The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1897-08-19
A VOICE OF THE PAST.
An Old Time Boomer Writes an Interesting
Letter.

/
Many of our people will remember
with pleasure Mr.. W. @. Smith and his
estimable wife who came TO johnson
City from Toledo, Iowa. during the
first days of our boom in the early 9O's
They remained with us until prosperi-
tvs sun began to set and reluctantly
to their first love. After four or five
years, Mr.. Smith writes us a personal
letter which he refers pleasantly to a
few of the most conspicuous figures OF
Johnson City's boom days and reca Is
to memory recollections of happier and
more prosperous times, all Of which re-
minds us that "the mill will never grind
again with the water that is past. "
Believing that the letter will interest
our readers, we reproduce it in full:
TOLEDO, Iowa, May II, 1897.
Friend Lyle.-I have read your
COMET from week to week with more or
less pleasure, but I find that the items
get little less familiar to me as the
years go by. New names are mention
ed in the place of the old ones, and
L begin to think of Johnson City and
its associations simply as a pleasant
dream, for surely my stay there was a
very pleasant one, although financially
it was not a "howling" success. Yet,
taken all together, l believe the pleas
ure and healthfulness Of the trip were
worth all it cost me. am sure that 1
made many warm friends while there,
many OF whom | would be more than
pleased to meet again. But Of course,
as the years go by we gradually let the
recollections Of these friends pass from
us, and in the busy scramble for "filthy
lucra" we think almost wholly of the
present and the future, forgetting the
things which are past" have seached
in vain, in your paper, for something
encouraging in regard to Carnegie and
the Three C's and have at last de-
cided that the whole thing is a gone
goose. Mr.. Ebersole, s. d. Carmi-
chael and myself meet occasionally and
discuss Carnegie matters and try and
instill some hope into each other but
it is no go. / often think of Lyle,
Cfumley, Boyd, Singiser, Chandler,
Childress, Hoss, Hodge, Brading and
others, and wonder how they are all
really making it financially. l often
think, also of Duncan and his oratory
and wonder if heis still infiicting him
self on his friends. Well, I presume
things and faces have so changed that
johnson City would hardly look
natural to me, and yet I would like to
run in and chat with the boys awhile.
would appreciate letter from you,
giving me what information you think
would be of interest to me, both in re-
gard to the town and its inhabitants.
Is Mr.. Dean still there? if SO kindly
remember me to him as we'll as to those
others whom / have incidentally men
toned before. i often think of Mr..
Crandall and sympathise with him in
his deep trouble. I do not think he
fever did a thing with dishonast pur'
pose. His confidence in himself and
those with whom he was associated
may have led him to make mistakes
but had great faith in his honesty
and integrity and was certainly panied
when leared of his trouble. II you
see fit, shall be pleased to hear from
You at any time. Kindly tell me wher
my subscription expires, and for Heav
ems sake get in fomething about thu
Carnegie and the Three C's. Hash VI
some of your old "boom lies" any
thing to make us poor devils off herr
feel good, Yours truly,
w. G. SMITu.