Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-07-14
PART l

merely inhabitants or q STATE. Iney
are the southerners Of the west. Now,
Chlcagoans are no less loyal to their
city. but when you ask them why,
they stammer and speak Of lake fish
and the new Odd Fellows building.
But Califorinans go into detail.
OF course they have In the climate
an argument that is good for half an
hour while you are thinking Of your
coal bills and heavy underwear. But
as soon as they come to mistake your
silence for conviction. madness comes
upon them and they picture the city
of the Golden Gate as the Bagdad Of
the new world. So far, rs a matter or
opinion. no refutation Is necessary
But. dear cousins all (from Adam and
Eve descended). 1t is a rash one who
will lay his finger on the map and
say, IN this town there can be no
romance-what could happen here!
Yes. it is n bold and rash deed to
challenge in one sentence history. ro-
nance and the atlas.
Nashville.-A city. port Of delivery and
the capital OF the state OF Tennessee. Is
on the Cumberland river and on the N. e.
and st. L. and the l.. and N. railroads
This city Is regarded as the most impor-
tant educational center in the south.
| stepped off the train ut 8 =. m.
Having searched the thesaurus in vain
for adjectiSes. must, rs substitu-
ton, hie me to comparison In the form
Of a recipe:
Take Of London fog. thirty parts:
malaria, ten parts; gas leaks. twenty
parts; dewdrOps gathered In q brick
yard at sunrise. twenty-five parts; odor
of honeysuckle. fifteen parts. Mix.
The mixture will give you an ap'
proximate conception Of Nashville
drizzle. 1t Is not so fragrant US
mothball nor us thick as pea soup. but
it's enough-'twill serve.
went to hotel In a tumbril. 1t
required strong self suppression foi
me to keep from climbing to the top
Of 1t and giving an imitation OF Sidney
Carton. The vehicle was drawn by
beasts of bygone era and driven oy
something dark and emancipated.
The hotel was one Of the kind de-
scribed as renovated" That means
$4,000 worth of new marble pillars.
tiling, electric lights and brass cuspi-
dors In the lobby and a new l. and N.
timetable and lithograph Of Lookout
mountain in each one of the great
rooms above. The management was
without reproach. the attention full OF
exquisite southern courtesy. the serv-
ice as slow as the progress Of a snail
and as good humored as Rip Van Wiu-
kle. The food was worth travelling a
thousand miles for. There Is no other
hotel in the world where you can get
such chicken livers en- brochette.
At dinner l asked negro walter II
there was anything doing In town. He
pondered gravely for minute and
then replied. well. boss. don't really
reckon there's anything at all doin'
after sundown."
Sundown had been accomplished. 1t
had been drowned In the drizzle long
before. So that spectacle was denied
me. But went forth upon the streets
In the drizzle to see what might be
there.
II Is built on undulating grounds, and
the streets are lighted by electricity at 6
cost Of $32. 40 per annum
walked through long streets. all
leading uphill. wondered how those
streets ever came down again. Per
haps they didn't until they were grad
ed" On a few Of the main streets"
saw lights In stores here and there
saw street cars go by conveying wor
thy burghers hither and yon; saw peo
ple pass engaged in the art OF conver
sation and heard burst of semilivelJ
laughter issuing from soda water
and Ice cream parlor. There was In
deed little doing" l wished / had
come before sundown. So l returned
to my hotel.
In November. 1864. the Confederate Gen
eral Hood advanced against Nashville
where he shut up a national force unde
General Thomas. The latter then saihe'
| forth and defeated the Confederates In
terrible conflict.
All my life | had heard Of. admired
and witnessed the fine craftsmanship
of the south In It's peaceful conflicts II
lhe tobacco chewing regions. But II
lhy hotel surprise awaited me. Their
were twelve bright. new. imposing, ca
pacious brass cuspidors in the grea
lobby. tall enough to be called urns ant
30 wide mouthed that the crack pitche
| of q lady baseball team should hav
been able to throw ball into one o
them at Eve PAGES distant But. a
though a terrible battle had ragged an
was still raging. the enemy had no
suffered. Bright. new, imposing. capa
cious, untouched. they stood. But
shades of Jefferson Brick-the TIL
floor. the beautiful tile fioorl
Here first saw Major (by misplaced
courtesy Wentworth Caswell. i knew
him for a type the moment my eye
suffered from the sight of him. A ra
has no geographical habitat MY ol.
friend A. Tennyson said. as he 30 wei
said almost everything:
Prophet, curse me the blabbing lip
And curse me the British vermin. the ra'
Let US regard the word British" a
interchangeable ad lib. A rat Is RAJ
| This man was hunting about tn
hotel lobby like a starved dog that ma
forgotten where he had buried Dont
He had hice Of great acreage rec
pulpy and with n kind Of sleepy mas
siveness like that Of Buddha. He POI
sessed one single virtue-he was yer
smoothly shaven. The mark OF tn
beast ls not indelible. upon man unit
he goes about with stubble. thin
that II he had not used his razor tna
day ] would have repulsed his al
yances, and the criminal calendar
the world would have. been spared th
addition Of one murder.