Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-12-14
Communication.
- The Centennial.
For the Fayetteville Observer.


New England farm house. The
ioddity and contrast it presents
is very striking, and is fully
|reahzed by passing from the
Iroyal-like apartments into this
humble dwelling. Encompassed
on every side by magnificent
structures, reared as monuments
of honor to the ingenuity of the
architects of the nineteenthcen-
fury, stands the rustic fold-time'
building. 1t is made in exact
limitation Of the cabins on the
frontier one hundred years ago.
1t is only one story high, and is
built of logs nearly without a
trace Of the hewer's axe. En-
tering the low door the visitor
steps into just such a home
stead as one Of our good old an
cestors may have occupied when
! the sad news of the battle Of
Lexington first disturbed the
Imonotonous hum of the busy
inmates, when that noble be-
ing styled grandma at the
| Ifrightful news no doubt looked
loger her spectacles in great as
| Itonishment as she sat behind
her fax-N heel, which, in the ex-
citement, had ceased to revolve.
In the meantime all the family
may haye left their wonted du-
lily to engage in the animated
deliberation. Then the 'heros
of '76' were first infamed by
that natural love for liberty.
Full of zeal and patriotism, they
sailed forth into the commenc-
ing struggle with the spirit Of
"Giye us liberty or give us
DEATH" In just such a dwell
ing might have been seen, q
short time after,a group of hum
3 bic persons with clasped hands
praying to the allwise Director
of events, for maintenance Of
the famous and no less glorious
Declaration Of Independence
on which hung all their hopes
of a future republic. Many
times hope and despair alter
nately held supremacy around a
similar fireside, as the heroes of
the Revolution were crowned
with victory or overwhelmed
by defeat. But at last when
the invaders were driven from
our shores, and our national in
dependence firmly established,
many houses resembling this,
over whose threshold We have
lust passed, witnessed a scene
of excessive joy, seldom if ev-
.er experienced in a marble edl-
flee or royal palace. w hat Ian
guage would fully describe the
y pouring forth Of that inexpres-
sibIe gladness which had been
so often subdued, and even
turned to sorrow for seven long
and pcrilous years, when free
dom triumphed in a glorious
victory, when peace and hap
piness were secured, when hus-
band and wife, brother and Sis
ter were again joyful inmates
of the same humble cottage.
The buzz of the wheel, the dis
tinct knock Of the old-loom, and
the noise of the hatehel resumed
their accustomed hum with
more dexterity, if fposslble, than
before. The sweet voices OF
maids and matrons rose upon
the morning breeze as they
chanted some old love song, or
thc then new national air of
Yankee Doodle The stormy
clouds Of political discord had
passed away, and our infant ma
ton, which was destined to rise
to the summit of national pride
and power, began at once to
emerge from obscurity. These
are the thoughts which are sug-
eested to the visitors mind as
he enters this quaint old-fash-
ion building.
a hundred years are num-
bered with the past, and things
have undergone many changes,
as ,hc.scene before Us will con-
firm. The parlor or sitting
room and kitchen are furnished
with many veritablc heir-looms
which we're really transferred
from the old world to the new,
in the Mayfower. Here are ar
ticles which have been manufac-
tured so long that the flavor OF
antiquity is readily perceived
In the sitting room the visitor
nav occuny for a short Hme a
chair which was once the prop
erty of old Governor Endicott
Of Massachusetts, for whom 1t