The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1884-04-05

better than anyone else how to ac-
complish this task. His idea is that
If he covers up his black and ordains
that it is white the public imagination
win do the rest. Mr.. Barnum is more
than half right. For business purposes
his elephant is as white as a hard
boiled egg.
Mrs. James X. Polk, at the venera-
BILE age of 81, still lives in excellent
health at Polk place, Nashville, Tenn.
She never had any children, but
adopted niece, who married George
w. Fall, a merchant of Nashville, and
who, with her husband and only
daughter, Sadie make up the happy
family at Polk place.
Poker has become the rage in the
ladies' clubs in New York. They take
to it quite naturally, and succeed in
squandering their pin money in the
most approved style. A prominent
club man tackled a couple of these
Murray Hill experts the other even
ing, and dropped $1,000 in less than
two hours. He didn't mind it much,
as he had made it as easily as he lost
it.
They are having trouble in Texas
over man who has just received two
sentences, one of fifty years imprison-
ment, and the other to be hanged.
They want to hang him now, but the
man claims that he ought to serve
his term first, as that sentence was
pronounced prior to the one of hang
ing. A juror gave it as his opinion
that Gas the prisoner was a dead sure
loser, he'd better close out with the
bank and swing to wunst."
A Western clergyman was very anx-
ious to go to a circus. He thought if he
only had some children he could take
them and thus make the satisfaction
of their curiosity justification for his
going with them. Having none, he
called upon brother clergyman who
had boy and tried to borrow him
The plan would not work. The broth
er clergyman remarked, "I've waited
long time for my boy to get big
enough to go to circus, and now
want to use him myself.
At one OF the Glasgow steel-works
there is in progress an immence anvil
block, which will eventually contain
about 165 tons OF metal, and which il
intended for use with twolve-tor
steam hammers, Of which there are
several now at work in Scotland
This monster anvil-block is designed
in two pieces, the larger one being ol
about 1SO tons weight. 1t was cas-
in q mould occupying the position in
tended for the block itself. The mix
ture employed in the production o
these huge anvil-blocks was about one
fourth No. 8 Gartsherrie and three
foutrhs scrap iron.
An elephant keeper noticed tina
when his pets were fed on cakes ant
sweetmeats by the children they be
came unwell. Not being able to stan,
in front of them all the while, he hat
a sign painted warning visitors not t,
feed them, He was in the habit o
pointing to this sign when he saw any
one about to drop cake or nut int
the outstretched trunk. The keepe
was sorely puzzled to find out VIII
tore the sign down whenever his bacl
was turned, until one day he caugh
one of the wise brutes dexterously re
moving it from the peg on which |
hung and throwing it into corne
where it would not be noticed.
The land of East Tennessee is gen
orally rich, and especially SO in tn
valleys and slopes. The atmosphere
pure and the climate generally health
full. Some of the finest wheat land
in the United States is found her,
while for fruit there is no section {
country superior to it. 1t is here tina
the great coal, iron, copper and zin
mines and marble quarries are Il
Gated.
/ Never was field for both capits
and labor more interesting than Tel
nessee. The resources of the Stat
have only to be known to attract t
her the idle capital of other countrit
as well as our own, and an industriou
population to utilize it in almost ever
known branch OF human industr,
Tennessee's labor system is not we
organized, but great improvemel
has been made in this respect With
the past decade. Her capital is nt
sufficient, and, as a necessary cons
quence, a large portion Of her ferti
land uncultivated, her exhaustle
mines are but poorly worked, and HI
noble forests but little utilized.
1t appears from recent statistic
that little more than 80 per cent.
! the population OF Chicago was boz
in the United States. No less tina
$4,000 of the present inhabitants