The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-27
PART 1.

f|1AST is east and west is Sar
~ Francisco. according to Cali
LII fornians. Californians are
- race of people, they are no
merely inha bitants Of a state. They
are the southerners of the west. Now
Chicagoans are no less loyal to theil
city, but when you ask them why
they stammer and speak of lake fist
and the new Odd Fellows building
But Califorinans go into detail.
OF course they have in the climate
aa argument that is good for half ar
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, as a matter OF
opinion. no refutation is necessary
But. dear cousins all 0rom Adam and
will lay his finger on the map and
say. I'm this town there can be nc
romance-what could happen hereT
. Yes, it Is a bold and a rash deed to
challenge In one sentence history. TO
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. c.
and st. L. and the L. and N. railroads.
This city Is regarded as the most impor-
tant educational center in the south.
1 stepped Off the train at p. N.
Having searched the thesaurus in vain
for adjectives. 1 must as a substitu-
ton, HE 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 a brick
yard at SUNRISE twenty-five parts; odor
of honeysuckle. fifteen parts. Mix.
The mixture will give you an ap.
proximate conception of a Nashville
drizzle. 1t is not SO fragrant as a
mothball nor as thick as pea soup. but
tits enough-'twill serve.
1 went to a hotel in a tumbril. II
required strong self suppression for
me to keep from climbing to the top
of it and giving an imitation of Sidney
Carton. The vehicle was drawn by
beasts Of a bygone era and driven by
something dark and emancipated.
The hotel was one of the kind de-
scribed as renovated" That means
$4,000 worth of new marble pillars.
thing. electric lights and brass cuspi-
doris In the lobby and a new l. and N
timetable and Autograph 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 Win
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 / asked a negro waiter if
there was anything doing in town. He
pondered gravely for minute and
then replied. well. boss. I don't really
reckon there's anything at all dom
after SHUTDOWN"
Shutdown 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.
It is built 'undulating grounds. and
the streets are lighted by electricity at a
cost OF $32. 40 per annum-
walked through long streets. all
lending uphill. ! wondered how those
streets ever came down again. Fer
haps they didn't until they were grad
ed On few of the main streets l
saw lights in stores here and there:
saw street cars so by conv eying wor-
thy burghers hither and Won: saw peo-
pie pass engaged in the art of CONVEX
sation and heard n burst of semilively
laughter issuing from n soda water
and ice cream parlor. There was in
deed little doing" l wished I had
come before shutdown. SO | returned
to my hotel.
In November. 1864 the Confederate Gen
eral Hood advanced against Nashville
General Thomas. The latter then sailed
forth and defeated the Confederatcs in 81
terrible conflict.
All my life had heard of. admired
and witnessed the fine craftsmanship
of the south i'll its peaceful conflicts In
the tobacco chewing regions Put ia
my hotel a surprise awaited me. There
were twelve bright. new. imposing, ca
pacious brass cuspidors in the great
lobby. tall enough to he called urns and
so wide mouthed that the crack pitcher
of lady baseball team should have
been able to throw a ball into one of
them ut five PAGES distant But. nj.
though a terrible battle had ragged and
was still raging. the enemy had not