The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-05-20

United States, becoming ,he flrst mem
her of that body from the great Mis-
sissipri valley.
North Carolina again ceded this ter
ritory TO the United States in 1890, and
it became the territory Of the United
States south of the river Ohio, which
name it bore until 1896. William Blount
was made the territorial governor and
the first taxes imposed were so cents
on each poll and II cents on each 100
acres of land In 1886 Tennessee was
admitted to the union and Knoxville
became its first capital. The state was
named for the great river which twice
crosses its territory, which i'll the In
dian language signifies spoon or bend.
The name was suggested by Andrew
jackson. A constitution was framed,
which Thomas jefferson pronounced
the ''least imperfect and most repub-
lican he had yet seem" With some
changes it is substantially the present
one. This first constitution provided
that no one could become governor I'M
less he possessed in his own name 500
acres of land, and member of the leg
islature was required to possess 200
acres. John Sewer was elected the
first governor and William Coke and
William Blount the first United States
senators. The state being entitled to
but one representative in the lower
branch of congress, Andrew Jackson
was elected to that place. Sewer was
elected governor for three successive
terms, and, being ineligible for the
fourth successive term, Archibald
Roane was elected to succeed him, but
at the close of Gov. Roane's term Sc
vier was again elected for three success
sive terms. Including the time he was
governor Of Franklin, for nearly 16
years he was governor of his people.
He was chosen a member of congress
from the Knoxville district in 1911 and
1913. In 1915 President Monroe APP
pointed him to survey the boundary
lines of the lands ceded by the Creek
Indians to the United States, and while
away on this duty he died at Fort De-
catur, Ala, where he was buried.
Thus ended one of the nobest ca
reers of which history gives any ac-
count. He served his people in various
capacities for nearly so years.
His body lay where it was buried for
nearly "A years, but during Gov. Tay-
lor's second administration it was taken
up and consigned at Knoxville to the
bosom of the soil he loved so well. On
that occasion Gov. Taylor said: Prom
the mountain under the shadow of
which was his home we will carve out
a monument to point for ages its finger
heavenward in memory of him, the
greatest of Tennessee's chieftains.
Sleep on, Sewer. millions shall yet rise
to call We blessed"
The state of Tennessee stands forth
to-day monument TO the intelligence,
integrity and patriotism of its early
settlers.
They were mere handful of pickets
on the confines of civilization, where
the war whoop of the painted savage
rang through the forest, and the con-
slant apprehension Of the tomahawk
and scalping knife haunted every abode,
and men toiled, slept and worshipcd
with their trusty rifles at hand. Itmay
be interesting to some to know the fol
lowing circumstances in early Tennes'
see history: Six hundred and forty
acres of land where stands the present
capital of Tennessee once sold for a
good rifle and clear-sounding bell
Another GAO acre tract near the same