Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-03-21
WHO Is ITR

Early Romance Of Tennessee Congressman.
The following dispatch appeared in
the Cincinnati Post OF the l1th inst,
signed "W. A. T." lit is true, we are
at loss to know TO which one Of our
NJ C's. it may refer. 1t probably had
its origin in the Imagination OF the
Posts correspondent;
COLUMBUS, March 1.-THE prone.
ness Of people TO pretend TO what they
are not, even when that pretense in
jures no one, crops out in social life in
the political ccnters ON almost every
notable occasion. The late inaugura-
ton, with its attendant festivities, Is u
case in point.
In the descriptions OF the ball and
receptions, and the like, one could see
the names OF bellies whose aristocratic
lineage was coupled with their cos
TUNES, whose mothers worked around
tor seventy-hve cents or a dollar a
week, and whose fathers helped TO
wheel the dirt in making the canals
and railroads Of the State
This fact IS no disgrace, either to the
parents or children, but IL is offensive
y snobbish on their parts TO attempt
TO ape aristocracy by trying 70 ignore
their real histery which is quite as
honorable rs could be conferred by
any aristocratio lineage, socalied.
One case in point was the glowing
descriptions OF Mrs. and Miss Blank,
the vile and daughter OF Congressman
Blank, OF Tennessee, who shone re-
splendent in personal beauty and per-
sonnl adornments. One would think,
after reading the description, that the
two ladies would haye no trouble in
tracing their lineage back to the Tu-
dors or Stuarts.
Now, mark how plain story will
dissipate this impression. Mrs. Blank
is the daughter Of railroad laborer
who lost his life in this city in an acci-
dent, leaving her withaut mother or
a known relative. She lived with
friends who were as poor as herself,
and sold apples and oranges about the
streets, and ut the State House during
legislative sessions.
In the winter of 1SG0-6l she was 16
years of age, and as beautiful as il is
possible for a girl TO be. During the
session that winter, when the volcano
of civil war WAS ready 20 break forth,
the Legislatures OF Kentucky and
Tennessee visited Ohio on a peace
mission and remained n couple OF
days in the vain endoavor to heal the
rapidly widening breach between the
two sections.
Mr.. Blank, a young and talented
81 O., Il
ture was fatally smitten with the
charms OF the pretty apple girl, and
when he left he carried her image in
his heart and her photo in his pocket
Absence only increased the fervency
OF his passion, and mouth or no later,
after the firing on Fort Sumter, and
when the whole country was rushing
to arms he hastened back to Columbus
and married the apple girl and carried
her off TO Tennessee. The wedding,
although a quiet one, was n great local
and newspaper sensation, four and
twenty years ago, and the bridegroom
escaped capture and impris-
onment as a spy.
With the outbreaking OF the war he
entered the Confederate service and
rose 70 distinction. With peace and
the restoration OF the Union he enter
ed national politics and became Con-
gresham. His wife, the whilom apple
girl, it is said, still retaine much of her
beauty, and his daughter 10 said TO be
an exact counterpart OF her mother
twenty golden years ago. II 20, do
not wonder that the society fellows 60
crazy on her account, bat the less said
about their aristocratic lineage the
better.