The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1899-08-12
STATE CAPITAL NOTES.
ONLY FOURTEEN AT THE RE-UNIoNl
OF THE SURVIVORS or COMPANY b. II
First Regiment Mississippi Light
Artillery, on Friday July %.
Correspondence Gazette
Jackson. Miss, August 4,


ter to attend a reunion OF the sur
vivors of Company B, First Reg
inent Mississippi Light Artillery,
on Friday, July 2S, at the hos
pitable home of Comrade E. E.
Middleton, near Benton, twelve
miles east of Yazoo City. On
reaching Yazoo City we found
our good friend John g. Mcclure,
Of the Herald, and Mr.. Hirsh,
with a splendid team, which took
us to the Middleton home in about
two hours. We were cordially
greeted by our host and several
comrades of the long ago.
Company B was six-gun bat
terry, commanded by Capt. A. j.
Herrod. From first to last it had
nearly two hundred men on its
roll. Only fourteen were at the
reunion and there are only thir-
ty-two in the county.
Company /, commanded by
Capt. Robert Bowman, was also
from Yazoo county, and several
of the survivors were at the re-
union.
Company B was in the siege of
Port Hudson and Company | was
in the siege of Vicksburg.
Company B proposes to have
an annual reunion until all shall
pass over and ''rest under the
shade Of the trees" in the bivouac
of life eternal. Comrade Sway
zie will play the host next year.
The old town of Benton was
the former county seat OF Yazoo,
and here were held some of the
noted political meetings Of ante
bellum times. About twenty
years ago we attended the clos
ing exercises of a splendid school
there, of which Hon. E. N.7Thom-
as. now of Greenville, was the
young and talented principal.
DR.. j.. w. G. Smith, one OF Its
old landmarks, is still there,
practicing his profession.
We spent the day following in
YAZoo CITY,
And after close observation and
much inquiry, concluded that
Yazoo City is the brightest and
biggest city of its size in the
United States. 1t has a popula.
ton of at least 8, 500, splendid
public schools, new and handsome
churches, two of the best, and
best supported, newspapers in
the state, three banks, with am
pie capital, a new opera house.
the only public library in Mis-
sissippi, two oil mills, a NAM
moth compress, with storage Ca
paciry of 70, 600 bales, the best
graveled streets in the state, a
beautiful public park, electric
lights, waterworks (but not in
working order just now), and
many other things that enter in
to the makeup of one of the
most progressive and prosperous
cities of the south. And the Sc
cret of it is, that all pull together
on the "Yazoo plan.. There
are very few, if any, kickers. A
public Improvement once agreed
upon becomes at once reality.
An opera house was thought to
be a necessity. A stock compa-
ny was Immediately organized, /,
and the operahouse at Yazoo City
is the admiration of all who be-
hold it. 1t was opened on the
26th Of April last, the first enter
tainment netting about 5000. II
represents an investment of about
$50, 900, and while it may not
yield many cash dividends to the
stock holders it will attract to
that city the very best musical
and theatrical talent of the coun-
try The seating capacity is 800.
There are 400 lights, of which 180
are over the stage, and AZ foot
lights. A ladies parlor and spec
ial seats in the center of audito-
rum are up-to date features.
The colored people have separate
ticket office, and a separate space
in the galleries. The building
has fire. escapes. Show people
are enthusiastic ntheir praise oi
all the comforts and conveniences
provided for theirspecial benefit.
In connection with the opera
house is dance hall q by 81
feet The lower story of the
building is occupied by two stores
ana of them the hAndanuoat