Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-04-24
THE MUMMY.
An Authentic Account of How 1t Came
to be Here.


Nashville Union.
There have been so many different
accounts touching the ancient Egyp-
tian, whose mortal remains repOse on
the shelves of the Tennessee Histori-
cal society, that The Union has en-
deavored to inquire into their respec-
tive authenticity.
When Prof. Huxley, the distin-
guished scientist, visited Nashville a
few years ago, he took a great enter
est in examining this relic of antiqui-
ty and declared it to be the best speci-
men of the kind he had ever seen;
and we'll it may be so considered, for
it was selected from millions Of the
4lind in the catacombs on the banks
of the Nile especially for our Histori-
cal society, and was stripped of its
thick coverings and bandages before
it was taken away to ascertain its
perfect condition.
1t was obtained by our fellow-citi-
zen Pay Director, j. George Harris,
Of the navy, who has been lifelong
member of the society, as appears by
an inscription on the casket that con-
tains it. While Mr.. Harris was at
tached to the frigate Wabash as fleet
pay-master of our Mediterranean
squadron in the years 1859, and
when the ship was about to leave AL
eXandria, in Egypt, gentleman for
whom as a friend he had done some
services asked if there was any favor
he could render in return, to which
Mr.. II. inocularly replied that he
could think of nothing unless ii was
60 send him to the headquarters of
The fleet on the shore of Italy first
class specimen of an Egyptian num-
my for the Tennessee Historical soci-
ETY.. The ship sailed on cruise,
and he thought nothing moreOf it for
nonths.
One bright morning in May, as the
flagship Wabash was lazily swinging
1T her anchors in the beautiful bay OF
Naples, the frigate Macedonian, one
Of the squadron, came booming in
under full sail from Alexandria, and
he was soon informed that it had on
board a mummy in box to his ad,
dress, at which intelligence he was
not little annoyed, for he had in.
tended his remark to his Alexandria
triend merely as joke, for he knew
there was law in Egypt forbidding
the expectation of such relics.
When, on opening the box, he be.
held nude figure where he expected
for a moment to find a handsomely
ornamented sarcophagus covered ar
tistically with hieroglypics, he wa,
somewhat disappointed until he re
Elected that he had in a jolly way eX
paessly requested that it should be
stripped and carefully examined be
fore being sent that he might Obtain
aperfect specimen for historical pur
poses.
SO it came to pass that the mummy
was brought home in the Wabash
and forwarded without delay to Mr.
Patterson, then President of the Ten
uessee Historical society at Nashville
who handsomely acknowledged it
receipt gin good order and well con
ditioned."
1t was placed in glass case by tn
secretary, which soon became some
what delapidated, and the atmOs
phere probably Occasioned some littl
crumbling of the eXtremities, but
few years ago Judge John NJ. Lea
The president presented it with
beautiful rosewood case, which is nc
only useful but ornamental.
The historical and scientific Valu
Of this specimen consists in its entir
nudity, which shows the extent of ii
preservation. Many museums in tn
country have mummies on eXhib
zion as curiosties, with closely wral
ped and ornamented coverings wher
the face only is to be seen, but the oil
iect of this specimen is to show hoy
perfectly after death was preserve
"the human form divine" thousand
Of years ago by the lost art of en-
balming,
Remarkable Decrease of Farm An
mails.