The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-08-13
Our Trip to Strawberry Plains,


Doctor and | to start to StraWberr
Plains ON a trip Of business an,
pleasure. The day came, and w
started. At half past ten o'clocl
we reached our destination. On ar
- riving, we met the pleasant and ia
miliar face Of our old and esteemed
friend, James W. Douglass, Esq.
who extended to us the right hand
of fellowship. and requested US to
alight. or course we complied. He
> ordered Charlie put up and well
cared for. Presently tbe hour for
refreshments came, and he extended
to US a cordial invitation to dine
with him, which we unhesitatingly
accepted. We soon arrived at his
residence. Dinner came, and we
were profusely helped to all the lux
uries requisite to sustain life and
happiness. After dinner Mr.. Doug
lass and my companion lit their ci-
gars and threw themselves back in
their familiar, easy / careless po-
sition, at the same tine edifying
their auditors by a continuous sluice
of their pointed witticisms, accom-.
panied by few expressions of me-
lodious laughter. After they had
whitfield away for some half hour we
returned to Mr.. Douglass's house OF
business. Mr.. Douglass is one of
Strawberry Plains best citizens and
business operators. He is man Of |
whom any community should be
proud.
After transacting our business we |
went round to the hotel, registered |
and ordered early supper, desiring
to call on some young ladies several
miles in the country that night. Our
supper was plain, but substantial and
we'll prepared. The moment / flashed
my eye over the proprietor l recog-
-nized in him some peculiarities that
l had once been familiar with. The
proprietor, Doctor and myself found
ourselves all to be old chums. We
three had reclined many successive
nights together while at the siege of
Vicksburg.
After supper we ordered Charlie
and the buggy, and the proprietor
being little inquisitive, he succeed
ed in obtaining our intentions. So
he proposed to accompany us. Gle
is an unmarried man), and remarked
that " he was very well acquainted
there, that he had been frequent
and welcome visitor there for thirteen
years." The proprietor piloted us
through safely. He is one of ma
ture's masterpieces, low and firmly
set, with hazel eyes, a long and {
heavy moustache, and a rich manly ,
voice. The warm healthy blood
coursed through his body in rich full
ness, and gave to his flesh that Pc
culiar tint that denotes perfect ,
health. Broad-chested, erect, strong. I
limbed, he walked the earth like q {
god. Of him any woman might feel {
proud.
At 8 o'clock P. NJ, we reached the I
place. We were warmly received by
one of the young ladies, who led us g
in the parlor, which was brilliantly I
lighted bouquets of flowers were
placed about the room, and the =
Whole interior wore a festive appear /
ance. At enc end of the room sat a C
Jofa, On which was seated a young {
ady friend from Messy Creek, whom d
We were delighted to meet-my com. L
oanion especially. The young ladies C
yore the same expression of intelli- q
,ence, love and composure that they c
Yore when last we met them. We f
we're handsomely and inexpressibly d
by the intelligence, hos /:
'itality and music of the young la ti
lies, together with a waiter of deli a
ieus watermelon. After alternat- n
ng the three for about two hours, a
the proprietor all the time seeming Il
y enjoying himself fighting boys, it
ats, looking at pictures, etc. we o
ook our exit. r,
On entering the dark we found it r,
lmost impossible to see our way. a
10 the proprietor pulled off his coat a
nd walked before US a distance of Il
hree miles, in the meantime fording m
he river. He remarked that "when fs
e started with man he always saw s
i'm through" Before going to bed b,
e gave us some onions and Geld po- "
atoes. His hotel is a three-story ii
On the first floor he has a
rug and dry.goods room. The Sec
nd story consists of two rooms, :
ach of which he has fitted up for ci
uests; and the third story consists E
f one room, and few loose plank W
brown down for a floor. There is o
My one bed in the entire house, and m
is only half bed, and his three ii
Jerks sleep in it. The proprietor. is
DOCTOR and myself occupied the front IL
,om on the second floor. Our he'd a