The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-06-21
CoRREsP oNDENCE.
Letter from Atlanta, Ga.
King College Chattanooga
Local Scenery--K entucky--Blue-
Grass Lexington, Danville, and Rich
mond-Central University
ATLANTA, juno 11th. !

ATLANTA, June 18th, 1882
NeSSrS Editors,-Three days after the Gene
raj Assembly adjourned, 1 gladly started on an
excursion outside the city, and amid the refresh
ing verdure and beautiful scenes of nature in
Tennessee and Kentucky, with glimpse of Yir-
ginia, reached Bristol early on Saturday,
June 3rd, and spent three days participating in
and attending on the annual commencement
exercises of King College. What changes are
made in the course of time. In 1S43 l visited
Rev. James King in the old house standing on
commanding eminence, surrounded with a
large farm, much OF it in grass and known as
Kings Meadows. This was thirty-nine years
ago. No town. no railroad, no churches, no
college, or other institutions of learning.
Now there is a city of several thousand people,
composed of Bristol. Tenn, and Goodson, Va,
containing King College and three female
schools, number of churches and some impor-
tant tobacco and other factories with large
commercial business
Rev. G. A. Caldwell is pastor of the Presby-
terian church in Bristol. He has occupied this
position since the close of the war. He has
won well-deserved reputation as bold faith
full, earnest, eloquent and successful preacher of
the everlasting gospel The old building in
which his congregation have worshipped has
been torn down, that a new one may be erected
IN its stead.
Rev. DIR. Tadlock and his assistants in King
College are doing noble and important work
amid great discouragements from the lack of an
endowment. Yet they faithfully toll on from
year to year, in the hope that the church at
large will appreciate their labors, come to their
help, and literally endow the institution.
Leaving Bristol on Monday night, I found
myself next morning in Chattanooga. Here I
felt at home. l have known this place since
1912, when 1t was small village and had but
recently received Its name. The spot was
originally known as Ross Landing. John Ross,
the Cherokee Chief living close by. The local
scenery around Chattanooga is peculiarly fine
and impressive The most prominent feature
Is Lookout mountain. A few miles below to.
wards Alabama the Tennessee river rushes
through gorge of mountain named Walden's
Ridge. The passage is narrow, and the &C
cumulated waters become swift and turbulent
producing a current called The Suck, with the
Boiling Pot beyond Jefferson, in his notes on
Virginia, written in 1871, when but little was
known of the vast interior Of the continent.
thus alludes to this part of river which he
calls the TaniSsee, Cherokee or Hogohehe
" This river has its inundations also. Above
the Chickamogga town is whirlpool, called
the Sucking Pot, which takes in trunks of trees
or boats, and throws them out again half
mile below" In describing the passage of the
Potomac through the Blue Ridge at Harper's
Ferry, which Mr.. Jefferson had seen, he rises to
lofty eloquence, calls it one of the most stu
pondous scenes in nature, and says it is worth a
voyage across the Atlantic. I have seen both.
and l am inclined to think the passage Of the
Tennessee river through the mountain near
Chattanooga fully equals the other in pic
turesque wiidness, grandeur and sublmity.
But Natures strong convulsive shock
Severed this Ridge in twain,
Burst through the everlasting rock
And cut the granite chain.
After day spent in Chattanooga with Rev.
Messrs. McCallie and Bachman. old and valued
friends, I passed out by the Cincinnati Southern
Railway to Lexington, Ky. I unexpectedly
found myself in the midst Of school and college
commencemeLts Their number furnished ground
for parody on the celebrated lines Of Tennyson.
Commandments to the right ofus,
Commencements to the left Of us,
Commencements before us,
Commencements behind us.
In the course Of little more than week
attended FIVE, and these were but a few out Of