davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

Col. NJ. u. L.. stephens writes as fol-
lows To the editor OF this department:
u sea in your list of Mississippi generals
IN the civil war that You omit the name of
General John c. Fizer, who was made a
brisadier-general before the close OF the
war, lie was lieutenant-colonel OF the Sew
e~nteenth Mississippi under Colonel Holder.
He lost an arm at Knoxville.
II am SO much pleased and interested in
your notes of the war, and its actors, / in
slst that you shall write a history of the
part taken by our State in the great con
hict, have in mind the doings of the Sew
enteenth Mississippi the first year, and the
THIRTY first Mississippi for the three last
years We should prepare and preserve
as far as possible a history of our State in
the great struggle. All the actors will soon
be gone and many records and incidents
will be forever lost
The list of Field Officers of the Con-
federate States Army compiled by the
war records office al Washington places
u. c. Fizer' as lieutenant-colonel of the
Seventeenth Mississippi. We have no
doubt Colonel Stephens is correct as to
his promotion. A good many promo
tions were made in the last few months
of the war, and officers had verbal no.
tice thereof, but did not receive their
commissions, and if their commissions
We're recorded at Richmond, the record
may not have been among the captured
archives.
We hope Colonel Stephens will write
up sketches of the Seventeenth and
Th.rty-tirst regiments; and W. suggest
that all survivors of Mississippi com
mands write up their recollections, Civ
ing such incidents of Confederate army
life as will set forth the valor and the
hardships of the Confederate soldier.
This would be appropriate work for the
Confederate camps. Every county
should have some organization for the
collection of this data. Adams county
has published a pamphlet giving the
name of every soldier that enlisted from
that county. At Liberty, Amite county,
there is a monument on which is en-
graved the name of every soldier from
Amite who was killed in battle, and in
the c%hancery clerks office there is a
complete roll of every company. We
have in our possession the rolls of forty
companies of the three Mississippi
brigadesin Virginia, giving the military
history Of every mar from 1861 to March
l, 1869; SO that sufficient data has al
ready been collected and preserved to
encourage an earnest and persistent
effort to accomplish what Colonel Ste
phens suggests. We will say this in re-
sponse to his suggestion, that we will
gladly be the custodian of all records
and sketches that may be prepared, and
later on will put them in shape for
preservation in the archives of the State
or for publication.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
FACTS OF HISTORY.
M~clNtuleS's statements Are ataNari
ancr with Matters of
Record

