The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-04-08

MEssRs. EDITORS: ! have attempted,
in connection with several of the Young
men of Okolona, to get up two or three
societies or clubs, for the amusement and
instruction of ourselves, and the conlmun-
ity. In these we have most signally
failed. The Brass Band and the Thespian
Society were the last two upon the taps.
The former of these failed because of the
expense attending it 0he extraordinary
sum of $20)-the latter because it requir-
ed some attention and mental application
upon the part of the members, in order to
have their characters properly prepared
These having gone by the board, anoth-
err effort is being made, which, when it is
rightly understood, will probably prove
more successful. The object now, is to
form Light Dragon Company
This, for various reasons, think, can be
accomplished, and it is for the object OF
laying these reasons before your readers
that this communication is written. Com
mencing then, by using what many viii
think the weakest arguments first This
company will make all of its members
bold, skilful and graceful riders-nC
mean or useless accomplishment, to say
the least of it. 1t will be a protection
in all cases of danger, or emergency tc
the citizens of Okolona and surrounding
country. The last two for the weak ar
guments, now for the strong ones.
The Revised Code of the State OF
Mississippi" has the following: "All
able bodied free white male citizens, be-
tween the ages of eighteen and forty-tivc
years, resident in this State, and not ex-
empted from serving in the Malta, by
the laws of the United States, or of this
State, are and shall be subject to military
duty By this article, it is plain we
have to muster, and we submit it : is il
not much better and far more agreeable
to muster ON horseback with company
of uniformed, fully equipped, decent sci
of fellows whom you know, under the
command of competent officers, than tC
be "bobbing around" on foot, in company
with Tom, Dick and Harry, marched
about in "scatterhattery" manner by
an ignorant Jack-a-napes of MALTA
Captain, who doesn't know the difference
between raining cartridge and charging
bayonets
In addition to this, another clause o
the Code says that "All members OF
volunteer companies regularly organized
, and who shall perform twelve days dut!
in one year, shall be erempt from roao
or street service. The State, of course
furnishes such companies with suitabl,
arms. | am gratiied to see that the citi
zens are manifesting good deal of in
terest in the company. There were abou
thirty members on the list the last tim'
| saw it, and at present probably more
besides this, there is another list bein.
circulated in the country. We wan
about sixty members at least.
In conclusion, | would suggest tina
there be meeting of all the member
who have subscribed their names, and o
all those who wish to join or feel any in
terest in getting up the company on mex
Saturday, in the town of Okolona, at tn
new store house at the east end of tn
town, belonging to Messrs. Ashcraft I
Noe. SELA.
OKoLoNA, April 9th.
Naturalization. Three hundred An
erican citizens were made at Manchester
N TT durin.r fho cncsionc of tha +uo ~