Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-05-27
DOWN In TENNESSEE.
A FAINT IDEA OF ITS FAMOUS
SPRINGTIME HOLIDAY.
"First Mondays" Origin and Its
Most Distinguished characteristics.

vi the volunteer State. 1Or on tDat Gay
every owner of an obstrcperous stallion,
every enthusiastic breeder of dulcet
toned jack, every proud possessor OF a
lordly bull, is expected to be out. with
his family and his friends, to show the
kind of live stock on which he has
pinned his faith And they are all
, there.
Tennessee was admitted into the Union
in 1886, and as far as we have been able
to ascertain, this honored day and GUS
tom was admitted with her. In fact we
believe the State went into our glorious
Union upon the express unders tauding
that she was to bring along with her, by
the ear as it were, like determined
mother her recalcitrant son, this time
honored privilege. And to-day she
would fight for it quicker than she
would for the institution of slavery or
any other of the various bonds of matri-
mony. What, indeed, would life be
worth to the horse-oving Tcnnessean, if
deprived of the privilege of showing his
pacing stallion, decked in red blankets
enough to cover burning church, and
anchored with bride and rein sufficient
ly strong to have held the Constitution
fleet at sea- Napoleon crossing the Alps
with his restless war horse, standing on
the beetlng cliffs and looking down upon
the soon-to- be conquered plains of Italy,
is not so proud and happy man as is
the Tennessean in the big parade around
the primitive court house square, hold
ing his mettlesome PAGER in check and
proudly proclaiming to the gaping
crowd around him: This is a Tom
Hall"
First Monday in Tennessee is founded
on beautiful and simple faith, so old
that the memory of man runneth not to
the contrary. In looking it up among
the ancient and dust-covered archives of
the state we find it all based upon the
states Incompatible and most efficient
ground hog weather departments de-
partment far more ancient and reliable
than that of Uncle Sans, inasmuch as
it makes but one prophecy year, and
generally hits it; whereas the bureau at
Washington, with all its fuss and feath-
ers, makes one every day, and generally
arranges to retire at night with the sin
of Annanias tackled to its official skirts.
This Tennessee weather bureau is all
based on the simple fact that on the
second day in February the festive
grounding energies from his h1e to
see if he can cast shadow. If he
can he retires again to remaia six
long weeks. And there he will remain
even if the heavens fall or his mother-in-
law pays him visit; and every man,
woman and child in the state accepts
the inevitable and prepare to keep on
their winter tiannelS as per order of this
absolutely reliable weather bureau chief,
for his retiring means there will be six
weeks more of stormy weather. Was
ever anything more simple and plain and
absolutely inexpensive In its red-tape
operations2 And the beauty of it is, it
has never been known to lie--it is truth
ITSELF decked in homespun and a wool
hat; it is Washington with pair of
hatchets. We commend it to the de-
partment at Washington with its retinue
OF official asses, predicting rain on the
threshold of Pharoah famine, and pre-
pairing us for a ''long dry drought" about
the time the heavens declare the curtain
will now rise upon Noah-a and the-ark
act.
On the day in question the pixies are
fairly alive with the country cousin and
his squealing stud, with Sambo leading
his ambling jackass and showing his
worries to every passerby who takes time
to honor him by asking: "Say, niger,
| .L1e 10 oil laHu
who has hank of yarn to sell is there,
every urchin who can bring a dozen
eggs in his hat and trousers is there
every pretty girl who can sport varie-
gated hosiery is there; all are there,
from the rich and retired merchant com
ing from his country home in his car
rage and spanking bays, to the old
darkey in his CARLOAD of stove wood
from the prosperous farmer, with his
wife and happy children, the latter
looking little unnatural i'll the solem.
nifty that has come over them by reason
of the fact that they are going to town,
in his brette drawn by pair of oil!
PAGERS to the poor cropper on his mule
they are all in the procession. The maj
with his patent; the officer with hi
papers: that most detested of living
men, the back -tax collector; the mar
who wants to hire; the book agent; the
"nigger, " with grin on his face and &
game rooster under his arm-they are al
there, going to Columbia. On the square
all is hustle, stir, squealing, snorting
cackling. flying.
A twenty-foot track is made in thu
living crowd around the court hous
square and half hundred flying PAGER
are showing their gaits, while the chan
celor leaves his bench and the lawyer
their cases to look out of the windows
A bell is ringing across the street at
store and procaims that the ladies' of
/ certain church are giving "A lunch to pa,
! off the church debt; an auctioneer
bowling away, trying to sell $40 bugg
for SIS u man with a patent backing
! warranted to shine forever, IS blocking
the boots of NIL who will come Ia la
stand big jack brays In your ear Will
YOU ue lookiug ut % dog fight under
, wagon, un apple wagon, all the wa
from the estate Of Lawrence, IS selllu
che rosy fruit right aud lcii
aud a. the suu begins 90 g'
low and you cali Tor yoW mare nt th
stable and ride out III the hustle and Goa