The Brookhaven leader., 1883-07-12
CAsEYVII.I.E.
A Gala Day-The Glorious FOurth-A
Fine PeOple-Good Speeches, and a
Dinner fit for a King.

Fourth-''the day we celebrate about
| o'clock A. ", the editor Of THE LEADER,
mounted upon Tom Decelrs best saddle
horse, set out in company with Frank
Martin, Dock Cox and Alec McNair-all
| Candidates-to respond to an invitation to
participate in the festivities Of the day
with the Sunday-school people Of Casey
willie.
For the benefit of the reader who has
never had the good fortune to visit tho
place, we will state that Caseyyile is
situated about IL miles northwest of
Brookhaven, not fa- from where the Dor
ders of Lincoln kiss three of her sister
counties. When big day is on the pro-
gramme such as the one we now have un-
der consideration, the people of Copiah,
Jefferson and Franklin always come over
and enjoy the fatted calf and other good
things with their Lincoln neighbors. BY
a stretch of nomenclature, and perhaps of
fact, we Will say that Caseyville was nam
ed in honor of one of the ancestral Cases
a family only second in university in Lin
coin county to the countless Smith fami-
ly, who are as the sands of the sea for
number. Commercially speaking, Casey
Vile is a cipher, the town containing one
store, postof1ice, blacksmith shop, mill
and few residences; hut these are not
what gives the place notoricty, and i'll
fluence to its name. This is because it is
known as the home of the McRees, the
Apprentices, the Blues, the Magees, Sym
lies, Chileses, Godbolds, Davises Buies,
Beachams, Gilchrists, and many other sol
id families whose men are noted for their
intelligence, chivalry and high sense of
honor, and whose ladies are known for
their beauty, refinement culture and ex-
allied womanhood, In short those who are
known as the Caseyville people, stand
among the first of this or any other county,
and are noted for their energy, thrift, in
telligence, and many other enrolling
qualities.
But we have been DEPRESSING. We be-
lieve we were on our way to n Fourth of
July Sunday school picnic, given by the
three Sunday schools of the neighbor hood
and their friends. Well, ourselt and can
didatorial company arrived on the grounds,
in good order about II A. NJ, and found
the Bensalem Presbyterian Sunday-school,
headed by Superintendent Joe G. Smylie;
the Grange Hall Baptist Sunday school,
headedby Superintendent j. E. Chiles; and
the Bethel Methodist Sunday school, head
ed by Superintendent ID. Mckee, with the
friends of each, already assembled in the
beautiful grove of oaks by which Bethel
church is surrounded.
The orators of the day were Dr. John
son of Brookhaven, and Rev. Mr.. Grafton,
of Union Church. When the hour for the
addresses arrived, the cOmmOdi0u5 church
house lacked about onc-third of holding
all the crowd, but every body saCdined in
who could get seat and was soon all at
tentiOn. The choir sang a beautiful hymn
to an organ accompaniment by Miss Chris
man, and Nr. Grafton returned thanks to
Him from whom all blessings flow aui in
yoked Il continuation of His buunteous
f,avors. Another song of praise, in which
the children all joined with spirit, and
Re-. Mr.. Jones, pastor Of the Bethel
church, introduced DR.. Johnso3.
The Doctor wore a smiling face. and
looked as though he were ready to make
as much out of il Fourth of July holiday as
the jolliost boy in the audience. He said |
he hadn't come to make any regular Sun
day-school address, but he would have
something to say for all present. Some
speakers are going about the country with !
long faces croaking and pointing ont signs |
of poverty and retrOgression among the |
people and say there is no prosperity |
among us; and some editors write in the |
same strain (nOne of which, as the editor
of The LEADER does not belong to that |
class, was taken as personally. This is a
prodigiOus mistake, however, sincere as
those may be who give expressions to such
talk. People look as well, dress rs we'll
and live as well as they did when he was
boy, and besides enjoying great many
good things which he never heard of when
he was growing up-Sunday schools,
Sunday-school pcnics and conventions
among the number. He heard of hard
times almost before he heard of anything
else, and the cry had never ended, and
probably never would with some, because
some people are always in strain; but the
people and the country are progressing
and will continue to progress in spite of
all that the fault-finders and grumblers
may say. In this work, too, everybody
has duty to perform, and especially the
young-the boys and girls of to-day. The
possibilities of every boy present in the
vast field of the future, may scarcely be
conjectured, and the speaker pointed to the
humble beginnings but wonderful outcome
of Aldridge of Rhode Island, Brown of
Georgia, Judd of New York, and several
other illustrious examples. A man OF boy
can do well-nigh anything he says he can
do. If he says he can't do anything he
can't; but if he says he can, and has the
determination, it is already half accom-
plished. Everybody cannot be a great
lawyer, great statesman, a great preach
er, but everybody can be useful, and here
in, after all, lies the honor. If boy or
vounp man start ont remem herin0 this and