The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-02
Bill APPS LSTTt.I.

Hattiesburg is a growing little city
away down in Mississippi on the road
that leads from Meridian to New Or
leans. 1t is in the piny woods and de-
rives large revenue from lumber and tur-
pentine. 1t is the market for many
thousand bales of cotton, but business
does not seem to be depressed on ac-
count of the price There are large
stocks OF goods and the stores are
thronged with customers and the hotels
thronged with travelling statesmen, for
where the carcass is the eagles will be
gathered together. l know there is
money there, for it is a sure sign of pros
perity, when over 400 good people turn
out to a lecture and pay so cents apiece
for it. | was called there by the La
mar Literary Society, which is another
sign not only of prosperity, but of cul-
ture and refinement. A dead or de-
Ginning town cannot keep up such So
ciety. The public school is blessed with
one of the most earnest and capable men
| have met with, and he is as handsome
as he is jealous in his work Professor
Phillips made an impression upon me.
The population Of this growing town
is remarkable for its high moral stand
ard. There is not a saloon there nor did
the jug business seem to be carried on
The community is against it, and the
young men are deeply interested in inf
proving their minds and preserving their
morals. Another railroad is rapidly
working its way there from Mobile and
everybody is looking up instead of down.
1T is a model town. Ellisville is farth-
or north and is another thriving town.
1t is an old town with new clothes on
and has a large trade. You would hard
ly believe it, but there are more goods in
one store there than in all the stores in
Gainesville, and there are several stores
of that kind They are double stores
and the goods are piled high UP stairs
and down. Large sawmills are at work
in the neighborhood and hundreds of
men employed, and at every station hun
dreds Of barrels of turpentine are await
ing shipment The railroad and the
people along the line seem to work in
harmony and have no conflict or litiga-
tion. 1t is fine road and keeps time
like a clock. | found there some old
friends from Barlow county who are en-
gagged in the lumber business. In fact,
| never fail to find Georgians in my
travels, and it pleases me to meet them,
and pleases them to meet me
and we get clannish as we talk about
the good old State. / met an old ne
gro here at Crockett-old Uncle Jake
who came several miles to see me. He
used to work for Bill Rainey. OF Rome,
away back in the fifties, and came out
here with his folks just after the war.
Rainey kept the livery stable there for
fifty years and everybody respected him.
He had a good, gentle old horse that a
timid lady could drive and he was known
by them as old Jake, and did service for
thirty years. That horse was named
4or this old negro for he had the care
of him for many years. Old Jake is a
Democrat, the only true, unfinching
colored Democrat in this county. He
called on me at the hotel and it was
pathetic to hear him esk me about his
old friends in Rome AS he asked about
one and another all I could say was:
"Why, Uncle Jake. he is dead long ago.
They are all dead. Almost everybody
is dead but you and l." He asked about
Hardin and Waters and Tom Price and
Wallis Warren and Colonel Shorter and
Cohen and the Berrys, and seemed sur
prised that they were all dead. After
he left me | went across the town to
see a friend and had not been there long
when Jake called in. He wanted to
Ak about Sam Stewart, who has been
dead forty years. After a while ] went
to see another friend and the old man
followed me there and stayed until he
was called for and had to go home. He
is nothing but an old negro, but he is as
true and faithful as a good old dog.
DIR. Beasley, of LAGRANGE. Ga, is a
leading physician of Crockett. and it
did him good to meet me and talk about
Zen Hill and the Ferrells and Ridleys
and Morgans and Walkers and Bacons
and others. The doctor is a scientist in
his own way and showed me an Indians
skull that was taken from a mound near
by, and he called my attention to the
fact that the skull had no seams or SUI
lures in it. These seams Avery mark
ed in white mans skull but there are
none in the Indians. They are very
smooth all over and very thin. / had
never heard of this difference before.
Crockett is a very thriving and pleasant
town OF 5000 people and has, they say,
the finest negro college in the State.
1t cost about 100000, and was built with
money of the Northern Pres
byterian church That is all right. I
reckon. The colored part of the South
Is good missionary ground, and il their