The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1907-03-21
Casual Reflections Oh Nashville.

This has been a rather strenuous
week in the history of Nashville, and
seldom has this delightful city worn
such an eager and a piquant air. A
big legislative battle has been brought
to finish; cascades of oratory have
been flowing on Capitol Hill; the Ten.
nessee Press Association has held here
business meeting; and Editor Reaves,
of the Hardeman Free Press, has blown
into the city like summer sigh, turn
ed around, and blown out again. Nash.
vile has always been an attractive city
to me. 1t is so gloriously and typical
ly Tennessean. If it has touch of the
provincial, we must all admit that it is
a provinciality that suggests oldfash-
toned roses. Politics is tiresome bus.
mess, and most of the people here seem
to give it only a passing attention. The
politicians constitute rather distinct
class. / doubt whether any city in the
world can boast more beautiful women
than Nashville. The men may grow
old and ugly and bald headed, but the
women have unquestionably learned
the art of improving with age. They
are notable for their clear, fine COM
plexion, their brisk walk and a charm
that is as quaint as it is indescri6able.
I find, of course, many evidences Of
progress in the city. The streets are
rather too narrow to be comfortable,
but the stores are beautiful in their
architectural effects, and they are as
attractive as any in the country. Nat
urally the city is more reposeful than
Memphis, and one does not find here
the surging throngs of people that are
to be seen in the streets OF the Bluff
City. The leisure class is very much
in evidence; and there are many intel
lectual people here who have passion
for culture.
During the week that 1 have been
here, / have renewed many pleasant
acquaintance. Ny friend, Col. Fl. M.
Doak, is the same charming gentleman
that his friends in Memphis found him
some years ago when he edited the old
Avalanche cage can not wither him,
nor custom stale his infinite variety
He leads almost an ideal life. His du-
ties as clerk of the United States court
take up his time until 4 o'clock, when
he retires to his home in the country
and after dinner he reads and smokes
fiction being preferred, and the pipe OF
well-deserved peace his solace. He is
a great student of Shakespeare and
Browning, and he likes to talk about
his favorites and the orators of an elder
generation. 1t is an intellectual treat
to meet a man like Col. Doak, with a
heart full of sunshine, head full of
sense, and memory stored with de-
lightful personalia. The colonel does
not take much of hand in politics
these days, though he did feel an inter-
est in the passage of our amended char
ter. Occasionally he contributes one
of his witty dissertations to the papers,
and he is now engaged on "A Defense
of the English Sparrow" bird that is
popularity supposed to be defenseless.
Though | came here to attend the
meetings of the Tennessee Press Asso-
citation, / could not help being very
keenly interested in the Memphis char.
ter fight. From being purely local
issue, it blossomed into a full fiedged
state question. There can be but very
little doubt that Senator Carmack made
q grave tactical mistake when he came
here to make q fight on a measure
framed in accord with the democratic
platform. The general impression
among politicians is that the senator
precipitates too many fights in the
party.
The remark was frequently heard
that Carmack was nearly always max
ing fight on some democrat. just