Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-01
Fowler and Etheridge.


"Did you ever meet Prof. Fowler~ i
asked this morning of the Hon. Emerson
Etheridge, who has been in the city for sew
eral days.
"The phrenologist% asked the distin-
guisbed Tennessean. "No; have never seen
him."
"Button up your gray coat aud keep on
your overshoes and come with me. 1 am
anxious to further test the claims phrenology
makes to science. Please let me engineer the
preliminaries."
This is what your correspondent said and
thought. Perhaps he thought the greater
part of it. AT all events, Mr.. Etheridge be-
ing really obliging and kind-hearted, in a
short while knocked at the door of No. l,
Maxwell House, with Mr.. E,heridge in tow.
The professor had been "left" by the Louis
vile bound train and we found him reclin-
ing at length on the bed, but we're welcomed
by his smiable wife.
professor, permit me to introduce q
friend, Mr.. Williams. He resides near Nash
willie and has been a farmer all his life. L
have often suggested that he ought 10 have
been doctor or a lawyer, and would be glad
| to learn whether your science agrees with
that theory"
Prof. Fowler rose slowly from his couch
as one who has grievance nobody likes TO
| be Left, and, after moving n chair near the
| window, asked Mr.. Williams to be seated.
/ Scarcely had he laid his hand on the head
before him than the professor said: II
should say you are one of those farmers who
| would like to own the whole State of Tepnes-
see. Your ambition is wonderful; you want
'all the land adjoining yours'-isu't that
so?"
I The victim had nothing 10 say. He pre-
ferred the guestioner should answer his own
inquiry. -.
went on, musingly. "If it isn't too late, and
/ you are yet strong and vigorous, would adj
wise you to cultivate your tastes for public
life. Your patriotism shows remarkable
development,
| AND YOUR MORAL COURAGE
is rarely equaled by any head l have ever
examined. You, sir, are an orator-you
speak from intuition; and, in speaking, would
| become 30 strangely euthused that meu would
call it Inspiration. Yours is a wonderful
head. Your sense of justice, your love oil
/ Justice for its own sake, even novice IN
| chronology could detect at the touch. Be
lieving you were righ, you would go ahead
/ In def snce Of all obstacles; YOU would suff, !
i N arty rdom in the cause your active sensi-
bilities would espouse. What remarkable
| what m uly courage! thousand battaiions
could not deter you from expressing your
opinions; and, fortunately, your sense OF jus
tice is almost perfect. Your love OF home
and country marks you patriot; could
trust your honor and your judgment as al.
most infsllible. You come Of lorg-lived
parentage, and the limit Of your longevity
reaches at least eighty-6ve."
In short, Prof. Fowler read the character
Of Mr.. Etheridge With singular exaetitude
He knew nothing more whatever Of the his
tory or character OF the subject than hs
would have known if King Alfonso hac
come upon him suddenly disguised as 8
fisherman.
After he got through said, apologetcaly
that had deceived him, and, whether RICH
or wrong, he must promise not 10 be of
Tended, whereupon L correctly introduced
HON. EMERSON ETHERIDE, THE FAEMER.
Prof. Fowler exhibited unaffected symp
toms OF surprise, and seemed highly pleased
that he had 20 closely read the bidder
springs of character through the phrenolog
ical organs.
As to longevity, Mr.. Etheridge admitted
that one of his grandparents, on either size
had lived to be respectively eighty three ant
eighty i've years OF age, as revealed by th'
professor. He admitted he had been through
many a public and protrscted fight agsins
l thc A0uSh Sotucio VI popVioi opiuioo' ~
| deed, he stood almost alone in his sc ciior
OF the State in 1851, combating the heresy
of secession. He has faced enrased multi
tudes, armed with shotguns srd pistols. Al
. ter the war, during the Brownlow regime, ht
stoutly maintained the right 70 the electiv,
franchise for all the ex Confederate soldiers
He adds, however, that his courage al
lies along the lire of the moral faculty. H,
declares that he has little physical courage
that courage which would seek the bubbl
reputation even at the lannon's mouth
With that higher quality, however, whicl
inspires the hero to stand firmly for what b
/, conceives 10 he right. even at the risk O
life, all who know Emerson Etheridge
friend and foe, admit he is magnificent
!, endowed. And this as far exceeds mere ebYsi
cal courage as the virtues Of manhood ex
coed the brutal instincts of bull.dog
:, And this is Emerson Z heridgs" aske
Prof Fowler. II have known of him 10
nearly forty years"
e He seemed highly gratiisd at the oppol
I tuuity afforded him to make such a remark
able test.
e Mr.. E,heridge lives in sec,uson at b
|. home near Dresdep, Tenn. He went to schoc
JUST NINE DAYS
> TO Mr.. George Roulhsc, father OF Mr.. Wn
| N arr, Ol tule Cltys hC PotSsh"i 1S-hSAtS
!, much favored keeping Emsrson at the plo'
!, He thought, with 'Simon Suggs," that if
. boy has mother wit 'boek larnin' Won't hel
him much; and if he hasn't got mother wi
all the book larnin' in the world will onl
make the bigger fool of him."
But the youthful genius lopged Tor
higher education. He literally deyoured a
the books he could lay hands on; these vel
Baxtsr's Cal, Waas' on the Mind, Gua,ye'
Travels, etc. He even studied anatomy; thel
was nothing else within his limited horizo
Q Exhaustipg everything else in reach, |
used TO turn back the top OF an old hal
ir trunk IAN heir loom) and read and mem
rise the newspapers with which it was line
K When quite young, in his thirty FIRST yea
he was elected member of Congress, al
there made in 1853 his first brilliant al
y successful speech advocating bill to NAL
Winfield Scott acknowledgement. ha'
: omitted to state that, on the earnest e
:. treaties Of his mother, he was early in Ii
= app enticed to Mr.. Gardner, lawye
n with whom he laid the foundation Of h