Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1876-07-20
On the Wing.
LEBANON. july Il. 1876.

vi IubClCob W COuliD uuiChlS W Tux
OBSERVER, yet, as | have promised
to write you a letter, | will droT
you few lines and tie done with
lit. | have been almost constant
ly on the wing since left Fay
etteville, and although not out
sightseeing" have seen Sights.
You let a man that has been con.
fined to his Office for months with
no exercise but that Of -, well
[ have forgotten the name of the
muscles, but | mean those that
work the machinery Of the lower
extremities | sa7. you let such a
man leave his Office with its de-
lightful surroundings, mount an
animal generally denominated a
trotting horse, and take a tour
through the country : if he does
not see more sights in one hour
than a centennial visitor would in
a day, why then I'll obligate my:
self to do the poGlticing. With
the exception of the jottings that
have received on horseback and
in springless stages, | have done
very well. On leaving your town
cama through to this place by
private conveyance /; noticed
that the farmers along the route
had in more wheat than last year,
but that the yield would no. be SO
great. From this place l hacked
it to The hills Of old Smith, and,
although | am OF a stout, bold
heart, | am compelled to confess
that l was somewhat Lacked by
the undertaking.
Smith is one Of the most pre-.
ductiVe counties in our State; the
surface, It's true, is rather broken
in some places, yet some OF the Ii
nest farms | ever saw lie in the
county. Considerable improve
ment is going on here, aud were
you to travel through the country,
you would be aStonished at the
thrift of the people. Everywhere
you would find comfortable farm
hosses surrounded by orchards.
The farmers are, AS general thing,
out of debt and the sole proprie-
tors of the farms on which they
live. Here you wonld see some
nice farming, too; | would like
for you to see the farm of Esq.
James, near the mouth of Hick-
man creek after you had looked
over his fields of wheat and corn,
admired his neat meadows, drunk
of his cool cistem, chatted him
for an hour or two beneath the
shade of his trees, | am confident
that you would sigh for farm far
removed from the tripod. Smith
county seems admirably adapted
to grape culture ; DR.. McClain,
whose farm joins Esq. James, has
succeeded finely in growing this
most delicious fruit, he has a large
vineyard and most generally real
Uses an abundant crop. Were 9TH
er railroad facilities here, cultiva-
ting the vine would prove a prof
table business. Alter spending a
few days very pleasantly with my
friends in Smith, l again took mp
the line of march, and soon found
myself in one of the most delight
full villages of Kentucky.
"Sweet Auburn, lovoliest village of the
plain,
Where health and plenty cheers the Ia
boring swain"
is in Logan county on M. & L. R.
R., and the surrounding is very
fine, indeed. Were it deserted
village, l would think Goldsmith
had it in view when he wrote his
celebrated poem; but as it has
celebrated not more than thirty
natal days, and is full of life and
energy, Oliver must have had his
mind on some other place, in many
respects, similar to this. The soil
of the surrounding country is red ;
your first impression would be,
that you were in o very unproduc.
tive part of KY, hut large, fine
corn, fine meadows, well filled gra-
naries, would soon di3place that
idea. Neat cottage homes and
large barns indicate that the far
mers are qreU-tO-do. While in
Auburn, l went to a Sunday
School Celebration and picnic,
ard could not have enjoyed my
self more. At an early hour
"All the village train, from labor free,
Led up their sports beneath a spreading
Lee.''
Here the croquct balls were rolling
ever the lawn, ard there base balls
were flying through the air.
Both young and old were engaged
at games of some kind, and the
hours rolled away pleasantly.
But croquet and base ball had no
charm tor me. Who would in.
dulge in those stale old games,
when be could witHess the mod
ern game OF marbles, played at