The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1897-08-06
Tennessee's School Fund.

Since the death of Senator Harris,
of Tennessee, the myth-makers, as
well as the narrators, have been at
work conjuring with the events of
his remarkable career. For years he
was deservedly one of the most
prominent figures in the politics of
his State. But there is one thing
for which he has received an over
due amount of credit, and that is in
the public school fund of the State
during the war. The history of
that celebrated fund briefly is as
follows:
Peabody donations and other pub
lie monies amounting to $780,
900 was the fund. When the Bank
of Tennessee was organized this
amount was turned into bank stock
and formed the nucleus of the bank
capital. For use of the fund the
State required the bank to pay an
nually 800, 1000. The bank con-
sisted of one mother-b bank in Nash
vile, with three branches in each of
the other three divisions of the
State-east, middle and west-and
each branch had its prorata of CAPT
tai or stock.
Two years before the war Jesse
Brown was elected cashier of the
branch bank at Trenton, in West
Tennessee, and proved in every way
a most exemplary official. A quiet,
slender man he was with an unob-
trusive manner; but under that
quiet demeanor was depth of reso-
luton and integrity which were to
be tested in the stirring times that
followed, but which were never
found wanting. A warm personal
friend of Andrew Johnson, he was
ever a close observer of public af-
fairs, and later he was offered the
nomination forGovernor, but declin-
ed because he could not indorse the
proposed platform.
Such was the man in the Trenton
bank. When Nashville was evacu-
ated Gen. Beauregard, realizing the
peril threatening the State funds,
ordered the removal of the bank
monies and the State archives to a
place of safety. Gov. Harris con-
CURED in the order, and so the cash
iers packed up the contents of their
vaults and started to seek safety.
After various wanderings and es-
capes and changes of programme the
cashiers of the three branches met
at Athens, Ga. Here the other two
cashiers turned over their parts of
the treasure to Mr.. Brown and re-
turned home, carrying with them
the necessary memoranda to show
what had become of their charge.
From place to place Mr.. Brown
went with his precious cargo, striv-
ing to preverse it from the hands of
the enemy. When danger threaten
ed one hiding place he would slip
away to another. Whenever it was
possible the heavy boxes were load
ed on cars and thus transported; but
at times wagons were the only We
hicles available, and in these the
treasure was whisked away at the
approach of the Federal forces. In
the towns where stops were made a
room was always hired and the boxes
and kegs were counted and depos-
tied there. And there Jesse Brown
kept his watch by day, and by night
spread his bed upon the boxes.
Often he and his negro body servant
were the only guards the treasure
had. For while one of the sub
Shepard by name, was his
Shepard, looking at
the mattress spread over the valua-
BILE boxes, laughingly remarked that
he and Mr.. Brown, though fugitives,
were the only people in the country
who slept on bed of gold!
Two weeks before the surrender
Of Lee all the Tennessee Bank treas
ire was concentrated atAugusta, Ga,
he cashiers in charge and some of