Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-06-06
IN THE ALLEGHANIES.
An Old Town and its Old PeOple-The
Great Old Men about Abingdon
Local Memories and
Traditions.
The Old Houses and Old Families-Party
Leaders and those Aspiring to
Lead-Familiar Names Of
Former Years.

/ South Carolina was born, still stands in
Abingdon, Virginia. II is nearly oppo-
site the newly built modern Colonnade
hotel, with which the antique framed
structure is in striking contrast. People
! seeking q purer, more invigOrating and
healthful atmosphere are gathered here
from all the southern States. In the
cool afternoon, when delightful breezes
sweep down from the SUBMITS of noun
tains environing the place, these wan
derers from the south sit upon
the verandahs OF the hotel, and
stories of great mems deeds are
Tecited, of those who were born
and reared beneath the shadows
of these rugged nights that hedge in
the delightful village. The home of the
Prestons was built in the last years of
! the last century. Like the residences in
JOnesbOrO or Greenville, the oldest
] towns in Tennessee, the houses consti-
/ tute the confines of the streets. There
were no fences or front yards in those
days. Andrew Johnson steps from his
doorway into the street, even as did
they who constituted the famous "house
of Preston" The old building is on a
hillside, one end on the ground, the
other uplifted by a stone wall beneath
!
are very low and windows exceedingly
small. The two chimneys are built
wholly within the house, which is
adorned in front by large porticO fifteen
| feet wide projecting across the pavement.
| The building is about sixty feet long
and its walls are hardly more than
seventeen or eighteen feet high. Next
| this cbildhOodis home of the great ora
tor, is the old law Office of the late
GOVERNOR JOHN B. FLOYD,
| Buchanan's secretary of war, and after
ward Confederate general. He was of
swarthy skin, but OF faultless features
and carriage, and pronounced the finest
looking gentleman of his time when
swaying the destinies and shaping the
opinions of Mr.. Buchanan's cabinet.
He did not die at Fort Donaldson, but
not long after the surrender of this
stronghold he went away, whittier, /
cannot tell, but believe he was
mainly forgotten. In any event /
never more heard his name, once
reyerenced, and syllabled by every
tongue, at every southern fireside
Physical death is often fearful,
but moral death, that long, steady .fdci-
lis dsScenSltS of the same pathway
which, not long before, the hero or
statesman was ascending, is existence
without joy or hope, and utterly intoler-
able. We have seen, in our day, many
a Marius contemplating his own, and,
mournfully enough, the ruins of Car
thage.
OTHER FAMOUS MEN.
But all this has little reference to the
fortunes or history of the freshly reju-
vinated village of which was telling
the readers Of the APPEAL. Add. White,
formerly a member of congress from
Kentucky, and now of Huntsville, Ala
bama, was born in house hard by that
of the PrestOns, and within stones
throw of the home Of the famous family
of which General Joe Johnston is, per-
haps, most distinguished. The general has
two brothers older than himself one
lawyer of ability, the other a rare old
man, perhaps ninety years of age, both
visible at almost any hour from the
verandah of the hotel. The older broth
er tells stories of the war of 1912, when
he was major and with General Scott,
fought at Queenstown and elsewhere in
Canada. He smokes pipe with mar
velOusly long stem, and sits among the
lawyers in the federal courtroom crack
ing jokes with the judgeupon the bench,
and with the attorneys and jurymen.
Like his brother here, and that other at
Savannah, he has a magnificent face.
These two would be recognized by any
one familiar with the Autographed like
nesses of General Johnston, common
everywhere in the south.
THE JUDGE.
OF Judge Alexander Rives, presiding
in the federal court, il is stated that
Grant will assign him to Chase's place.
know not how the rumOr gained cur
rency, but people here believe it, and
deem Judge Rives worthy of any posi-
ton. He is brother of the great Vir-
ginian, William G. Rives, famous, be-
fore my time, in American politics. The
Judge is apparently about fifty-five
years Of age, perfectly erect, his hair
short and white, and so with his En-
gIish whisker and Greeley hat. He is
most labOrious and prompt in discharg-
ing his official duties, and his decisions
are quoted as high authority in the
courts of the Old Dominion.
A SENATOR.
While was writing this there came
along, with elastic step and slender
form and white head crowned by a
Panama hat, another Johnston, a.
nephew of those patriarchs of whom l
was talking. He is one of the federal
senators from Virginia, and esteemed
most popular especially in western pOr-
tions of the State OF his ability / am
not prepared to speak. He is certainly
atfable enough, recognizing each country
pumpkin encountered on his way from
the hotel to the courtroom, and as he
walks rapidly up the hill his would-be
competitor for the senatOrship, the ire
pressible, inevitable and eternal
FAYETTE M'MULLEN
comes blowing, humping and twisting
himself adOwn the highway. He was
of the old congress that we
now read about incredulously as
of deeds done in old Rome when
newly born chivalTy was wrestling Sa-
bine wives from unwilling guests and
husbands. Then, too, McMullen was
of the congress that sat in Richmond
and levied titbes in kind, like good peo-
pie as they were, and provided for the |
payment of government interest cou-
pons 10 peanuts. I've often thought |
that the iolliest historical painting OF
modern times would have the pale. |
9hostly, ROdin-like Confederate sec |
retary of the treasury, shoveling
out North Carolina peanuts in re- |
dempiOn Of treasury notes. There |
would be food, somewhat dry, per-
haps. for reflection, in such painting.
OF this government at Richmond, Fay
ette McMullin was noisy constituent
element. He and FoOte were given to
speech-making, and while FOote has
gone TO Washington to practice law,
MoMullin aspires to a seat In the United
States senate. He has been, properly
enough, preparing himself for the posi-
ton by keeping bis mouth shut, and
editing very respectable peWspaper-
and to this fact he is indebted for his
only chance Of success.
THE COUNTRY
sroWs in attractiveness. The mountain
sidee promise abundant harvests OF
grain. and this wild district becomes as
rich in herds of cattls ss the plains Of
Texas. / was amazed to hear farmer
say that he had seven hundred cattle,
and a neighbOr twelve hundred. But
Virginia is growing rich, and this por-
ton OF the State is rapidly rejuvenated.
OF this hereafter. D.
Specie shipments from New York,
yesterday, one hundred and thirty thou
sand aollsrs.