Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1914-05-21
REGRETS OF
HIRAM LAYNE
Marion County MOuntaineer
Declines to Attend Court.
Chattanooga Times:

Chattanooga Times:
Back in the wilds of Marion county,
on the mountain, twelve miles beyond
Whitwell, there live three brothers
who know very little of the ways of
this world. Two of them, Joe Lane
and Dave Layne, both near the three
score and ten mark in years, came to
Chattanooga yesterday for the first
time. The other brother, Hiram Lane.
7S years old, absolutely refused to
come, because he had never seen eth
er a railroad train or an automobile,
and believed it was too late in life for
him to start riding on the things"
Thomas P. Mcmahon, newly ap-
pointed deputy United States marshal,
is some organizer, but he couldn't or
ganize the Layne family-at least, he
didn't carry the Lane precinct unani-
mously. He came mighty near it for
he did induce Joe and Dave to come
and get acquainted with the city
which had grown up not thirty-five
miles away from their home, but then
Joe and Dave are mere boys, youths of
s. or 70, or Whereabouts. But Hiram
is full grown man, nearly four score,
and entirely too "sot" in his ways to
take to such tangled contraptions
as steam engines aud benzine buggies.
The Lane family, likewise some, doz-
en- or more other Sequatchie Valley
families, were badly wanted in Chat
tanooga to testify before Judge San
ford, in United States district court,
in the case Of Rathbarth, an eject
ment suit involving title to so, 900
acres q virgin Sequatchie valley soil.
Fifty witnesses, all told, were wanted,
which is not such great number, af-
ter all, being merely one witness to
each thousand acres. T. P. McMa-
hon, new deputy. was selected by
Marshal Jack Thompson to go over in
to Sequatchie valley and serve the
"Guess I'll just organize
Whitwell mountain and get EN- to
rally round this court unanimously,
he said to the marshal when he took
the big batch of legal papers.
And he did organize the mountain,
but not unanimously. The Lane fam
lily and other families poured into
Chattanooga yesterday, just like vot-
ers used to pour into the Third ward
when one of McMahon's personal
friends was interested in an election.
Federal court this morning will re-
semble the Seauatchie Valley Fair.
But there will be one man who re-
ceived an urgent invitation who will
not be there, and that will be Hiram
Lane, aged rs.
''There's a reason" why Hiram Lane
will not be here today. He has beau
tiful home on the mountain, and few
acres of land on which he grows all
the necessities of life. He settled
there before the railroad was run up |
valley. He makes a good
living and he's happy. He has never
eff his own freside even to visit the
oopulous city of Whitwell. He has
been summoned to court in Jasper
many times, but has never responded,
md the courts have never sent after
lin. When Mr.. Mcmahon summoned
II m to come to Chattanooga, he re-
ived.the.order like diplomat, say
ng never SO much as word A lit
lie later Joe and Dave said to Mr.. Nc
dahon, 'Well, pardner, we've decid-
d to go, but Hiram he never saw an
automobile or railroad train, and be
avs he's too old in life to start fool
ng with such things now. He amt
coming
And he didn't