The leader., 1897-11-10
LETTER FROM THECAPITAL.
Things That Were Done, Seen
and Heard Last Week.
Special Correspondence of The Lcader.l

date of about September Is, WAS not
written from the Capital ut all. but
from my hiding-place away over in
the Rankin swamps-a retreat that is
hard for man to find and where Yellow
Jack is not liable to look. 1t affords us
a great deal of genuine pleasure to say
that even if he took look for me and
mine he didn't find any of us, and that
we are now safe and sound at home,
as are also most of the other Jackson
ties who scrambled out of town on or
about the middle of September.
Every body seems real glad to see
everybody else and to relate their ex-
periences during their enforced vaca-
tion. All declare they never enjoyed
| themselves more. that they needed Il
rest and some kind of recreation, that
they had been wanting TO take an out
ing anyhow, and that the enforced
opportunity was just the thing they
wanted. Doubtless this was true as
to many, but there are hundreds of
people who joined in the stampede out
of Jackson with less than II week S
provisions and little if any money to
purchase more. Perhaps they enjoy
ed life under these conditions and
perhaps they didn't, but all the same
they say they did, and what's the
odds? They're all back now, looking
strong and healthy and sunburned,
and apparently full of vim and energy
and a determination to work hard
enough this winter to make up for lost
time. Such howdying aud hand
shaking as has been witnessed around
here the past three or four days is
seldom if ever seen except during a
county campaign when the candidates
are thick and it leads one to appreciate
the following from Dryden:
men met each other with erected look,
The steps were higher that they took,
Friends to congratulate tlieir friends made
haste;
And long inyeterate foes saluted as they
passed"
sides of jackson. and it is really mrac-
ulous that it has been kept out of the
corporate limits. Too much credit and
praise cannot be bestowed upon Mayor
Ramsey Wharton, City Marshal James
Ewing, City Health Officer Todd and
the few men who remained III town
in spite of the excitement, to say moth
ing of the efforts of the State and
County officials. But for DR.. Todd's
watchfulness Jackson would have
had the fever beyond all question.
On the occasion of the death of Hon.
S. s. Champion, at Edwards, a few of
his old friends and boyhood associates
here repaired to the depot to board
the train for Edwards to attend the
funeral, but DR.. Todd served notice
on them that if they went he would
have them quarantined ont of the city,
and the consequence was that no one
from Jackso attended the obsequies.
The danger is not over by any means,
but a strict quarantine is still main
tanned against all infected places, and
the people of this city do not fear the
fearful visitation. Business has open
ed up all along the line and in =
month the financial loss will have
been almost bl0tted from memory.
The cotton contiguous to this terrific
ry has hegun to roll in and during the
three days of last week that there
were no restrictions mere than one
thousand bales were received. The
price mt which the tieecy staple is
selling is enough to break the heart of
the average farmer. but they must
console themselves with The thought
that they have made more of the stun
than they dared hope two or three
months ago. Fortunately corn, po-
tatoes, cane and other food crops
have yielded an abundant harvest,
and the provident husbandman has
nothing TO fear-he will have plenty
to eat and TO spare for the preacher Ill
spite of the fact that cotton is worth
only five cents per pound.
| Very little of interest is going on
here as vet, but " the town is talking
about the Governors quarantine bout
with the Mayor of the city and dis
cussiug the merits of the account of
the article sent out to the press 10y
IA correspondent, also the Governors
interview on the subject" The opin-
ion is pretty general that " inspiring,
bold, John BmieNcorn" accompanied
the Governor to the tent of the quar-
antine guard, aud came near causing
trouble-but he didn't. Those who
know His Excellency best do not
consider it any harm-especially dur
ing quarantine times, when the dust
is six inches deep all over the Rankin
pike, when the October sun forgets it
is not the fourth of July, when one is
tired and worn out and feels down in
the mouth over bad yellow fever
news and meets an old friend in u tent
by the roadside say that under
such circumstances, those who know
the Governor best would not feel that
he had disgraced himself did he con-
sent to moisten his parehed palate
and slake a burning thirst with that
nectar that is said to be made from a
sprig of mint. a lump or two Of sugar,