Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1879-06-25
THE CITY.

IL
he severest test the possible ubiqu1ty OF
newspaper reporter, that occasion was yes
erday. Inspired by the pride naturally felt
u the splendid structure the government Is
placing on our bluffs, aside from the great de-
mand for a suitable building for the purposes
Of customhouse, postofhce, United States
courts, etc., the laying of the cornerstone
was intended to be made one of the occa-
sions that would form an interesting page IN
the city's history, and to that end the best
men were selected and intrusted with the
aided by the Masonic societies.
In the performance Of their duty they failed
in nothing; on the contrary eXcelled them
selves in a programme of proceedings that
would have done credit to cities richer In the
means of display and otherwise more pre-
tentious Our citizen military, assisted by
company from GAINESVILLE and one from Hell
ena, Arkansas, the verious Masonic and other
societies readily volrnt II d; distinguished
citizens, including the governor a1d his staff,
from all pPrts of the STAT were invited TO
grace the occasion with their presence, and
all the preiminai- es n c9s. ~ to the So ;ess
of the 3asion were promptly and systemat-
ically exc cut ID, Sld up to the dawn OF yes
terday morning everything was most propi-
tious for an int resting ceremony, pleasing
to the eye and impressive to the memory.
But the best laid plans even of the wisest
often require most careful nursing even to
their elimination, and In this case 1t APP
peared during the forepart of the day that
THE TICKLE WEATHER-GOD
would intervene to the Infinite destruction of
all the plans, and from early dawn until far
in the afternoon, the vast throng that crowd
ed the principal thoroughfares fingered be-
tween hope and anxiety. 1t was a painful
suspense to many who mad come long dis
lance either to participate In or witness the
ceremony. sDuring the forenoon black, angry
clouds hung in the south and southwest,
growing more dense end threatening every
moment, impressing the anxious multitude
with the approach of q 81 rm of rain and
perhaps wind. As the moments Sew apace
the storm clouds advanced until half-past
twelve, when the re- n commenced to fall and
humanity began to rush for shelf n. 1t was
not a pe1Ic. but next to that condition Ia
confusion. For q quarter Of an hour the rain
fell, but more moderately thf1 WIS antlcl-
pated, at the end of which time old PluVlus
seemed to have satiated his desire II annoy
the denlzens.of the bluffs, and by one swc ep of
his will, as it were, scattered the clouds, the
rain cessing, and soon the sunbeams again
began piercing the riffs. The rain for a
short time tempered the atmosphere to a
comfortable condition, but when the sun
came down with fri force upon the baptized
earth, there arose hot steam that literally
set the throng of people to boiling everv pore
emlLIlng jets OI peIsPHatlon tuaO IoOh IHo
starch out of linen End wllted many q
captivating dickey. Face wipes and SIGH
we're in demand, and the irrepressible fan
woggled many wigele, disturbing only a
hot atmosphere that increased the calorlc
condition of T. owner. The rain over, hope
was enthroned anew, and the committee of
arrangements proceeded with the putting of
their well-leid plans into execution.
THE CROWD.
y - t,o
entire day, the focal points being Court
square and the Peabody hotel. The latter
locality, the visiting military companies be-
lug guests of the hotel, and their entertain
ers, the Bluff City Grays and Chickasaw
Guards, making themselves Enthusiastically
kind in attentions to their visiting friends,
was the great center of attraction, the mill
tary In gay uniforms giving charm to what
would otherwise have been but tame-look-
ing mass of humanity. Chartered at the
hotel were, besides the visiting military,
Governor A. S. Marks and his staff, who ar
rived from Nashville at five o'clock yesterday
morning, as did also the GAINESVILLE Guards.
The latter were received by the Chickasaw
Guards, the former by committee OF cltl-
zens, composed of General w. ]. Smith,
Colonies A. ]. Kellar, of the AUaLanche, and
M. G. Galloway, of the APPEAL; Captain
Harvey Mathes, of the Ledger, and Mr.. ]. B.
Bingham, of the EUening Herald. The
trains on the various railways came
in loaded, as did the local packets from
above and below. The crowded thor
ouehfares reminded one of our Mardi-G ras
festivities, when, as Is well known. the whole
country round about Memphis, and the cities
north of US, south OF US, east OF US, west OF
us, are represented in the throng of visitors.
