Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-03-18
Editorial Correspondence.


In the early days of the month, when
the mercury sported around friskily any
place between zero and the twentles,a and
the brisk March wind seemed to have a
more icy breath than usual, ''ys CHRoN-
GLE editor ald his better half turned
heir faces South ward for brief trip for
recreation in the land of cotton cane
and alligators, where ordinarily perpetu-
al summer reignS, and the air is laden
with the perfume of flowers, but which
his season has been visited by old Boz
reas much to the discomfort of the in
habitants. Shortly after noon on the I'd
lust. they boarded the P, G. & st. L.
train at the depot in Wheeling, and be-
fore o'clock they landed in the Union
lepo, at Columbus, having passed over
he distance easily and comfortably in
Jne of the splendid coaches for which
the Pan Handle is famous. Remaining
q the Capital City until the following
morning, they they resumed their jour :
ney by way of the Little Miami to Gin
cinnati, where short stop was made,
and opportunity taken to make brief
call on Gen. b. r. CoweD, Clerk of the
L. 5. court, at his Office in the new gov.
ernment building. Here we met Nj
Walter S. COwen and wife-the latter
being one of the Office force and occupy
ing very pleasant position. Among
other Belmont county people in Cincin-
Kennon, of st. Clairsville, who was in
attendance at the Law School, and Mr.
Jordan, formerly a druggist in Martins
Ferry, who was attending lectures at
he Medical College.
At half-past s o'clock we entered a car
Of the Louisville & Nashville railroad =
which, by the way, is the great carrier
company of the South-reaching the
:hief marts of trade. penetrating the
great pine forests and lumber regions,
branching out to her delightful winter
resorts, and historical battle-f fields. Cross
ing the fine bridge which spans the Ohio,
we are on Kentucky soil, at Newport,
and thence by comfortable night ride,
passed Louisville, Bowling Green, Galls-
tin and other points familiar to many
Ohio boys, twenty years ago, We reach
Nashville in time for breakfast. Here
We formed the acquaintance Of Mr. L. C..
slime, cashier of the Goodwin Bank, Of
tawa, KS, and Mr. Wm Altman, his as
sistaat, who accompanied US about
Nashville, and to New Orleans, and
proved to be very pleasant travelling
companions. As we had not visited this,
the chief city of Tennessee since the late
npleasantness," We had some curiosi-
ty to lock in upon it and note
che changes over two decades had
wrought. The city during that period
has made wonderful strides, and from d
somewhat unimportant place, save as
the rendezvous andzbase of supplies OF
the army, it has grown to a city of $4,000
inhabitants, and trade center for bot
Ouly central and east Tennessee but for
considerable territory in northern Ala
bama and northern Georgia. The city is
substantially built, the new buildings
(and there are many of them) being
mostly of brick, and of modern style and
architecture. There are many fine new
business blocks and an unusually large
number of elegant private residences,
and every appearance indicates large bu
siness interests and much wealth and
culture among the people. We were both
gratilied and surprised at the advance
ment of this city, which at our last visit
was the center of extensive military opr
erations, the marks of which are yet Wis
IDLE in the neighbOrhoOd of the city,
where grass s-grown ruins OF offortifcations
tell of the struggle between the con-
tending armies of Thomas and Hood.
Among other places of interest visited
during the day, was the Capitol building.
which at tue time of its completion about
1860, was one Of the finest of the state
capiUols of the Union, costing S1O,00O,-
900. Here, in the art gallery, were many
line old paintings of the distinguished
men who figured in the early history of
the stationary relics belonging to the
state, and large collection of relics and
paintings belonging to the Historical So
ciety of Tennessee.
The next point of interest visited was
the homestead of the late James X. Polk,
the 10th President of the United States,
and his tomb, on the lawn in front of
nis residence. Among the pleasant fea+
lures of this visit, was call on the wild
ow Of the ex-Presidrnt, lady of over 50
years of age, and sUms what frail in body,
yet possessed in Il Ieuarkable degree of
the use of her mental faculties. We were
received with the utmost cordiality bv
the distinguished hostess, who by her
cultivated manners and polite attentions
made US feel perfectly at ease in her
presence. Mrs. Polk, during the course
of conversation, referred to the period
when her husband held the highest office
in the gift of the people, and remarked
concerning the wonderful progress OF
the United States since that time-how
that she had gone several times all the
way to Washington City in d carriage,
occupying weeks at a time, when, now,
the journey could be accomplished in a
couple of days. Stately 10 her dignity,
kind and gentle in her. manner, thought
full in dispensing hospitality, she i'm
pressed us as one worthy the esteem and
love of Americans of this age.
Among other things attracting the at
tentiOn of the visitor in this growing
city is its educational facilities. Here
is located Vanderbilt University, one of
the best, if not the very best institutions
of learning in the south. 1t was founded
in 1878, through the munifcence of Cor
nelius Vanderbilt, of New York, who
then made donation of $5OO.0OO, and
subsequently increased it to $I,0O0,OOO
VIM H Vanderbilt, at different times do
mated S350,000, making grand endow+
ment fund of S1,350.O00. The site of
the University is at the west end of the
city, beautiful elevated campus, con~
variety of shade trees, and improved
with roads, walks. Sc. The University
buildings on the grounds are five in
number, and are of the most substantial
character, four and five stories IN ight
of brick and cut stone trimmings. This
year there are about five hundred stut
dents In the various departments, mostly
from Tennessee and the southern states
BY its charter, the Bishops of the NJ Z
church, south, are the Board of Supervis-