St. Landry democrat., 1893-07-08
DOWN IN TENNESSEE.
A FAINT IDEA OF IT'S FAMOUS
SPRINGTIME HOLIDAY.
"First Mondays" Origin and Its
Most Distinguished characteristics.

First Monday in Tennessee is the
day of the year to the average denizen
Of the Volunteer State; for on that day
every owner of an obstreperous stallion,
every enthusiastic breeder of dulcet-
toned jack, every proud possessor of d
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 1896, 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 understanding
that she was to bring along with her, by
the car, 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 YER of the various bonds of matri-
mons> What, indeed, would life be
worth ! the horse-loving Tennessean, 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 beetling 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 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
grounding weather departmental 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
with all its fuss and feath-
ers, makes one every day, and genera
arranges to retire at light with =, 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 hole to
see if he can cast shadow. If he
can he retires again to remain six
long weeks. And there he will remain
even if the heavens fall or his mother in
law pays him a visit; and every man,
woman and child in the state accepts
the inevitable and prepare to keep on
their winter 1annels rs per order of this
reliable weather bureau chief,
.or his retiring means there will be six
weeks more of stormy weather. Was
ever anything more simple and plain and
inexpensive In its red-tape
operations? And the beauty of it is, it |
las never been known to lie-it is truth
tself, decked in homespun and wool
nat; it is Washington with a pair of
latchets. We commend it to the de-
oartment at Washington with its r. ..inue
If official asses, predicting rain \ the
threshold of Pharoah famine, anS pre-
,aring lis for "long dry drought" about
he time the heavens declare the chrtain
will now rise upon Noah and the ark
ct.
On the day in question the pixies are
airly alive with the country cousin and
lis squealing stud, with Sambo leading
lis ambling jackass and showing his
worries to every passerby who takes time
o honor him by asking: ''Say, niger,
whose jack is that2" Every old lady
Who has hank of yarn to sell is there,
very urchin who can bring dozen
ggs in his hat and trousers is there;
very pretty girl who can sport varie-
,ated hosiery is there; all are there,
rom the rich and retired merchant COM
ng from his country home in his car
iage and spanking bays, to the old
arkey in his CARLOAD of stove wood;
rom the prosperous farmer, with his
wife and happy children, the latter
boxing little unnatural in the solem-
ity that has come over them by reason
f the fact that they are "going to town."
1 his brette drawn by pair of oily
acers to the poor cropper on his mule
hey are all in the procession. The man
18th his patent; the officer with his
apers; that most detested of living
len, the back-tax collector; the man
tho wants to hire; the book agent; the
with grin on his face and
anne rooster under his arm-they are all
here, going to. Columbia. On the square
IL is hustle, stir, squealing, snorting,
ackling, flying.
A twenty-foot track is made in the
wing crowd around the court house
1uare and half hundred flying PAGERS
re showing their gaits, while the chan
ellor leaves his bench and the lawyers
leir cases to look out Of the windows.
bell is ringing across the street at a
ore and proclaims that the ladies of a
,rtain church are giving lunch to pay
f the church debt; an auctioneer is
owing away, trying to sell $40 buggy
" $25; a man with patent backing,
arranted to shine forever, is backing
Ie boots of all who will come to his ;
and; big jack brays in your ear while
III are Looking at dog fight under a
agon; an apple wagon, all the way
ON the estate of Lawrence" is selling I
e rosy fruit right and left,
I'd as the sun begins to get
w and you call for your mare at the
able and ride out of the hustle and con-
sion, you pass lot of "horse swap :
IFS" in vacant lot set apart for that !
lcient class engaged in the horse bust
ess, whose chief aim is to keep the
luine corpses moving and uphold their
vn reputation for being 'devilish peart
horse trade" Beyond this, in
owe, the negroes are having dance,
ID the leader, inspired by the music of
s fiddle and the muse of inspiration,