Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-22
GOSSIP
On various and sundry subjects.


here have been no public entertainment
Turing the week. Speaking of public en-
we are glad to announce that
he proposition to erect
NEW OPERA HOUSE
receives the hearty approval of the business
men of Nashville. We were shown, yes
.erday, letters and kilograms from various
residents of other cities with reference TO
he matter, and there can be no doubt but
hat a first class Opera House will be
erected in Nashville within short time,
and this is something which is greatly
needed in this city. Yesterday two hun
bred railroad men who came
here Friday to attend convention, pur-
posing to remain a week, left the city in
body and repaired to Louisville, where the
further business of the convention will be
transacted, and why? Simply because
Nashville has no frst-class places of
amusement. That is the real reason for
the adjournment yesterday of the General
Ticket and Passenger Agents Convention.
These gentlemen would have spent on an
average s. per day each, in addition to
their hotel bills, making total of $4,000
for their weeks stay. However, the ne
cessity for erecting an Opera House in
Nashville needs no setting forth. All that
is required is for driving, competent men to
take charge of the enterprise, and they will
be backed with all the funds necessary.
THE NEW SCHOOLGIRLS
matter has not yet been settled. The
Board of Education, together with the
school committee discussed the subject at
length last Monday night, but
arrived at no definite conclusion as regards
the selection of site, The offer OF a gift
of a lot worth to-day $4,000, is not to be
lightly rejected, and the Board of Educa-
ton wisely concluded to postpone action
for a few days, and extend the time for re-
ceiyinr offers of lots in the Tenth ward
until the 26th inst, which will be month
from the time the bill making the appropri-
alton was approved by the Mayor,
TIE EXPOSITION
this fall is now an assured fact. Our cItl-
zens generally appreciated the Importance
of continuing this enterprise, which has
been so beneficial to Nashville in the past;
but it vas necessary that a dozen men
should come forward and personally take
charge of the matter. This has been done,
an able and efficient Board of Managers
having been elected last week, and prepare
tions for the Exposition are now all being
made. At a meeting held in the ladies' or
binary OF the Maxwell HOUSE last evening,
MessIs. j. l.. Weakley, VIM. NJ. Duncan,
Max Sax, p. S. Hollins and VIM. Porter
were elected Finance Committee. Other
vacancies in the Board of Managers will
be filed at an early day .Anothermeeting Will
be held saturday at $50 4. r., OYER the
ofiiee of VIM. Duncan, near the FiIst Ma
tiOnal Bank.
FIRE ALARM.
Last Tuesday night, while thousand or
two a or citizens we've engaged in the
'.mazy," at the three very pleasant balls
given bv our friends from the Emerald
Isle. the alarm of fire was sounded, and for
the next three hours the four fire engines,
together with the Hook and Ladder Com
pany. iabored assiduously TO prevent an en-
tire block, containing stores filled with
merchandise of all descriptions, being re-
duced to ashes. As it was, nearly SlOO,OOO
worth Of property, the result of years OF
close application to business, was swept
away. Probably three-fourthS Of this sum
would have been saved, had the engines
reached the spot Immediately after the fire
was discovered. This they could have
done with the aid of fire alarm telegraph,
A proposition to supply Nashville with such
an alarm. for the sum of 81, 500, will come
I'D for final disposition before the City
Council this week. The terms are easy,
and such as can be met without difficulty
by the leyying of an additional one mill
tax on owners Of citSprOperty. Would not
common business prudence dictate that thls
Y,rorOSitioO ShOuld be accented
TOWER CLOCK IN TIE NINTH WARD.
Davies i Bro, who contracted to put up
a tower clock on the Ninth Ward school
house, have received that piece of intricate
mechanism, and will be engaged IN
placing it in position this week. The clock
was made by the American Clock Company
OF New York. The pendulum Is about
ten feet long, the dials are four feet In
diameter. and the striker strikes thousand
pound bell. The clock is an eight
day movement, has a twelve inch
main wheel and a twenty inca
strike Yhesl. The key which is used in
winding the apparatus up, bears close Ie-
semblanee TO the crank Of an immense
sausage grinder, and it is not likely that
the man who has charge of the clock will
carry the KEY around in his vest pocket.
The rirst and second floors of the tower IN
which the clock is to be placed, will be
used for recitation rooms; the third floor
gill be occupied by the bell, and the clock
will be Immediately above, in that portion
covered by the maEsard roof
THE COUNTY POOR
are to becOmfonably sheltered before anoth'
er year has passed by. The committee ap-
pointed by the County Court
10 select : suitable site wherein to erect
first-class ASYLUM, made their choice yes
tprdav, selecting out of all the desirable
sites offered, the sixty-fiye acres Of land on
The Ciaiiatin pike, three and half miles
from the city, and known as the sWebp
Place. together with forty acres adjoining,
owned by Col. W. Is. A. Ramsey. The dis
lance of the site from the city Is about right
1t is near enough, and yet is not so far but
that residents of Nashville and Edgefeld
will find it convenient to call frequently
and see how their less fortunate fellows are
fareing, as they journey through life that
has lost all attractions to them.
ANOTHER FINE CHURCH
will probobly be erected Ill the city within
a wear or two, as the members of the First
Baptist Church on Summer street find
their building has become quite dllaplualeu'
1t is one of the oldest churches in Nash
Vile, ami vas badly damaged during the
war. The members Of the church are
thinking of erecting new building, but
have taken no steps in that direction yet.
The contract for the building of the
ODD FELLOWS HALL,
on the corner of High and Church streets,
has not Dsen awarded yet, but probably
will be Tomorrow, This is to ne firsts
class building in every respect, and VIII
proye a decided ornament to the city.
LIGHT FINGERED GENTRY.
To change the subject somewhat, we
would state thai there Is an unusually large
number of confidence men, burglars and
sneak thieves in Nashville at the present
writing. One Of our shrewdest police Of
ficers noticed eight of these gentry in close
conversation, on North College street, a
few day ago, and he has expected to hear of
their engaging in some ''devilment" before
this. We advise our city readers to see to
the fastenings of their doors and windows
when they 90 to church to-day, as of course
they will do, Nashvillians being eminently