Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-06
OUR CAPITOL.
Memorable EveUI fn Fourth of JGIY
An1ais-sac Cornerstone that
was Laid thirty Years
ego To-Day.
Nashville Union and American.

Nashville Union and American
GA the Fourth OF July, 1915, thirty
years ago to-day, the cornerstone of the
CspiJol u tennessee was laid. III the
lis OF the local pTess Of that cay We
fiId the ceremonies more graphically
CesCIiped than completely reported. One
Of the uest accounts is that Of the old
Nashville Wig, OF July S, 1915, writ
fen by our present city treasurer and
fellow ci .iZeu, Arson Nelson. Many OF
those who figured most prominently in
tue dem oDslTatiCn still live TO take q
part I'm the lesdiDg public alters Of the
present altered times. Hon Edwin H.
Ewing, for ils.ance, was the orator of
the day, and John NJ. Bass and Samuel
-. Morgan, baildiDg commissioners,
But there still live hundreds OF people
who were present in the obscure caPaci-
~ Of spec atOEs. Our present governor
was one Of q host Of schoOboys who
proudly joined in The procession st the
start, but whose patriotic enthusiasm
was consumed under the burning rays
of the sun before the ceremonies were
over.
The various associations in the city
took from es-iy morn till eleven O'CLOCK
to celebrate the GLORIOUS Fourth" in
their usual manner. At the latter hour
these, with legiOns Of The ununiformed
and unhadged herd, collected on the
public sqUsIC and marched il process
sion to Capitol hill, which they covered
with one dense mass oihumauity. The
military companies preceded, then the
State officers, building commissioners,
the architec. WIN, bucklsnd) and the
orator Of the day; next the MasOns,
4 D. "a
ing three hau1eTs inscribed Beauty"
Strength" ard Wisdom" each
stayed on either side by two girls rCbed
in snowy wolfe; next invited guests,
distinguished CitIzsns, mayor and alder
men lnOt Of EdetqFt) the professors and
societies 1.-THE University Of Nashville,
and OGd-Feli0Es. AS ever, the rear WAS
brought up by the noble fiTemen.
WHIST Inc Wing says Of the extremity
OF the procession Is worth copying: "An
engine and hosC-carriage formed not the
lesst attractive part Of the spectacle.
These were drawn each by four horses,
spleud.uly capsTisOnGd, each horse led
by a son II Africa, habited in al AsiGtic
costume, and four boys, superbly hsbited
in Oriental style also, rode the horses
hsTnes- ed 10 the hOse-carIiage. The car
rage aud engine were tBstsfully deco.
rated with wIeaths and other appliances
OF pomp, AID, by their picturesque APP
pesrauce, contributed greatly to the gen.
eTAl effect
The duty OF laying the cornerstone
was assigned 10 the mGsCns. Rev. Dir
Wheat, chaplain OF The grand lodge, Of
fered prayer before Bir. EHing's address.
This speech was published and COM
meuded with unusual euCOmiums at the
time.
The regular Masonic ceremonies for
such an occasion were then carried out,
the usual amount Of miscellaneous plum
der being put cut Of the sight OF man for
ever, by Disappearing IN The memorial
receptacle Of the stone.
The building commissioners were JnO.
NJ. Bass, chairman; Samuel ID. Morgan,
Morgan w. Brown, JDo. +. EiIistUn,
Allen A. Hall and J as. Woods.
The then State officers who were pres
ent and participated were James C..
Jones, governor; John 5. Young, secTe-
tary ofs,ate; Felix X. Zlllicoffer, comp
tUO.ler o! the treasury; Matthew Nelson,
treasurer; West Il. Humphreys, attor.
ney-geneTal; and Gerard TroOst, state
geO.ogist.
The writer, q reporter, who is not so
much Of On antiquarian as one might
suppose from this 7ketch, had not then
made his terrestrial debut, but he has q
friend aud an associate who had Just
begun his mundane career, and who was
present al the ceremony above descrlb-
ed ard vino thinks thst his faculty Of
memory was brought into action for the
first time on chat day. His reminis-
ceuce Ot the days jubilee is a most in-
tprastiug one. l, seems TO him now,
tina. il was one hundred years ago that
he was OJ~a hill, where there was a pile
0f rocks and lots OF cedsrs, and the
whole emiuCnca was crowned with peO-
pc, CT r4,ue- iegsted calico, as that
I arlIe imprinted its imsge on his little
fancy more permanently than anything
ei-s h recollection il the faintest
mental stale imaginable, and he would
still Se IL ignorance rs to what event it
relar.d, if his father had not informed
aim hat De (-Ge yOuugste!) was present
ana participated IN the laying Of the
Cornerstone Of the capitol on the Fourth
Of Jaly, 1915.