The age-herald., 1898-01-20
OVER THE BORDER
 IN MISSISSIPPI

of Meridian had a banquet a few days aga to celebrate their escape from a visitation of it last season. The commemoration of an escape from scourge is something new; but the good people of Meridian were so glad that they came together and made merry over their great deliverance. That was a curious blunder the legislaS ture made over an United States senators ship. Last Tuesday it elected MT. Money senator, but he not elected, and next Tuesday he is to be elected "honest and | true" Such elections are regulated by the revised statutes of the United States, in which there is provision that the balS loting for senator shall be begun on the second Tuesday after the legislature meets. The legislature met on the first Tuesday, after the first Monday in January, and so it was thought that last Tuesday was the second Tuesday. It is now held that the day of meeting should not be counted, and so 1t happens that MT. Money will again be elected senator next Tuesday. Mississippi is at last ashamed of it's ram. shackle capitol. One day about week. ago, just after the legislature had ads journed, great square of clustering fell upon the desk of Senator Boyd, who voted last year against the capitol bill; and it is said the tendency of the old building td let great squares of plasterlng drop down is creating an impression in favor of a new building. A poll of the legislature discioses a clear majority in favor of one. It is proposed to limit the cost of 1t to $750000. Building prices low and it is believed capitol fully equal to that of Georgia can be built within the sum naimed. Govs McLaurin's recommendation is still want, ing, but doubtless it will be forthcoming, and then the old rookery will be carted away to the trash pile.
 
 But before a new capitol bill is taken up the legislature has some sensational inves. legations to make The American Book company is implicated. Some of its agents have written, it is claimed, discriminating letters. There is bribery in the air, as | there always is when the book rings be- | gin to assist in the selection of text books | for the schools of state At the other end of the capitol charges of drunkenness have been preferred against men in high official positions. The judiciary committee of the house is considering the charges. and some resignations are looked for. The house has voted that no more lf- censes shall be granted to hop joints. Yes,
  | place where you can get a cup of hop tea | or other soft drinks. But it seems the hop joints have occasionally sold red liquors | and more than occasionally, beer. As q | rule they are orderly places, but an amend, ment calling for the revocation of all lie | censes for hop joints and the refunding l of the money passed in the house by @ | vote of SS to 29. The white hops are to go.
  Cash is fairly rolling into the state treas> ury now a-days. Last Tuesday a little | over s122,OOO was received, and the receipts | of Monday exceeded s100,000 All the cor- | porations-the railroads and banks and in. surance companies-are settling their in- debtedness to the state thus swelling the | receipts at the state treasury.
 
 | News comes that the famous cooperative colony at Co-opolis has ceased to co-opera- | ate They always do, after a while. The | shiftless in such a colony will not work, and criminations and recriminations set | in, and in the end they become just every- | day associations, if they cling together at | all Human nature does not admit of such ideal organizations at present. It may ten or fifteen centuries hence. l Mississippi has three towns of about
  | burg Each has about fifteen thousand people, and each expects to be the metropo- lis of the state. Columbus is a good fourth. The green-eyed monster is not un. known in these rival towns The race for superiority and trade Is very pretty one. Meridian claims to be ahead, but VicksA burg probably leads them all by a neck.
  The government building at Meridian has just been finished, and it is pronounced one of the best-if not the best-structure in the state. It was began in October, 1896. and the last nail was driven last week. Doctors Grant, Tackett and Folkes have just returned from Havana where they went to study Bronze John at home, and their report has recently been submitted to the state board of health. They ascer- tained that the average period of incubas tion is three days. They say the germs seem to prefer old rotten vessels, sugar in sacks secondhand woolen goods and wet hides Native Cubans are not immune, but one attack of the fever practically i'm! munizes the patient, dead or alive. The infection never dies out in Havana Me- groes take the fever, but rarely die from 1t. Cold renders the germ inactive, but does not always kill it. Children in Havana arc very susceptible to yellow fever It IS the same old fever alike in Cuba and the United States-that is, the symptomatology is the same in either place. In Havana as in this country there is always dispute as to whether the first cases of season are malarial fever yellow fever. About three weeks intervene in Havana between the first cases and further spread of the fever. The commission urge the state board of health to enforce quarantine regulations along the coast line, to take every precau- ton with early suspicious cases, and to see that every town in the state is put in the very best sanitary condition. These rec- concentrations will, it is thought, be adopt ed and carried into actual practice. It is, however, a pretty large contract to put in one season some Mississippi towns 'in the very best sanitary condition" They might consider the unwonted process an infringe- ment of their immemorial liberties.