The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-03
A Visit TO Hampshire Maury, County
Tennessee.

| 10 the Editors or the Columbia Herald:
| | was kindly invited to attend Oh the
| 18th, inst. an examination at this place
hid you ever travel on the pike leading
from Columbia to Hampshire, and if so
do you not think it is the prettiest road,
and leading through the finest farming
country in the State Of Tennessee? In
my opinion, it is the most lovely portion
| of that most lovely basin in the south
| and southwest part of the county, bound
ed by ElktOn Ridge and watered by the
| Bigbies. They take their rise in the spurs
projecting from the northern base of the
| Ridge, and after winding their way some
| twenty-five or thirty miles, empty into
Duck River. These little streams form a
more extensive area of rich bottom land,
than any two rivers four times their length
in the whole world. Any gentleman and
his wife who have home in this lovely
land, and who would dispose of it, to find
a new Eldorado or even to gather dia-
monds in Golconda, would be dissatisfied
even in the Garden Eden. The traveller
on this road will see i'm mediately on it,
and far off in the landscape, many charm
ing residences with all the paraphernalia
of affluence and comfort Many large
cotton plantations, and many wheat fields
cleaning in the sunlight, and waving
as it were, their ripening harvest in sea
OF gold. He will see many large mead
ows with bright ripping streams, mean
derlng through their bosoms, and many
large forest, with huge spreading oaks,
and tall poplars that yet stand as memo
rails of the long, long past. But [ must
on my way to mpshire--situated in
rolling country near the head waters of
fNotH 1Es,l l1T-
and surrounded by rich farming lands
and many beautiful residences, it must
be the centre ofconsiderable trade as also
the general rendezvous of the country
for many miles around. There is now
being erected d large and handsome
church on high hill over looking the
town and not far from this is large and E.
SPACIOUS Academy, in charge the present
session, Of the Rev. Mr. Ussery, and his
accomplished lady. They have built up
a school of some thirty or forty students
male and female, and at the time of my
arrival, the examination had just com
menced Mr.. and Mrs. Ussery, are both
accomplished scholars, and both, am
told, have labored diligently in the school |
But would have known this from the
thorough training and rapid progress |
evinced by the students. After a few
opening questions by the Principal, they |
were all handed over to the tender |
mercies of the examiners, who like most |
old people are always Grabbed and hard |
upon the rising generation After the |
close of the examination several teachers |
present. made short speeches comph- |
mentary to both teachers and pupils, |
when we adjourned to make ready for the
exhibition at night. A vast crowd of |
people assembled and then commenced a |
series of speeches and plays by the
young gentlemen and ladies of the school |
and for many hours, the feast of fun and
pleasure was rich indeed | must men
ton one little play, that made a deep
on my mind, and gave me
great satisfaction. 1t was a ladies' Sew
ing Society-sewing for the relief of the
poor suffering southern people. How
hose little girls scarcely in their teens
out will not say-lt was here in these
representations of life, | could
race the footprints of the lady principal
If the school. She must have labored
ong and perseyeringly to bring out so
;reditably, so many beautiful little plays.
Mr. and Mrs. y 'sery, bid fair to build
40 one of the finest schools in the cOuu
ry at this place and surely the citizens
will sustain them. At twelve
clock, the examination was suspended,
md the attendants were invited to par
axe of a sumptuOus dinner, indeed a ban
luet highly characteristic of the hospital
ty of the people of Hampshire and yincin-
ty.
Long may the school and the people
# Hampshire flourish FL.