The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1899-11-23
ARP AT MERIDIAN.
TALKS vITH A NORTHERN sAs
But DIFFERS With him Abost Neat
Pre>idestiai EieSuoS The STAR
That DSda'e Fall.


dropped down from CAat;anooea 60
Meridian ii 4. over go miles. but u
seemed like . dropplax down. for the
fast train on the Alabama oEoA; I
Southern carried ne there IN lcss tam
eight hours while I slept, Beautiful y
cars AMI smooth track made the trip /
pleasant TO cyen veteran. lad
some latterins calls 20 the cotton srli I
OF Alabama and Mississippi. lra ~
;ae larder was low and the family T.
purse looked like an elephant hsi /
trod on IL. and taxes were 10 pay and /
coal 10 buy. and my female folks we're
In neec of winter garments. my wife
said I had better 60. Tha; settled 4.
a'ot here ! am in Meridian. Many
years have PASSED since ] visited this
growing city and hardly recognise
IL II has since grown from 500 10 Is
900 people. and ROW pats o. metro
poiitan airs. for IL iz the larges, icwn
in Mississippi. IL used 10 be a dirry
place. and Was dug out for saloons
and dlsrepuisble quarters. sir years
ago there wa 4 great awakening and
the saloons were abolished ss,d tpany
Of those who supported them left for
f-~'Ns Z EsNA =
the streets Is was predicted. bot ID.
town took on new life. Mr. Dial vas
elected mayor on Temperance pr.nc!-
pies and system OF public works Vac
at once inaugurated. Since then f.y
miles OF sewerage has been laid and
thirty miles In Sidewalk paved and
t"eive blocks Of streets graded aae
paved with vi;rlied brick and rs many
more with ebert. Two cotton mile
and an oil mill ani a fertilizer factory
and splendid system Of water works
have been established. Siz large build
ings for the public schools have beea
erected. Two female colleges have
been planted there. The now city aas
gas works and street ears. and new
residences with handsome architect
ure are In sight on all the high ian's
that environ the city. ] never kn.w
before that there was n hlll within
miles OF Meridian. but there are not
only hills. but 4 mile or two south
there are mountain ridges like those
In upper Georgia. and from these cone
the gushing springs that supply the
city with the purest Of water. There
Is no better kept hotel than the South
ern-good fare. good beds. good ss-v-
Ice OF every kind-and what Is best CT
all TO me the people gave me a sood
audience. ali select. especially the eight
college girls who came arrayed In col
lege uniform. ! saw more c.ttcn yes
terday than I ever saw before at one
time and place. Meridian oompresscs
and markets 10000 bsics. and half OF
II IL there now In the warehouses and
outside. Much Of IL has been sold. bu.
can not be moved for lack of cars.
Cotton Is still king.
While at breakfast this morning ;go
northern men took se.ts AZ the same
table and one remarked: This town
IL on a boom. They are building all
ever It." Yes" said the other. "tbs
whole south Is on the upgrade. and !,
II keeps ON bryan won't carry q singl,
southern State" Well. they were fD1
Mckinley. Of course. but they viii
know by waiting. A norther. ma
who has never been south finds Inncl
to interest and astonish him. No
long ago Mayor Dial took one owe
the city and asked him what he woalS
like to see specially. lie replied tia
he would like very much to see wher'
the negroes lived and how they lived
So the mayor drove up TO negro town
where he saw numerous women anl
children and heard them laughing an,
talking me-Iiy. What are the,
laughing att" he inquired. Il diden
know they ever laughed Why.
said Mr.. Dial. they laugh ali the es,
long: they laugh at anything" Us
poss.ble," exclaimed the Yapkee
Suppose We stop and ask them wha
they are laughing about, Ny cu.icsi
ty Is greatly excited" So the mayo
stopped. and calling one of the womel
whom he knew TO the gate. said
Hannah. this gentleman In from IN
/. north-up In Gods country-and say
/ he dddent know that the negroes dow
. here ever laughed. and he wants
, know what you were all laughan
, about - We drove up" This. G
course. provoked another spell and q
, they got out Of them was that Jim
. axed Mandy which was de most alik'
|. q 'pusum or q coon? The strange
was profoundly impressed. and mad
note in his memorandum book.
Well, I have been impasiently wal
ing on the stars, but DO not beliey
that this IL the year for the meterrs-
: my books do not say 80. Humooit
a IL pretty high authority. and 90
Appleton's cyclopedis, and both a
70 the periodic interval 10 thirty-foe
p yeaV instead Of thirtythree. The
, fell in 1893 and In 1881 and o partia
display In 1867. and SO they viii NJ
: come again until iSoi-yer att
o next. Aad the anniversary was IT
4 and 18th. November. which has q
. ready passed But we WIN know !
|. waiting another day whether Mr. AL
' more Is rlgh: o. Humboldt ] remcn
Der we'll the fall In 1888 and voul
y like 70 see another before die. and
y wieh my wife and children 70 ZEE on
Il Ia a grand and solemn ag6G-bs
| Axn fn Atlanta Constisutjoo.