The Brookhaven leader., 1884-10-23


entered nj once upon The erection OF
suit able factory buildings, which he
so n furni, bed with machinery aud
put into operation, These mills
Kere destroyed by fire, aud were
then rebuilt by Mr.. L. Richardson,
the present owner. There are now
in operation niue thousand sp1ndles
tor cotton and wooden goods; six
sets Of wooden machinery; one hun
dred looms for manufacturing
wooden fabrics, including great
variety of doeskins, csssimeresjeans,
lindseys and tweeds, ranging in
price from twenty five cents to one
dollar per yard. There are 234
looms Tor manufacturing cotton
goods. including brown shecting
and slirtings, osnsburgs and drill
ing, bed-ticking, hickory stripes,
plaids, ginghams, cottonades and
checks, and cotton wraps; both
sewing threads and knitting yarns
are also manufactured TO a very
large extent. Five hundred persons
are employed and appear to be
healthy and happy. Quite = large
town is growing up around the
mills. There is . demand for all
the goods they can make, and they
are unable to keep up with orders
for styles. Large sales are made in
the Western States in New York,
and what is better, it has q large
local and home patronage; thus
demonstrating that cotton can be
more economically manufactured in
the immediate vicinity of its produc-
ton than elsewhere"
The town of Wesson has never
had a saloon, deeds for the lots con-
tanning a clause which prohibits
forever the sale of Intoxicating
liquors on it. There are three white
churches, Methodist, Baptist and
Presbyterian. all handsome struct-
ures, and one colored church. The
officers are S. Gilbert, mayor; j. G
Lyell, treasurer; John Thomas, j. c.
Rhymes, r. d. Audman, II. NJ
: Buckley and j. G. Lyell, aldermen
The town is well supplied with
water for projection from fire
through the public spirit of the mil
company in placing fire plugs al
convenient points, the supply com
ing through the company's pumps
at creek and reservoir mile dis
tant. There are lodges of Masons
Odd Fellows, Knights of Honor and
/ other like organizations. The bank
ing business of the place is trans
acted through the Mississippi Mills
The town raised $4,000 bonus and
: the site to secure the location Of the
state female college, which however
went to Columbus, notwithstanding
r Wesson was the home 1,400 young
ladies. drawn thither from various
? counties by the prospect of employ
, mept in the mills. There is a large
and successful free school in session
the entire year, besides several pri
{ vate schools. Last summer the citi
zens raised fund of 5000 to pay
: canvassers in beat l in Lincoln
county where a petition tO
stop the sale If liquor secured names
sufficient to have the supervisors au.
: thorize the carrying into effect OF a
: prnhibitory law in accordance with
: Legislative enactment. The town
has no debt and the valuation is
$550,00O. At the last election, OF
J 335 votes cast all but three were
democratic, and all white except
about a half dozen. The employees
of the mills are all whites, colored
labor not being found reliable.
! There are some twelve or fifteen
mercantile houses in the place,
which handle during the year some
1900 bales o: cotton.
Among the most noted business
men of the place are H. A. Earns
and j. G. Lyell, the former native
of Alabama, and the latter a
VirgInisn. The two gentlemen are
in partnership in general merchan-
dizing. Their store is the original
one Of the town, and carries the
largest stock Of everything needed
In the community. Mr.. Earns is a
son-in-law of Colonel Wesson, the
founder OF the town, the latter gen