The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1893-07-21
DICKSON, TENN, July IA. SO,

EDITORS BULLETIN:-This week
we have been ON a run inspecting the
Nashville, Chattanooga q st. Louis
railroad. This is one Of the finest
railway systems IN the South. The
main line and branches are in fine
condition. 1t iuns through the finest
section of the middle part Of the
State. The crops are all very fine
Wheat and oates already harvested
give it the appearance of vast grain
field, extending for miles along the
line. We left Nash vile Monday
morning al 6 O'Clock and at noon we
were at Bon Air, on the mountain
where the air was delightful and the
scenery grand. Retracing we took
the Tracy City branch and reached
Monteagle that night. Although the
heat in the valley was intense, the air
at this place was as cool as the early
autumn, and long before morning
came we were compelled 10 hunt our
blankets. Leaving there Tuesday
morning at 5 O'Clock we went to
Tracy City, the home OF the miners.
Then came back 10 Cowan to break
fast, and on oar way took IN Obser
walton Point, from which place you
get a grand view OF the immense
valley below and the three towns,
Cowan, Dechari and Winchester,
looking as though they were content-
eddy nesting there under the shadow
and protection of The huge mountains
around them. From Cowan we
wended our way through mics of
mountains, cuts and tunnels to Chat
tauooga tor the night. Returning
over other lines the next day 10
Nashvi lie. Took in the Northwest
ern road to Woodland Mills in Obion
county he next day and came back
as far as This place (DicksOn) when
we side-tracked for the night. While
lying here listening to the katydids
i'm the trees and TO some negroes in
the distance singing some cd famil-
lar campmeeting songs, my mind
wandered back to the early days OF
my childhood, when before the war at
this season of the year, We would sit
and listen 10 that same sound of "she
didn't! she did !" made by the katy
dds in the locust trees that grew
there, and the negroes in their homes
singing those same old hymns, and
over the whole place happiness and
contentment reigned. The slave
with no thought for the morrow, we'll
knowing that his wants would be
carefully provided for by his master,
could sing with that free -from>care
tone that in these days is lacking.
As children we knew that the same
kind One was our protector and pro-
wider, and so we too were light heart
ed and gay. Those were pleasant
days soon, however, to be In the
background. | have often thought
of that wise provision of the great
Creator by which we are kept from
seeing into the future and not un-
folding TO us in the beginning the
checkered life that falls TO the lot OF
most of the human family. Life is
pleasant when all is sunshine, but
we have to be gradually prepared
for the shadows and the rainy days
that are sure to come. But we
must wake up from these retro
spective thoughts and attend
to the present. 1t used to be said
that eternal vigilance was the price
of liberty" but now it is the price
of living. Our ride of to-day wakes
one Up as to the present and causes
him to specu' ate as to the future
AS we went out over the spiral
stairway narrow gauge railroad, run
ming seventy miles out TO the War
ner Furnaces in Hickman, Lewis
and Wayne Counties, dangling
around the abrupt curves and over
the high trestles. looking down at
the tops of the trees in the ravines
below, / could not help thinking if
our coach were TO jump the track,
son ebOly would want to know
s.where are we-at" After that
some good popuiite brother. exhort
ingly inclined and gifted like that
back number, John Ell. Mcdowell.
might make few appropriate re-
marks on the sub-treasurY or some
thing better / am making my LETT
ter longer than [ intended. Yours.
w. A FRANKLIN.