Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1913-09-04
cLEBuRNE, TEXAS

EuitOI heIdlu. On Lne lotn ult
mo my brother, James Byers, and my
self left this city via the Santa Fe an,
! Cotton Belt railways for Memphis
Nashville, Chattanooga and the goo,
) old town of Cookeville, Tenn. wher,
my brother and l were born and rear
ed stopping at both Memphis ant
Nashville for a short while, we landed
at CoOkeville in due time and withou
friction or delays
And this being m first visit to the
good town of Cookeville since Novem
Der 1875, or in 81 years, could hardly
realize it being the Cookeville l once
knew and loved so dearly So many
changes in the country and town and
citizenship, and changes l am pleased
to state are without an exception all
for the better. You were then with
out railroad, telephones, telegraph
lines, electric lights, waterworks
pixies or macadamized roads, or any
of the modern convenierces of the
day, all of which your good people are
now enjoying; and where now stand
your handsome courthouse of modern
architecture the stood small build
ing OF ancient type, with only few
small frame stores surrounding it,
where you now have large, handsome
brick buildings of modern design, oc-
cupied by prosperous class of mer-
chants that would be credit to any
city. And where the depot is now To-
Gated, and known as West Cookeville,
was heavy growth of timber with
only two dwellings and school build
ing, as l remember, one of the dwell
Moore, and the other one by Mr.
McCulley, where you now have many
blocks of brick stores, handsome resi-
dences and other prominent improve
ments that go to make up a modern
city
While in the country found that
conditions had improved equally, If
not greater than in the city, and where
once stood small log hut occupied
by poor, illiterate, uneducated class
OF people struggling for existence,
now stand beautiful homes surround
ed with all the luxuries, owned and
occupied by an educated, enlightened
and prosperous people. And the old
sage fields which had long been aban-
doned and counted worthless are now
in a fine state of cultivation and yield
ing crops equal to the valley of the
Nile, which is claimed to be the rich
est soil in the world. And the timber
of the country was considered an i'm
pediment to prosperity, while now l
find it to be of untold value, and one of
your main revenues. Your water is
fine and the best water on earth. AL
together you have fine country, and
] shall be glad to visit you again.
Our stay in your city and country
was much enjoyed by my brother and
myself. We met many old friends
and relatives, and were royalty enter
tanned by all. After spending few
days with our cousins, DR.. Zeb Ship
ley and Esq. Harve Shipley and their
good families, we paid visit to our
cousins, Foster Byers, Willie Judd and
wife, John Whitson and wife, Fernan-
do Byers and wife, John Harlin and
wife, Anderson Byers, Fate Goodwin
and family, and some other relatives.
We also visited a few of our good
friends, including Uncle William Ray
and family, Marshall Ra, Robinson
Ray, Daniel Ray, Mr.. John Chaf1n and
family, Mr.. Lee Proff1tt, Mr.. Byram
Ply, Jim Welch, Mr. Lamb, France
and Crusoe Buck, colored, and several
others, every moment of our stay be-
ing enjyoed with them all.
Regretfully we left Cookeville on
Aug. 7th, and joined by DR.. Shipley we
crossed the mountains for ChattanoO-
ga, where we saw the sights in good
shape, taking 40 mile drive through |
battlefield, Orchard
Knob and Missionary Ridge, where
Generals Bragg and Rosecrans lost
80 900 soldiers in the famous battles |
fought on these bloody fields. We
also descended Lookout Mountain by /
cable car on 68 per cent. grade.
where we viewed seven different /
states from one point Of view. Won
ierful and grand is the scenery there.
After our visit there we returned
via Nashville and Memphis, stopping
for day at each place landing at
nome on the 14th Wishing you and
your good paper success and asking
you to remember us to our good
friends and relatives, am,
c, c. Byers.