The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1898-08-24
II was Brought to Brookhaycn Last
Thursday, sold for 5'a Cents and
Won McGrath's Premium
of $4,000 in Gold.

Geo. W. Magee, of BlountviIIc, the Lucky
Winner.
The first bale of the crop of 1898
reached Brookhaven just before noon
last Thursday, nine days later than
the first bale last year. 1t was raised
by Farmer George Magee, of the
White Sand country, Lawrence county,
weighed 40 pounds, classed as mid
ding and brought 5i5 cents in cash,
John McGrath d Sons being the pur-
chasers. On top of this came also the
premium of $50 in gold, which Messrs.
McGrath and Sons had offered for the
first bale, and Mr.. Magee had the
proud satisfaction of sticking a double
eagle down into his trousers pocket
when he went round to the counting
room to settle.
Mr. Magee is one of the widely known
Magee Brothers of Lincoln and Law
renee counties, nearly all of whom took
to farming and have made a success of
it. There we're originally y brothers
and sisters-a family of 16 children
of which Mr.. Irving Magee, who re-
sides near Brookhaven, was the eldest.
He &C., w. Magee) is 60 years old and
has several grown children, one of
whom is successful physician and
another promising young lawyer.
His farm lies right adjoining the vii
lage of Blountville. in Lawrence coun-
ty, and is naturally productive. Here
he raises his own corn, meat, potatoes,
molasses, etc, and makes cotton his
surplus or money crop. His cotton
crop this year will be about - bales.
Mr.. Magee said the same rainy weather
which has prevailed in Lincoln has
prevailed in Lawrence, and but for
this, he would have had a bale out
several days earlier. AS it was, a
sandy, loamy soil was greatly in his
favor Last year Mr.. Magee brought
in the third bale and won one of the
minor premiums offered by McGrath
& Sons. lie remembered the lesson in
the old school reader, If at first you
don't succeed" etc, and being made of
the right kind of stuff, entered the
| lists again this year, and notwithstand-
ing the distance and disadvantages of
the season, was the first to come out
under the line. Mr.. Magee is a regular
| ,,l tN I EnanC
ed about the premiums and big bar
| gains offered from time to time in its
advertising columns by the McGraths
and knows when to strike.
SECOND AND THIRD BALES.
The second bale was brought in late
Thursday evening by Messrs. Greeu
and Furr, of northeast Lincoln, Il little
while after Magee had driven out OF
town felicitatipg himself on his good
luck 1t weighed 4S5 pounds, classed
as strict middling, and was bought by
McGrath & Sons for So cents. They
don't take their county paper, didn't
| know anything about the premium OF
$40 in gold which McGrath q Sons had
! offered, and had to be content with the
second premium the finest suit OF
clothes III the house. They said if
they had taken the paper and been
posted, they could easily have gotten
to town with their bale day sooner
The third new bale was brought in
Friday by Mr.. NJ. G. McGehee, who
lives near Montgomery. 1t weighed
543 pounds, classed as good middling,
and was bought by McGrath a. Sons
for 5l5 cents. McGehee got the third
premium, fine hat. His was another
case of failing to catch the rabbit He
said it wouldn't have been any trouble
for him to have gotten to town day
or two earlier with his bale, but he
took no county paper, wasn't posted
about the $40 in gold, and hence
thought there was no special reason
for haste.