Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1875-03-20


A WONDERFUL HAND.-We have
heard of hidden hands, bloody hands,
of hands "as fair as the moonlight Of
which they seemed a part" and invinci-
BILE hands at draw poker, but there is at
present in this city, in the possession of
Mr.. G. S. Andrews, brother of Mrs.
Balch, the most remarkable hand that
was ever seen in this portion of the
country. 1t is wooden hand at that,
and it is said that it was fashioned by
nature in one of her wonderful freaks.
1t is small but shapely, and it is claim
ed that it grew on black gum bush,
about six feet in height, in Gibson
county. The formation of the fingers,
the thumb, and even of marks resem-
bling the nails of the human hand, is
singularly life-like. Mr.. Andrews
states that young man named VIM.
Heron, on Sunday afternoon last,
while walking in the road near an old
grave yard, on the farm of Mr.. Wyatt,
had his attention arrested by a very
singular appearance at the top of the
black gum bush mentioned. he went
to the bush and bending it over, cut off
about eight inches of the top, which
was covered with mistletoe. On clear
ing this away, he found the hand of
which we speak, which was the termi-
nation of the bush. This hand is open,
and has attracted the attention of very
many Of our citizens. The young man
who first obtained it took knife and
removed the bark from the upper por-
ton of the formation, but left it on
the portion that corresponds to the hui
man wrist. This curiosity has been
examined critically by a number of
persons, and has been placed under the
microscope, and so far as we can gather,
it is believed that it was not carved out
with knife, but grew as it now APP
pears. This is the assertion of Mr. Her
ron, and of Mr.. Andrews, and those
who ought to know something of wood
and its appearance when the bark has
merely been removed, say there is no
sign of carving or cutting.
This hand, as we have said, was open
and pointed upwards, and the fact that
the bush grew upon the grave of a pi-
Gus old minister of the gospel, may
have added somcN hat to the interest
and mystery that attaches to it. We
have seen many wonderful freaks in
the vegetable world, as if there was a
! frohcsome vein in the Dryads, but we
do not know that the tree has ever vet
initiated any part of the anatomical
structure of man very successfully.
Trees grow over graves, and fatten on
human DUST but give no indication of
the fact, in the shape of their trunks
or limbs. Some years ago, the admi-
rers or Roger Williams thought they
would remove his bones, or if they
could not find the bones, the ashes of
/ the great Baptist missionary, in order
that they might repose under fitting
monument. Inopening his grave, how
ever, they found that the root of an
/ apple tree that stood near it had alb
sorbed the entire skeleton; Roger VIII
Iiam's dust hId been blown about in
apple blossoms, gone into the leaves,
aud bark and fibre of the tree, been
eaten up in dumplings, and carried off
in the shape of stolen apples by truant
schoOl-bOys. In another instance, the
grave of seme prominent man was
opened and the root of cherry tree
had manifested an adventurous turn,
truly remarkable. In this instance the
work of destruction was not complete.
The root has passed into the skull
through the eye and then down the
cavity in the backbone. Reaching
this point, the root divided, one part
passing to the right hip, the other to
the left, and both of them following the
leg bone to the toes. But we never
heard of there being any back-bones or
! feet, or anything that gave a hint OF