Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-07-09


and Limestone county in north Ala
bama. We arrived at Decatur,
Ala, at o'clock p. m., and learned
to our regret that we had missed the
Memphis train about fifteen minutes
and that the next train going our
way would pass at 800 next morn
ing. This was a lucky thing for
Decatur as it compelled a large
number of passengers to stop over
and patronize the hotels, of which
this village abounds, in numbers as
well as variety. Decatur is an an
cient town on the south bank of the
Tennessee river at or near the head
of the Muscle Shoals around which
the United States government is en-
gagged in cutting a canal, which
when completed, will enable steam
boats Of all sizes TO ascend this mag
niticient river to the city of Knox
vile, traversing in its own course
nearly the whole length of the state.
This is grand enterprise and
when completed it will open up a
channel through which therich and
varied products of East Tennessee
can find a safe and cheap transit in
to the markets of the world. That
grand division of our state, with its
wealth of buried treasure in the
shape of the various minerals as
we'll as its agricultural capabilities
has only to IL limited degree been
developed. We now look with con-
fidence to this new enterprise as one
of the most efficient means of de-
veloping the resources of that divis.
ion of our state. And it will make
railroad men little more polite and
little more considerable of the rights
of others. It will in some degree
demonstrate to them that they have
not quite got a monopoly of the
freight and carrying business. IT
will be powerful competitor of the
railroads in Tennessee and this will
be worth all the legislation that can
be derived or enacted, in regulating
the rates of freights.
Decatur is the deadest town l ev-
er saw if there can be degrees in
death. Its buildings are small. low
and dingy, and look as if they had
been built there in the beginning of
the last century. Here we met Gen.
Wheeler the distinguished cavalry
officer of Confederate memory.
Time has dealt kindly with him, lie
has all the freshness of youth in his
appearance and movements.
He is now living some fifteen miles
below Decatur On the Memphis &
Charleston railroad at a station
named for him, and is engaged in
the peaceful occupation of farm
ing.
1t will be remembered, by those
at least who take an interest in the
politics of the country, that General
Wheeler was a. candidate in the
Huntsville district for congress
against Col. Low, of Huntsville, at
the last Novenaber election, and
was elected by a majority of forty
eight votes.
Col. Low being the sitting MEM
Der from that. district, and his time
unexpired, gave notice at the last
session that lie would contest the
election upon the ground that the
judges of the election cast out votes
which were cast in his favor SO as to
count Wheeler, in, when, if said
votes had not been thrown ont he
had majority. Wheeler contends
by way of defence that under the
laws Of Alabama, no ballot shall be
counted which has any mark or
writing upon it other than the
names of the candidates voted for,
and that the judges found in the
ballot box at Huntsville seventy
nine ballots cast for Low with the
figure eight upon them, and they
cast them out, which changed the
result so as to give Wheeler a major.
ity of forty-eight. The contest
seems to rest upon authority and if
electors violated the law regulating
the election franchise there is no
hardship in throwing out such lille
gal votes.
l arrived here on the Is, tn, and
found but few people here and all
those were invalids come to test the
virtues of these noted springs.
There are no pleasure-seekers here.
One reason why there were no more
here was that it was rather too ear
ly for the usual watering season to
The guests that are
here are principally from Ala, and
Miss, and they are as fine set of
gentlemen and ladies as / ever met.
They are intelligent, cultured,
warmhearted, sociable and gener-
Gus, and if there be any other noble
quality / have not mentioned, they
possess that too. I shall not soon
forget the kindness shown me here
by those excellent people. / think
the late war destroyed the noblest
that has ever been at
tanned by our race when it destroy
ed the civilization of the south. 1t
is so far superior to every other civ
ilization we are acquainted with or
that history furnishes any account
Of that it challenges the admiration
Of the world.
These springs are situated nine
miles northeast of Florence Ala, in
Lauderdale county. The surround
ing country is gently undulating
and covered generally by a fine for
est of trees. The road from Flor
ente here Is one of the finest dirt
.oads ever saw-it far surpasses a