The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1898-02-10

nessee. From the cupel0 OF this
editice the stranger, delighted and
surprised. looks down upon the
city of Nashville, packed between
this cspuol-crowned nil and the
coiling Cumberland, looks around
upon the panoramic valley, dotted
with villas and village s, smiling
with fields, and fringed with dIs~
taut, dark forest. covered mount ins.
Upon this capitol crowned bill
too rests the mortal remains OF
James X. Polk, the eleventh press
idept.
Saturday Is a great day at Nash
vile as we'll Is at Poplarville. II
has been a custom from the early
days of the settlement for the plant
ers to come TO town on the last day
of the week, whether for business
or recreation. just as they do down
I'm Foplarville. Then the great
square is q busy scene in deed.
The market house which on other
days is deserted, is literally filed
with buyers and sellers. Long
rows of produce wagons. hay wag-
ons, wood wagons, tangled strings
of mules; groups of laughing ne
groes; here an auctioneer roaring
the praise OF a horse, there a knot
of hurley planters in high riding
boots we'll splasbed with mud: there
q "razor.baek" lawyer hunting q
case-Good Lord pity i'm.
Pleasant Nashville /! The wealth
OF Nashville is of that slowly form.
ed description that does not take
to itself wings and fly away just
when it is wanted most. NOtwith-
standing the fact that she possesses
all the characteristics that 60 to
make up q genuine city, she prides
above all her educational facilities.
In this respect she Is first, not Gu
~ ofthe south but of the north.
But really at this rate of prog
ress we shall be long IN getting to
the Hermitage. The country be-
tween Nashville and the Hermit
age is more pleasing to the eye of
a farmer than TO that Ofthe scenery
hunter. Fields nearly level, or
slightly rolllng-very large fields
com pared with those of MISSISSIPPI
pi,-fne groves and forests of hard
wood, creeks flowing through deep
ravines into the Cumberland; the
Cumberland not visible, but its
course indicated by the contour of
the bluffs; large fields of oats, now
and then large herd of cattle eat
ing from the huge stacks of hay.
About seven miles from Nash
vile we rumble across the iron
bridge of Stone River. But just
before crossing the river We pass
through the famous Clover Bottom
farm where Gen. jackson ran his
horses, made democratic speeches.
and strobe tremendous to the res
cue of Patton Anderson, wadine
knee. deep IN dinner.
Soon we reach the Hermitage
farm which consisted formerly Of
one thousand acres but has beer
divided recently-a part having
been donated for an old C0Dfeder
ate soldiers home. But we see nc
man sion yet. What lie this minute
edifice of brick, too small for 6
school house and too desO'ate fol
a lodge? This is the Presbyterian
church which Gen. Jackson bull
for the solace of his wife soon af-
ter she joined the church. Il
stands quite alone in lane, out o
sight of the Hermitage. Now w
leave the turnpike and turn into
private road, straight, narrow ant
a quarter of a mile long-a grove Oh
one side, and field Oh the other
, We come to low iron gate III
white wooden frame which admit
US to an avenue of cedars ending il
, a grove through which a guitar
shaped lawn is visible. Not til
we begin to wind about the lawr
within very few yards of thu
front door, does the mansion dis
close itself to view-so level is thu
land, 80 dense the surrounding
evergreen foliage. We alight q
length on the stone steps of thu
piazza, and the hermitage is before
US.
1t is not very spacious build
ing, and far from being an elegan
one. A two-story brick house will
a double piazza both in front aDC
in the rear; the piazza wooden and
painted white, supported by thicE
graved pillars of the same materia
and color. The floors Of the lowe
piazza are stone and terminate 10 6
wing Of the house. Old Uncle
Alfred, one Of Gen. Jackson's slaves
who ls IS years Of age, went with
US through the mansion. HI
seemed to take great delight in
showing us the relics of his old
"massa." Among the many thingi
Of intererest that wa Jaw were Gen