On March 15, 1884, Nathaniel C.T. Love published the first issue of the Comet newspaper in Johnson City, Tennessee. Attorneys Robert Burrow and Robert L. Taylor (later Tennessee governors) served as the newspaper’s editors. The paper’s salutatory piece affirmed its perspective: “In politics, we are democratic; in religion, we are orthodox.” At the time of the Comet’s first issue, the town had just one other newspaper, the politically independent Enterprise, established the previous year.

By July 1884, editorial control at the Comet had passed to Taylor and C.J. St. John, Jr. Just under a year later, an announcement was made that Cyrus “Cy” H. Lyle and Robert Burrow had purchased the paper, but Taylor would remain as editor.

The Comet covered political issues and local affairs and offered entertaining short stories and poems. In a town served by two railroad lines (later three), the paper unsurprisingly devoted much column space to train schedules and railroad news.

The Comet's Letterhead

On political issues, Taylor’s staunch support of the Democratic Party and his strong political ideology were clearly apparent. In the October issue before the 1884 presidential election, the Comet, which supported Grover Cleveland for president, featured a front-page story that included a sketched portrait of Taylor.

The article complimented Taylor’s speech condemning the Republican Party and sang his praises as a presidential elector. Taylor later ran for governor of Tennessee against his brother, Republican Alfred A. Taylor. This occasionally heated, but mostly cordial race later became known as the “War of the Roses.” Bob won the race and served as governor from 1887 to 1891 and again between 1897 and 1899.

In 1891, Robert Burrow retired from the Comet when the partnership between him and Lyle was dissolved, leaving Lyle as the sole proprietor. In the April 9, 1891 issue, Lyle announced his intention to publish the Daily Comet, beginning the following week.

The Daily Comet was “a morning paper with full Associated Press Service.” He continued to publish the weekly every Thursday. However, a couple of years later an article in the June 29, 1893 issue of the weekly Comet, announced that the daily would cease publication, declaring that, “The Daily Comet is simply off its orbit” and that “Publishing a daily paper in Johnson City is like running a free lunch counter in Washington, DC. It is well patronized, but not profitable.”

To compensate for the closure of the daily paper, the weekly one was increased to eight pages. An elaborately illustrated masthead, which is what people generally remember about it, was introduced featuring a comet descending over industrial and rural landscapes with a train at the center, pulling a car labeled “progress.”

The weekly Comet built up a large circulation in its first decade. By 1895, the paper had 1,000 active subscribers in a town whose total population was approximately 4,000.

Over the first decade, the Comet employed inventive means to increase subscriptions. In 1885, the paper ran a promotion offering new and renewing subscribers the chance to win one of the several prizes such as a silver watch, a sewing machine, and the grand prize, a parlor organ from the Chicago Cottage Organ Company. An ornate illustration of the organ accompanied several of the promotional announcements.

The Comet remained in publication at least through 1918, but surprisingly the exact date of its demise apparently was never recorded.

In September 1899, reports circulated about the discovery of caves in the mountains of Claiborne County, located about 100 miles from Johnson City. Reportedly, the caves, if true, would rival the famous Mammoth Cave of Kentucky or the Luray Caverns in Virginia.

Map of the State of Tennessee Showing the Three Divisions of the State. Claibourne County Is In East Tennessee at the top. See Asterisk.

It had been known for many years that a cave existed in the mountains and the residents of that county developed a superstitious awe of the place and would rarely venture into the locality, even in broad daylight, owing to the peculiar wind which issued from the narrow mouth of the caverns.

During that era, Mr. James Housely, owner of the lands on which the caves were located, organized an exploration party. Guides were obtained by the owner and preparations made for a thorough examination of the area. Upon reaching the mouth of the cave that was located in a deep mountain gorge several miles from any residence, it was found that the stories told by the natives appeared to be accurate.

The opening was small, barely large enough to admit a normal sized person. From it blew a constant strong current of warm air with sufficient force to cause a handkerchief or other light substance to flutter in the breeze. The natives once stated that as soon as cold weather set in and throughout the winter, the current was reversed and was drawn into the cave with sufficient force to suck in dried leaves and other forest debris that came within its radius.

Upon entering the cave, the party encountered a narrow passageway, extending into the heart of the mountain for several hundred feet. At the end of this passage, the cave suddenly widened into an immense chamber, the end of which could not be seen with the light of the torches carried by members of the party. The chamber had a level, dry floor and from it hundreds of passages branched off.

Through one of these passages blew a strong current of air. This option was selected for further exploration. It sloped downward and was pursued over a half mile. Suddenly, a peculiar organ-like roaring and ringing began to be heard, causing the explorers to panic. The guides insisted on turning back, but the owner of the property pushed on for half a mile farther, with the noise constantly swelling in volume. Suddenly, another immense chamber was found at the end of which a gigantic formation of stalactites and stalagmites was found.

Through these rushed a current of air, producing the peculiar music which had frightened the guides and caused the whole party considerable wonderment. The explorations were not continued beyond this second large chamber, but it became evident that the caves were immerse, and plans were made to systematically explore them as soon as possible.

A series of similar caves had previously been partly explored a number of years prior in Cumberland County in a deep mountain gorge, known by locals as “The Gulf.” The natives shunned this locality like they did in Claiborne County and no one would reside near the caves for any quantity of money.

In the Cumberland County caves, there were three separate entrances. At two of them, the same peculiar currents of air were noticed, one of them being warm and balmy and the other strangely felt as if it came from a frozen subterranean lake. Inside two of the caves, which were penetrated for several miles, were found immense stalagmites and stalactites, while through another a large subterranean river flowed.

This same stream came out the other side of the Cumberland plateau in White County, where it was known as the Caney Fork of the Cumberland River and was deep enough for navigation within a few miles from the point at which it issued from the mountain.

That was in 1899. If any of my readers can furnish more recent information about these caves, I would appreciate hearing from you.