The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1888-07-07
FIFTY YEARS AGO.

EDITOR GAzETTE: :-l have1ust
returned from visit to the scenes
of my childhood days of over
fifty years ago. These scenes are
In the great old county OF Pike, in
our own beloved State of Missis-
sippi. spent several days with
my cousin, ]. N. Holmes, an cx-
celent farmer who lives on the
very spot where my grand father
first settled when NO moved from
the State ol Georgia, in the year
1906, just 80 years ago. My
father lived only one-half mile
from the old place, until Decem-
ber, 1871, at which time he
moved with his family to Carroll
county, this State.
Forty-seyen years nave brought
many sad changes il the old coun-
ty In some respects, bat in others
the changes arc very pleasant to
look upon. l visited the spring
where thu family of my grand
father used water from, and found
water still gushing forth and folam-
llng the little creek below, Just as
it dId fifty years ago. AT that
time it was shaded by a modest,
but beautiful magnolia tree,
! probably about twelve inches IL
diameter, but now that same tree
is about four feet IN diameter,
and one of the most majestic
trees of the kind, | ever saw. |
walked with my cousin through
the woods where my father had d
farm and where | learned 10 plow,
and found it a hard matter 10 find
twhefo tile residence then stood.
and had it not been for the spring,
that was so wildly fixed upon
my mind, | don't think / would
have been abls to locate where
the buildings were. Where the
houses and farm were, is now
grown up IN long leafed pine,
very tall and many of them two
feet In diameter and there are but
few thugs that would indicate
, that it was oncein cultivation.
Pike county is, without doubt.
! one of the best counties 10 the
: State, 1t is strictly a pine coun,
! try. The lands were originally
poor, bat as they have gooc
! clay foundation, and have had +;
4 good coat of fertilizer annually
for the past thirty years or more
/ and been well cultivated, the yield
9 of cotton, corn, peas, potatoes
e sugar cane and rice, is very great
1t is no uncommon thing 10 raIst
as much as a bale of cotton to tn,
e acre, sometimes a bale and hall
& aud from twenty-five to fort,
o bushels of corn to the acre. Be
i sides this, the health Is good, an,
q range fine, and OH such stream
+ of pure, sparkling water. Th
channel of these streams are gen
q orally wide, with low banks, san,
q and rock bottom and the waite
so clear that you caa see the boz
Il tom even when the water is te
/ feet deep.
IT The fist settlements that wer
e made IN Pike county by the whit
if people was near one hundre
IS years ago. | saw some farm
se that | was told had been in cult
vation ninety years and had onl
10 been rested three years and til
If land yet produces well mot thougl
is without manurlpg every yea
g The first settlers arc yet in Pis
D. county, but they are all in the
k graves. | found but very fe
Ut persons over seventy years oil
te and not very many over sixt,
ID five. The county is now owne
Of and occupied 5y then ciildre
j. and childrens children, No laus
are ever sold, or settird by stfal
S- gers No persons move into tt
ID county or move OUT, but as OF
ae generation passes away, the ne
st one takes possession. The thi'
st generation, since the first setLI
~ ment, now occupy the count.