The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-03-03
A FORECAST OF NY STEWARDSHIP.


To Ny Employers:
As predicted by my friends aud expected by
me. ! often hear complaints because |, AZ ro'd
contractor, have not 40 yet, worked .t.,'S on "'itn
c0mpla'nants reside. BY way Of expla III" and
assuring each and all persons that l WI 20 my
duty to all, | publish this card.
In the iifst place j ask al fair minicd persons
to remember that my position in this matter is
somewhat IKE stepmother whose eve = action
Is construed by tive relatives as Il "a ~. ,te steD'
children. Bcf re biddily of this GOT act by
authority o. the p esid-nt II the Boar, obt. III
cd from each aud every road Oversee IT. Bert
for the ser 1852 a list aJd number of oil hands on
their respective roads. and | ionnd tli.t he e%erc
41i road hands in the beat, outside of the ,oor'
p~ulatrd towns Of PasHao0ula and scrantO many
of whom have left ince Christ mas od accoumS Of
stoppage Of mills. If the mi'lsge llgs, and a IN
this summer THESE hands 0r others ~ the + sen,
will return, ard a l ard my assis' ants clmn 20 DC
good on a still mat, We expect TO run the num-
| Der of road han IS IN this Beat up to 500. Now
five hundred tines four dollars and Sc Penty-fve
cents amounts to g, 1875. This, then, is the pros
pective available fund. Counting out sundays
and rainy duy, tanh even these | have 10 feed my
trams) tiers are ut least three hdndred working
days in . year. On account II having on haid
these teams and expensive machinery, l am co.L'
PEELED to work the entire year. There arc about
seventc.hoe miles Of road ia The beat and as there
are ab.u three hundred working days in the year
this would make an average 81 four Jays . a
mile. This however, is not the equitable AZ Just
mem of the work is t. be done. Perhaps it may
be well 60 c..pain why | have, so far, worked near
my home. The working cf roads by machinery
was a new undertaking to me and my men. 'e
first purchased small horses at Il cost of about S5
each. These proved too light and failed the first
day We then purchased large horses at n cost Of
800 each. The e failed in less than ten days. We
then purchased large mules at a cost of S'23 each.
by changing and resting these, we hope to see
them STAG this very hard work.
We have also had parts Of our machinery ana
tools in nte shan fnp IHy1,lTs pnnStalflN. nut now
feel Personally safe that our teams and ma tliinery
Will strnd any reasonable service. AS beiGic
stated, l must keep up my work all the year. MY
road gang averages five hands and -four horses or
| mules. as | have to keep an extra number IN az
count Of resting, the work being too hard for con.
tinuous work. This force of hands and teams l
have worked down to a cost u u per day. IVY"
of these hands and one of the horses VII usually
be away from the rcgulir foice, repairing. collect
ing amt other Irregular work. Now. seven dollars
per day multiplied 10y the three hundred days
make twenty-one hundred dollars. this deducted
from 1895 to be collected from five hundred
hands. leaves ~ me s215 for our investments and
services.
1t the mills all run, and the country otherwise IL
prosperous, bringing in more men l viii fare bet
ter. If fudge wood and Jake will send to me
cheaper lahOiels, by way of c0nyicts l could also
save something in that way.
also call the attention ofmy employers to tha
moral effect of my convict contract. also to IT'S
e%quinamical result to the tax payers. The beneht
to the county is not measured by the amount OF
costs and fines | pay for c~onvicts. but asa WieNen'
tive to petty crime. Putting these two contracts
together it is admitted that if NJ. A. Lees can hold
up his end land his end is the big endl and carry
out his part. then jackson county is leading the
State in two very important internal interests.
Everything must havea time and place for begin
ming. The good work Of the gospel was to begin
at Jerusalem. Necessafily my work had to begin
on some on road, and on account Of reasons given
above, this work, like charity, began at home:
Yet | assure all my employers that ! will serve all
alike before the end Of the year, and at tn end OF
my three years contract. | hope and expect to
hear the much desired applause, well done, thou
good and faithful servant" at which time | will
give a full and complete account of my steward
ship. NJ. A.. DLES.
Road and Convict Contractor.
Moss Point, Miss, Feb. 81, 1893.