The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1880-05-06
The Benton Picnic, as Seen by
One Oflhe HONS.


some Of THE particulars. Benton is sit.
uated Is miles east Of this place aud Is
a small town surrounded by high
mountains and filled with high-ton ned
whole-sOulel people who seem to vie
with each other in trying 10 make
strangers enjoy themselves to the ut
most OF their capacity. 1t was the hap
by fortune of our Cornet Band TO be
called TO play for the celebration, and
obeying the call, left at ! o'clock and
arrived at Benton at 6 p. m, April Both
and found many TO give us a cordial
greeting and conduct us to the hotel of
Mr.. j. Z. kanester, where we were
cared for, in a style that cannot be sur
passed by any hotel in all this country.
lie and his excellent lady did every
thing in theiI power to make our stay
pleasant. And when the bell invited
us to the dining room we found the tl-
BILE always loaded with every thing
that a hungry set of band boys could
wish and vas enjoyed by all except the
Doctor, who unfortunately undertook
to dissect a chicken, and going at it up
on true scientific principles, and after
several fruitless efforts to keep it in the
dish and in fact on the table, turned it
over to one who used less science and
more muscle, and in this case accom-
pliAled greater results, but the Doctor
can be excused when it is told that he
young ladies before going into the dining
room, and ACKNOWLEDGED that he was
thinking of the good time he hoped to
have at the sociable that our friend
James Bible bad arranged to give us at
the house Of Mr.. Webb, and a few hours
afterward we were all enjoying the
Inequalities offered us by our host and
hostess. forgetting the weariness of the
flesh and looking forward with bright
anticipations to the morrow.
Morning dawned, and with it the fes-
tivities of the day commenced. Scarce
ly had the sun peeped over the eastern
mountains until the streets were thron-
ged with anxious persons, hurrying to
and fro with large and well filled bas-
kets, preparatory to taking up the line
of march to Benton Springs, the place
selected for the celebration and the
coronation of the May Queen. The pro-
session was formed at Prof. Milburn's
Academy, headed by the Band, march,
ed up the principal street where they
disbanded and took conveyance for the
grounds which was reached at 10 a.. m.
Here every n was spell bound by the
grandeur of the scenery spread out be-
us, standing as we were upon the
side of the mountain and looking west
saw the great valley of the East Tennes-
see as it lay between these two great
mountain ranges, looking like some
ancient painting only far more beauti-
because we could realize that ma
.ure in all Of its beauty was there in
unaided by the artistic touch
Or the rainbow coloring of the pencil
westward we could describe
he line of the Cincinnati Southern r.
E., by the smoke of the locomotive as
t wound around the base of the Cum
mOuntains-and directing our {
attention to the southwest could see {
he smoke as it assembled from the fOun-
irys and machine shops Of ChattanOO-
"a, and also follow up the f. T. w G !
r. Il. to Knoxville, then turning, the |
massive rocks and cliffs of the Chill :
lOwee meets the eye and 10 matter in l
What direction the attention of the l
pectator is fixed, beauty after beauty l
5 seen and the whole being is filled l.
With grandeur and sUblimity. Surely -
his must be the Switzerland of Ameri-
We congratulate Benton and va
nifty on having the choicest and cool
st summer resort, as well as the best
lybeate water that can be found
anywhere. Imagine this scene of ma
are, aided by the presence of huC-
reds of the happy youths o Polk coun- q
Y and you then eau have a faint idea u
f its appearance on the morn of May
st. The exercises were commenced by
ne coronation of Miss Emma Thoma- =,
III as Queen OF May, by Mr.. w. j. Hood ~
'hO, after making an appropriate II
Deech placed the floral wreath upon n
or brow which she wore the rest OF
ne day. After speeches and music the
was spread and all. ut once be-
an TO partake of the good things
bread before them. In the evening
ne mountain was explored and all re- a
lrned feeling that the occasion had
cen the most enjoyable II that any
ad eyer attended. Nothing occurred
} mar the pleasure Of any one, and l
eel safe in saying that the order al M
the vast crowd was per-
'ct and nothing was omitted that
)uId have added to the occasion, for
'hich Prof. Milburn and others de- .
rye many thanks from the visitors. Pi
The Band wish to return thanks to CT
nc young gentlemen and ladies for the "
time they had while in BEN ~,
IN and especially to Mr.. James Bible
D.. N. Taylor, j. J.. Smith, B. f. Me- N
larry and others whose names we
Ill to recollect. The hope of the Band
that they may soon have the chance G
{ returning to Benton and renewing D