There were, yesterday, many present, both
ladies and gentlemen, among the visitors,
worthy of especial mention; but as 1t IS ln1-
possible for a reporter ID accomplish more
than dozen items at one and the same
time, the reader will have to be content with
the names appearing ON the hotel registers,
as follows:
Arrivals at PEABODY hotel: j. A. Jessie,
Louisville, Kentucky; j. J. Pulliam and wife,
Lagrange, Tennessee; N. w. Ward, Sena-
tobla, Mississippi; A. L. Taggart, Clarks-
vile, Tennessee; j. b. johnson, Mississippi;
Miss India Translate, Miss Cordelia Dabney,
Scott White, Lagrange, Tennessee; 4. A.
Garrison, Helena, Arkansas; Fl. c. Green,
st Louis; Horace F. Hardy, New Orleans;
Hugh B. Irvine, Marshall. Texas; P. G..
Kelsey, DeHaven, Kentucky; D. L. Snod-
grass, Sparta, Tennessee; Mrs. w. Jones,
Jefferson, Texas; G. P. Atmore, Z. P. Fon
tame, Louisville; Governor Albert S. Marks,
Nashville; Edward Howard, GAINESVILLE; S.
P Armstrong, Walden; Ed F. M'Ghee, Mis-
sissippi; J. R. Moore, Vests, Mississippi; F.
vile, Alabama; VIM. M. Crane and wife,
Anderson, Indiana; T. R. Simms, Oxford,
Mississippi; Charles K. Patterson, Knoxville,
Tennessee; ]. Sturm, Moscow, Tennessee; z.
P. Smith, Senatobia, Mississippi; Burney,
Bates, Christian, Smith, Aurett, Whitfield,
Munford, Byers, Careful, Sullivan, Blackman,
G. S. Allen, w. Il. Allen, Abbott, Barks-
dale, F. Beaumont, w. R. Beaumont, Bur-
nett, Bell, Caldwell, Fowlks, Hamett, Hold
son, Lynes. Geiger, Johns, Mennhotf, Matill,
Moore, M'Daniel, J. H. Munford, Naylor.
A. Kief, Frier, Rudolph, Ingram, Williams.
Beach, Atkins, M Kay, Rhodes, J. B. Rey-
nolds, Larkin, Shelton, Rawls, Joos, G. M.
M'Fall, Nathan Stewart, Hal Bailey, Clarks
vile, Tennessee; Jas. A. Hill, Fayette, Ten
nessee.
BUNTING DECORATIONS.
The Office of the surveyor of customs, on
Madison street; the recruiting Office, on Sec
ond street; the derrlcks, booms and guy
ropes, at the customhouse building, were all
decorated with profusion of American flags.
Besides these, some of the prominent busi-
ness houses, irnbued with that patriotic zeel
which impels a due respect for a day of ma
tional Importance, even such as laying the
foundation stone of the customhouse for the
city of Memphis, had their fronts appropri-
ately hung with flags, some more pretentlous
than others, 1T is true, but the least OF them,
p6IudpSg do uuOA luopiASO WAOh tbstO AahNAaOtO
spirit of loyalty as the greatest. Among the
buildings decorated we noticed the dry goods
of Leubrie Brothers, on Main;
the wholesale houses of Rice, Silk q Co., and
Schwab & Co.; the shoehoLse of Friedman
Brothers, the carriage emporium OF w. S.
Bruce & Co., and last, but by no means least
because there were two lsrge flags suspend
ed, the Office of the Memphis and OHIO river
packet company, on Monroe street.
The postoffice and other government build
inQs, or rather quarters of government
officials, were noticed to make no display of
flags. While bordering over this conun-
drum the APPEALS commissioner met
prominent government official, and asked
why this was thus. He replied; We'll, |
can only answer for myself haven't got
one." ''Then, SIR" we replied, 'the APP
PEAL. feels constrained to call attention to
the fact that the old rebel element displays
more patriotic zeal to-day than the agents OF
the best government the world ever saw"
In closing this peroration on the govern
ment, we cited instances of private buildings
and business houses being adorned with a
profusion of national flags. Don't do that,
for Gods sake replied the government
official, sit might cause congress to adjourn
Then, SIR we suggested,
''don' t you think we would be doing special
service for the country-a blessing in DIS
Ruise, as it were?" 1t was clincher, and
after positive refusal on our part to take
something, we separated.