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


powder by the juvenile population,
but very little that was worthy of the
day or year. The display of bunting,
however, was lmmense-every window
was decorated with from one to doz-
en- flags, flag poles were on nearly all
the buildings, horses and vehicles were
covered, locomotives were almost in
visible beneath their dress Of red.
white and blue. The men replaced
their hat bands with the same patriotic
colors, while the ladies exchanged
neck chains for tri-colOred ribbon,
and decorated their fans and parasols
with what was left. Of course scene
infused with SO much color was both
brilliant and snimating; but when
we come to consider the torchlight
parade on the night of the Bird, the
Catholic ditto on the 4th, or the fire.
works at nigkS, we can see nothing
worthy of either comment OF note
The torchlight parade was so badly
managed that nearly all the torches
(Which were only about one torch to
every fifty mem were out before they
got fairly started, and if it had not
been bright, moonlight. very little
of the torchlight procession would
have been seen. On the morning of
the 4th the military turned out, and /
suppose they made a good show; but
as they confined their route to a few
squares, and those in the poorest part
of the city for a display, not many
turned out to witness it.
The Catholic Total Abstinence So
ciety turned out in full rig to dedicate
their centennial fountain. 1t was a
fearful hot morning, and as they were
all dressed in regalia, the principal
part of which consisted in a red OF
blue flannel shirt. white leggins and
knights hat with a green feather
Quote the taste of these societies-blue
shirts and green feathers in their hats. J
They we're distressed looking crowd
and in fact many of them were taken
from the ranks and put to bed seri-
ously i'll from the excessive heat
About the time the fireworks COM
menced at night, nature opened her
batteries, and we had heavy thunder
storm and some rain, consequently
they had to hurry up the performance
which was their excuse for giving us q
very inferior show. And | very much
question whether your iremen's ex-
hibition did not give better satisfac-
ton than this that was gotten up to
celebrate a nations one-hundredth
birthday.
l have often thought as I passed
along the streets of GAINESVILLE, that
to be supremely happy in this world
one should keep a livery stable. All
that seemed necessary When.you COM
menced in the morning, was to cast
your weather eye alOft and ascertain
the feelings of Old Prob, so that dur
ing the day you would be able to en-
Tighten all your patrons by reporting
that it was fearful hot" or awful
cold, too much rain for the wheat.
or too dry for tobacco" That I'VE
were going to have change" or that
"the weather had come to stay" This
seemed about all the knowledge nee.
essary. The labor in the summer
time was performed by pitching your
chair back against the gate post, and
in transferring your name to future
ages by carving it on the back of an.
other chair. which you dexterously
hold between your knees for that pur.
pose. When a granger arrives, the
eyes are raised for a moment, and al
''ah, squire, now are ye! Light, sir
John, take the squire's horse" And
when the squire has sold his eggs, and
bought some turnip seed, or paper oil
quinine, it's John, bring out the
squire's horse, and 75c-thank you
All done without removing the bar
low, or taking his eyes from the beau
tiful designes being produced on the
aforesaid chair. But alas, all this
beauty vanished when [ set foot in
Philadelphia. At first | could find
nothing that bore any resemblance to
a livery stable, and | had serious
thoughts of Teviying what appeared to
be one of the lost arts but one day,
finding a sign over marble arch, TO
the effect that it was in the livery
business and had carriages to hire,
etc, stepped in bnt where were
the horses? There was nothing OF
the kind in sight-neither horses,
carriages or buggies, and stranger still,
not even a SMELL While looking
around for some one to rise and ex-
plain, l was told to look out, which
in this case meant to look up, for OF
doing so, / found that part of the
floor above had given way, and was
slowly descending. When it touched
bottom what was my astonishment tc
find that there was a very fine carriage
on the loose piece Of floor, and fur.
Their than that, that all the upper par
of the building was used to stow away
the vehicles. noticed long wooden
partitions, all beautifully grained and
vanished in imitation of oak, running
lengthwise with the building, and OF
a groom opening one of these parti
tons, 1 saw that it was nothing more
or less than a stall, or as they ART
called here, horse boxes. And hers
was every thing that horse could de
sire. He drank from a trough tina
was supplied by continual stream o.
water, his manger was iron and so ar.
ranged that he did not loose single
crumb, his body was carefully wPapt il
a blanket, his tail and name wer,
crimped, his body shaved, the floor al
neat as parlor and everything don,
that could possibly be devised for tn,
comfort and happiness of Mr.. Horse
When was shown into the harness
room, which was also the reception
A G