off of aunt Biddy's mince pie !
nd :. 'simmon beer and his graft .
ude knows no bounds. | think our !
hances are good, for Secretary Belk- :
APP has recently snubbed some !
last Tennessee contractors and may :
avor our project as a healer.
l went to our Market House yes
erday to get little roast for Mrs.
Downs Sunday dinner, but cash \
own or starye." was placarded on Z
ne butchers stall, at which l have !
ought my supplies for eight years, :
ayable monthly, when l could, or at .
~ convenience rhen short On this
ccasion l was not only short, but +
cad broke, and too durR proud to 4
ESQ l turned DaajesticutIy away
i =, = a., t.tho na..,a,,scos >, Roco..o