The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-04-06
BOUTTHETOWN OF COMO.
ITS ORIGIN AND ITS BUILDERS
DIR. TAFT AND Mr.. SLEDGE.
It's Trade and Its Traders and the
Amount OF Business They Do
Mrs. Dunlap's Inn.


town, it would be improper to paint
it red" 1t ia ceitiinly the moot at
tractive Of the sisterhood Of towns on
the Mississippi and Tennessee rail
road, and is ss progressive and bust
ntss.like as it is pretty. Como re.
ceived me With open arms, for the
APPEALS cake, treated me, indeed,
with as much courtesy as il / had been
a miksdo travelling for my health in
stead of an everyday "chiel takin'
notes." Like begets like. says the adj
age, and II ever / write anything I'M
kind Of Como may the manuscript be
charged up to me "at regular advertis-
ing rates"
Two embryo towns, one called
Sledgeville and the other Como, were
combined 10 form this place when the
Missis, ippi and Tennessee road had
reached midway between them. A
learned blacksmith gave the name,
Como, but why has never been d.
vuged, for there is ne lake bigger
than horse pond within a weeks
Journey. Sedgeville would have
bten more appropriate, though not so
euphonious, for the late N. K. Sledge
and the present firm Of Sledge Bros.
really made the town.
The original settler was, l believe,
DR.. L. g. Tot, whose plantation, after
his de a h, WIS divided, in the settle.
meDt Of the estate the town site, oc-
cupying the larger part. The railroad
runs through the center Of the town,
go that the Traveller can take il in from
each tide of the car. He will see
beautiful, home-like residences, en-
lowered in the shade Of ancestral
tr es; substantial brick stores Of I'M
usual sizs for 30 small place, two or
three neat chuIches-ths whole pict
ure set in frame, as it were, COM
posed Of well-tilled mea1ows and of
fac orchards, showing pink and
white pr omises OF fruit to cone.
The residents pride themte.ves on
The sslubrity of the town. They say
it is the highest point on the road be-
tween Memphis and Grenada, and
yellow-feyet has never yet presented
itself in this favored spot.
While Como has had but few start
ling events in her history she has had
a ste ady business growth. Her most
prominent merchant, Mr.. N. r.
Sledge, built up very large and sue
cessful business, which bas since his
death been continued by his sons, the
Sledge Bios. of Como, also of Mastodon
aud Spring Bluff, and of Sledge &
Norfleet of Memphis. They have a
mammoth store, where one can pur-
chase anything from package of pens
TO a steam engine, or from a can of ssr-
dimes to 500.scre plantation. The
three bro here, w. D., N. r and o. ..
S'edge, ora live, rprising mer'
chants. Each has a comfortable reti-
dence in Como, they are large land
owners, and as / have already already
noted have built up the town. Their
cashier and confidential man, Capt. j.
+. Heath, has been with them nearly
twenty years. The brothers own a
stock arm about one mile from town,
comprising half a section OF lar d, upon
which thew keep a herd of thirty hslf-
bred Jer ey cattle, Jersey bull (regis
tered) ana fifty head Of sheep. f. d..
Dunlap & O.. are worthy Of mention
in tn connection. Their general
sore DOES an annual business Of
$4,000, and they also own
1850 acres OF land. The Woodford
farm, four miles from town, has 430
acres in raStu'egH, and ninety-oDe
head OF Gait are Kept. The firm also
owns eleven nlaniatiops in this viciDi.
ty. NJ j E. II Dunlap (of Prices az
v,u ~ Mica =, ,;N anna 20 Como ~ pEO
Ia, lor Bros. w. B. & T. N.Y. do a
business amounting to $4,000 an
nually. They carry large and well
SELF ed etoCk of general merchant so,
and have by their energy aud enter
prize made an excellent reputation for
their house. Cyl. Monroe Pointer
owns tie local steam mill and cotton
Cir, and ia large real estate owner
d. Craig & Co., IS sblished in 1873, DO
ag nsrsl supply business, amounting
to $4,000 year. In addition to their
welLhll=d emporium Of goods they
own two sections of cotton plantation.
McGehee Bros. are f)urish ng general
mercbants, also owning 6C00 acres Of
laud, and other firms are A. Goodman,
j A. Fulmer, J. b. Potter and d. F.
Breckenridge. The last named,
Who has neat and attract We store is
a veteran of the war. He was a ser
geant in the First Mississippi Sharp
shooters from 1861 to 1864, and just at
the close (batile OF Peach Tree Creek,
at Atlanta, lost his leg. Besides the
general stores Mrs. ]. v. McGehee &
Co. have a well.supplied millinery
bazaar. There are two blarksmith's
shops (Sledge Bros. and Spears &
Key) and general st IRE owned by
colored people.
The public school is conducted by
Prof. and Mrs. Crawford, who are
much esteemed by pupils and parents.
The Episcopal church is handsome
frame building with lanceolated
windows e led with fine stained glass.
l. Wa9 the gift to the town Of the late
Mr.. SledQe. The Rev. Mr.. Bowden is
rector. The Rev. DR.. Sullivan is pastor
Of the Methodist church.
The Dunlap House was burned Feb
ruaTy Goth. 1t was one of the best
houses in the town. 1t has been re.
placed by house not quite SO large,
uut tuO pOiosih ailhR bOuio
"Who sigh to think how oft they dnd
Their Wafmest welcome at an inn,
wi il surely find it at the new Dunlap
House. Imagine, if you please, a
country homs elegantly furnished, it's
spacious rooms adorned by the artistic
taste Of lady, and its well-supplied
table presided over by her, and you
have a picture OF the hotel at Como.
We each have our beau ideal Of COM
{oIt-mine is Mrs. DunlaP's hotel.
Yesterday had the pleasure Of in
tsrviewing DR.. Rivers. who is a guest
Of Mr. Oliver Sledge. The dostor, who
is suffering from the effects Of a severe
IA TWO years ago, lie eighty.one years
old. He is we'll known to many Of
your most prominent citizens. He
was renowned ia the good old DAYS,
not only for his medical skill, but for
8 fund OF anecdOte which never failed.
A crowd of gentlemen on a street cor
uer or in the ratunda of hotel, all