Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-07-22
CENTENNIAL LETTER.

] The following interesting bitter il
the result Of our friend Judge Hum
phrey's visit 10 Philadelphia for the
purpose oi seeing The lions there. Our
, readers will be glad to learn that a
further communication may be ex-
pected from the Judge in our next.
, DEAR E.:
. l have promised you letter and
} will keep my word. The very fine con
dition Of the railroads makes travelling
very agreeable. There is throat-cut-
ting going on between the four trunk
lines at this time, which is very benefi-
cial to the travelling public, but while
the roads are doing this the travelling
public hive to look sharp lest the
officials should practice this on the
passengers. This kind of pastime was
practiced upon your humble servant
in small, but very irritating manner,
and while in state of Generalization
from this, was again captured by q
portor, who got away with me in such
manner as to take the conceit entire
ly out of me. An official of the Ur:ah
Heap type is hard to getaround. After
these small financial ambuscades, the
pleasant little company that / had,
contributed to the pleasure of the
trip, and I arrived here a wiser, if not
a better man. No village man need
to think that he can be up to snuff un-
less he has the occupation of an ex-
press messenger or the education of a
detective.
The grand division of our party got
off twelve hours before US, and still
we arrived twelve hours in advance of
them, passing the entire distance in
372 hours.
The people along the line regard the
nominations of the candidates as very
proper, that each one is a representa-
tive man, and possessing distinguished
qualifications for high Office /; and I
add with pleasure that neither one of
them is by profession military man.
The country from Harrisburg to Phil
adelphia is high rolling land and is
in fact the eastern slope of the ALE
ghany Mountains. It is not rich, at
least it does not appear so, but the yell
low wheat, rye, barley, green oats,
grass and clover, and handsome rows
of corn and potatoes, and neat kept
lawns, the we'll selected clumps of
timber make the most pleasing pros
pect that could be imagined. 1t would |
seem that the houses were planned by
architects, and that in laying off the |
ground the taste of the ladies had been
resorted to. Perhaps if we would con-
suit the ladies more in such matters,
there would be an improvement in ex
ternal grace and beauty, that would
soon show itself all over the country.
Here the fine roads, the beautiful fields
and handsome location of the clumps
of timber, make the country appear
as if it was all gotten up just for show.
The green corn with its straight fur
rows and no missing hills, and the
large fields of potatoes look as if put
there for ornament. The rows look as
if planted by line. and the dirtis drawn
and patted around the potatoes until
each one looks as if it had on a neck
tie. One-half the country appears to
be in grass and clover ; there is no
large proportion in corn. They use
the shovel plow entirely in the culti-
vation of corn They have large herds
of cattle, focks of sheep, many horses,
but no mules and very few hogs. This
is 100 miles from the great city, and
the price of farm produce is sensibly
affected by it. This elegant style of
farming pays good profit to the
farmer. 1t is said that the Indian
looks forward to the land of the Great
Spirit--to those beautiful hunting
grounds where innumerable buffaloes
and deer range over fowery plains, and
where the slaughter is easy and the
sport never ends. So here if there
is any such longing in the heart Of the
farmer, he might find Ceres enthroned
amid never ending fertility, where the
crops never blight and the weeds never
grows-a Changers paradise.
The city is alive with strangers, who
are we'll received by the people, and
one may stop city man aud ask any
question and always get considerate
answer. One of the first things that
attracted my attention was the vast
number and variety of flags that float
from every house, out from every win
dow in the house, varying in size from
a visiting card to an ordinary front
yard. There are flags of all nations,
but chiefly our national flags, and in
suggesting the probable number, do
not wish to be extravagant and there
fore come down to the hard, naked
reality. and basing ton observation, and
it upon veracity, put the
flags at the moderate number Of three
hundred millions.
Passing along the street by the State {
House, 1 thought l saw Gen. Wash
ington. His clothes were so much
like those he left in the Patent Office,
that it was difficult to mistake him. l
the General and said How
are you General? Permit me to con-
gratulate you upon your very fine state
Of preservation. You could not have
induced me thus to approach the Gen
eral if was his SON, but being grand
son, more liberty was permitted. The
General received my offered hand with
condescension, and smiling, (
offered me the first paper published in
America for 10 cents. The General !
has lived long enough to know thatt the i
pen is mightisr than the sword, there I
fore, he has gone into the newspaper
business. No questions were asked !
about the Generals family; they are Il
now 0uite numerous. numbering about Z