The Morristown Gazette

CLAIBORNE COUNTY DOTS FROM
ZIP.

CLAIBORNE CO., TENN.,
April 8, 1878.

To the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:

It is seldom that I see anything from
this part of the Commonwealth, and be-
lieving that we are entitled to an occa-
sional notice in the columns of so wide-
ly a circulating and popular journal as
the Gazette. I venture one more short
letter, hoping to induce some abler per-
son to take the subject in hand. Our com-
munity is comparatively quiet at pres-
ent. The farmers are busily engaged
some in planting, others in preparing
the soil and waiting for a more auspi-
cious time. They do not seem to real-
ize the near proximity of the great polit-
ical fight so soon to come off, but when
the time comes, old Claiborne will be
ready to do her duty. Wheat is looking
fine, fruit safe so far and abundant, and
perhaps more ground will be planted in
corn this season than at any time since
the war.

There is considerable anxiety mani-
fested by river men and shippers for fear
there will be no tide in Powell's river
this Spring. It is an unusual thing for
March to pass without a tide. There is
a large amount of grain and bacon in
the different ware-houses awaiting ship-
ment by the river.

I was in Tazewell at the last term of
the County Court, and being the quar-
terly term the attendance was unusu-
ally large. Indeed, it was equal to the first
days of the Circuit Court.

The chairman,
Hodge, Esq.
was presiding, and the way he was dis-
patching business was highly gratifying
to those having business in the Court.
This is his first year as chairman, but he
seemed "at home," and to discharge
the various duties with ease and rapidi-
ty. Amongst other business transacted
at this term was the reading of the re-
port of a special commission appointed
at a former term of the Court to settle
with the different county officials and to
report the condition of their finance,
&c. I did not hear the reading of the
entire report, but that part relating to
our worthy and efficient Circuit Court
Clerk, T. W. Stone, was truly com-
mendable, not the slightest error existing.
So Tom comes out again with flying col-
ors. But no more than was expected by
those acquainted with Tom. And when
Dr. J. M. Hartison, Dr. Samuel Atkins.
and Capt. J. W. Barnard, investigate
an officer's books and reports them
square, everybody is satisfied. Candi-
dates were plentiful, and hand-shaking
and smiles were the order of the day.
There were the usual differences in
the choice of the people for the differ-
ent county offices, but for a man for
State Senator, we heard but one voice,
and that was for the Hon. H. T. Patton,
of Claiborne.

There was perfect unanimity in re-
gard to Patton. I will only add that I
do not think there is a man in the dis-
strict better qualified, or one more popu-
lar with the people than he is.

Yours, etc.,
ZIP