The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-06-21
IN A REMINISCENT MOOD
Henry NJ Wltse Tells Good One Old-Time Politician.
Recalls Celebration of July a and Presidents Visit

---------------~-------------
carried a part In the frst opera ever
produced. Daphne. by Peri. In Florence.
1915 II ne had been there. For Pause
was Italian: About his restaurant used
70 assemble not infrequently, number
OF Characters who would have been
Well worth preserving for the enter
tainment they could afford. without
half trying; often when unconscious
ISt tney were entertaining. When
town, he was always there, or practi-
cally so. John J. Littieton, Col. w. H..
| Dewitt William c.. Baird, sometimesp
X. M. Barton. junior In those days,
was to be seen and heard. And there
OF the others delighted TO take John
| Yoush IN hand and have more fun
than a box Of monkeys" as Can't. b.
II. Fritts used to say when something
was Just outrageously amusing. The
tun was never all for one side when
tnese hilarious gentlemen fell in with
John fough. for he was quite capable
OF handing them q Roland for every
Oliver they could ''trot out" Some OF
the seances were simply too funny for
description. Pause would listen In
simple amusement to some OF the high
er flights OF language they now and
then used. and once he said to Col.
Harris. MY God, colonel. the languages
what some OF those gentlemens uses
sometimes-w'y. / don't believe any
, body could understand"
Old Celebration.
We had Fourth of July celebration
in 1877 which was mot to be sneezed
at" Hon. e. a. James read @the
Declarttion OF Independence, ana Col.
W.. III. Dewitt delivered an grafton. The
paramount interest of this occasion
was balloon ascension. given by Prof.
FAIRY King. Or. Herman H. Loveman
4
explored the atmosphere to an altitude
OF 5000 feet. The night exercises. in
Guiding hoats, were distinctly success
full and much credit was due for this
to VIII H. Crisp. James L. whiteside
bration was held In 1851, which would
have been good deal livelier but for
certain changes in the program, made
on account of that pistol wound in
nicted upon. President GARFIELD. the
second, which proved fatal some weeks
later; Because OF this It was deemed
program, the fantasies. etc. When
you hear anybody speaking about hot
weather this season, kindly remind
nun that 1t is almost frigid compared
S %lsh that summer, when the heat was
around ninety-nine. Yet worse, on
Market street. the eleventh, mercury
went to roost at 102 degrees.
President Hayes Visit.
sept. 20, 1877. was big day for
Ghattanooga. President Hayes. Mrs.
Evarts. General D. M. Key,
Gen, Wade Hampton. of South Caro-
INA, and a number OF other distin-
Saished persons. were here. They
were met at the station by large
crowd, and q company Of the Eigh-
nil taf -.
arms as they passed from the train.
Mayor Z. M. Wight briefly welcomed
them. referring to the president as the
good and worthy representative of
great nation" 1t is rather amusing
now 70 read telegraphic account sent
out from here. which stated that the
procession moved on to the Stanton
mousse in the suburbs" etc. Suburbs.
en-? The Stanton house stood precisely
where the terminal station now looms
Sol ]. B. Cooke delivered the formal
address OF welcome. He had been a
confederate officer, and was regarded
as ultra in politics. He frankly stated
to President Hayes, "a people de-
jected by misfortune and restless under
oppression. witnessed with distrust
your elevation to the chief magistry of
the nation" Referring to the concilia-
tory policy which had marked the be-
ginning of that administration, Col.
Cooke said, but as the sunlight breaks
upon the landscape when the over
shadowing clouds have been parted and
dissipated, so have the great princi-
Pies OF right and justice, embodied in
what is termed your southern policy,
dispelled the gloom which enveloped
them, and shed the cheerful rays of
peace, contentment and a dawning OF
prosperity over these blighted states"
lie assured the president of cordial
welcome in the south, and the hearty
support of southern people In the poli-
cy he had adopted.
The president took position III one of
the corridors and shook hands with
everybody who claimed the privilege,
then took personal charge OF a speak
Ing program, insofar as members of
his party were concerned. The funny
incident, which of course was bound
to happen. happened during this part
OF the program. A brass band from
out OF town took a notion to blow
some expressions of political senti-
ments whether or no. and as the pres
ldent was about to introduce Secretary
OF State Evarts, it turned in on
Dixie and played Dixie until the local /
committees invited it to shut up, but Y
It went right on playing Dixie, like a
puppy hanging to root, as the saying
runs. Dixie was then supposed to rep
resent sectional prediction and of
lensive partisanship." The band had
TO be informed that II would be shot
Tor treason before it would consent to
stop, and when it did SO, President
Hayes simply smiled and said, that
g all right. boys; l helped capture that
tune and 1t belongs to the nation, now"
-