Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-11-13

A LEAF CHRONICLE reporter was
very much amused aud interested
last night hearing an old citizen des-
canting on railroad matters before
the war. The question, "What has
become Of the Irish % was up for
discussion. Thirty years ago this
railroad was worked almost exelu
siveIy by Irish laborers, and now it
is very seldom that one is seen on a
section. Their places have been
taken, to a great extent, by negroes
From Bowling Green TO Memphis, at
the date mentioned above, the con.
struction work was nearly oil done
by Irish, and as for that they were
found on every line in the South
They were good workers, but many
Of them would invariably get on a
spree at the end of each month,
when they were paid off, and on
these sprees they would make Rome
howl. They would fight, principally
among themselves, using the weap-
ons which nature had given them,
with an occasional shillaly accom-
paniinent.
Il X
Palmyra about this time was in her
palmy days, and, if the writer mis-
takes not, was the headquarters for
twosections, which were both worked
by Irishmen. When the pay car
would come along, that town would
be turned upside down to dry 1t
was an Irish stronghold and jollier
set was never seen anywhere. They
were good fellows, and one thing
they would do was to pay up their
debts when they got their money,
what was left going into general
fund for spree.
Twenty years ago marked little
change in Palmyra. Mike Savage
was then in his prime-a fifteen
year old boy and good one. As far
as he could 90 he was there, and
when he entered into anything all
the boys regarded him as one who
had come to stay. He was always
in for any kind of fun which he
thought his mother and father
would sanction, and if he ever disre-
garded any order they had given
given him it was nothing more than
going in swimming on Sunday.
Jimsey Glenn was one Of these pie
turesane Irish lads about Palmyra
who could whip any boy in
the whole country, consequently
every other boy hated him. He
was red headed and freckled faced
and usually went bare headed and
bare footed. He had a pet goat, and
wagon to which he drove him
whenever the goat would take a
notion to work. Mike Savage had
two hound pups and one Sunday all
The boys in Palmyra met on top Of
the river bluff over the tunnel to
pass the day, hulling walnuts and
throwing rocks. About IL O'Clock
Jimsey Glenn drove up with his goat
working fine. Mike Savage's hounds
spied him and made dive for him.
The goat bleated aud started for the
river bluff, his driver too scared to
jump out Of the wagon and let him
go. Straight to the bluff ne went,
and with bound cleared the top OF
a saplng and shot toward the river
jumping from ledge to ledge, carry
ing Jimsey with him and never stop
ping until he had reached the river
and sOused his master head first into
il. Jimsey swan ashore and climbed
back to the top OF the bluff, and
it was a caution to see how he
broke up that meeting.
But, returning to the first subject,
the section hands, it is plain that their
places have been taken by the ne
groes. The Irish have gone West
and many older citizens can recall
pleasant memories of Pat and his
spade. They were whole-souled,
generous people and interesting char
acter5.
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