4 a b.. H-
ipfihe war MI Mehihi'N giving p"'u'
TO the cynical observation that HISTORY
is fiction agreed upon" ltis pota pleas
ant duty to correct Measurements of
facts made by the president ot the
United States, Ls!t when IA president
takes the stump he cannot object TO
that public criticism upon which the
people rely 10 separate trUth from er.
ror.
In his speech at Fargo, \. D., Mr.. Me.
KinIcy said: I'VE did not go to war
until every effort at peace was cX-
hausted.'
If true. this statement would Justify
the war. Unfortunately it is not true.
Did the president offer To the %FilipinOs.
our accepted allies at Manila, the terms
and conditions which congress imposed
upon the United States and held out to
the Cubans when ii set about freeing
Cuba? Did he assure the Filipinos
THAT the United States hereby disclaims
"us uiSposi''oh or Intention 10 'NervlSe
said issans exren, fo, thc pnctnc.tion
thereof, and asserts its determination when
that is completed to cave the government
Al '''i''o'o nv i'''"' w. p.'r,'
hoeS ans oo"s aouo' 'n"' II W. NV
'nn'.s h'' gwen 'n's W. !"
'''p'"oS H'''' '"e '"P'"'' VI ""','''
'HN'' "'''" ha'e wv" nv N"t, was
no' .i'S an ''oFt 'of peace "n''" '"v
P'.sr'''t was ~ o"'S "o""" w '"'N'
- ""'"'" CIV '"'' '7S"''", wv"
~ mere any Fe'So'' 70 "o"o, WAY J"
"o"'i Wv WV var i"' P''S'"'" ''h'
sen ""'h',S 'n"' 'he ''"u'' "' 'nr '''
l"lc'S says " INV 'N'"'''''n
S'''' n'''"'' '"u 'a" h"Nt Pg"''
you WIZ give us '~hu'l'eh"el'' N""l"
io' Sn'" d t~e'"t'u"''oh OF inc 'i""nl'
oe i'"'s honotapie ana just h'"l' /"
a~'co'""'''' WIN American PF'''''P'eS'
'""H '" N'"' an army Oh "D,''o ",'' 10
auoJusate " people VINO AMER al are
ON. iEhiihs LOT thelr lFeedoill us oui
torelathers did,
The cold truth is that. alike in his
,raola ,i.n,a naaaar.n -an, H. a.,
P'o'''"''''o' VI n'''"no'' - anu "
s"p>'q"'h' PROCLAMATION OF ms coh'-
h~''sS'olerS' 'ne p'es'oeh' oehna'o'" '''
uhconu''io"a' SURRENDER an" S""n''s'
S'n' o. ''le fi'lPihos 10 'he sovereign
y OF 'ne 'h''ea STATES Never one
eior' io' peace mas Ut h''a' pN "n'r-
ing 'ne'h even autonomy uho'r a pro
'et'o'"'e'
hu' MT. Mch'hlel S'fd 'ur'ner AZ
Fargo Inc 'nsu's'"' ''""'' maui al
a''aeh upon our lheh' ana 'hei ou'
ooss 'e' 'o'se'
IL 'hfs were 'rue IL "on'd Jns'l'S
sioo''hS p"ch' NO american worthy
the ha"1e would MS
VIEWS "' the 'ner''so l 'i'' maui question:
'ha' our Solu'eFs sho"'o not 'epel az
,heh' hu' tue oh'c'al record contra,
alcts 'ne president his " general
-'he one an" onlS '''s-,h MS "nicl"'
report OF 'he opening Oh host'i''ieS
aaia'
HIb IN1f ~ TfnR hGl M u
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

The Chicago Tribune has selected 81
States that 1t thinks will show increase
Of population over the census Of 1900
the total for 1890 being 56,219, 56S; the
estimate for 1900 being 71,5ls,oOO {. The
population Of Mississippi in 1899 was
1,2s9, 800. The Tribune's estimate for
1900 Is 1875, O00, or an increase Of 1885,
400. We think this estimate ia ex-
travagant. The increase. according TO
the ratio Of the preceding decade, will
not exceed $4,000, or : total of 1,l7o.
soe-certainly will not sxsssd i,soo,ooe
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
By J. L. POWER.


a caution to Mississippi So dirrs In tho
spanish-A rneriean War.
jackson, MISS. Oct. n, 1899.
! have reliable information that IA
a'ssal firm in Chicago are organizing a
tooi for the purpose of instituting pro-
ceedings against the State of Missis-
sippl for pay alleged to be due soldiers
recruited in that city for Mississippi
regiments for service in the Spanish
American war. They claim that a
bounty, amounting to about $50, is due
each man from the State of Mississippi.
ana are receiving power of attorney
ifom the men in order to bring proceed
ings against the State to compel pay
ment of this bounty. Incidentally
they are asking a fee of 50. 90 in advance
toward ~defraying expense of proceed
ings and . further payment Of $500
from any sum collected by them from
the State"
1t Is hoped that no Mississippian will
respond to this swindling scheme.
Whatever balance may be due those
who enlisted in the First, Second and
Third regiments will be paid without
The intervention OF claim agents. Con-
gress has agreed to give all regiments
IN service outside of the United States
W months extra pay, and regiments
not sent to Cuba and the Philippines,
one months extra pay. So that the
Mississippi regiments will get pay for
one extra month; the Fifth Immune,
two months.
Most of the States have paid their
men from the dates of their enlistment
to the date of their being mustered in
by the regular army officers. and the
general government has reimbursed
the States so doing. Had Mississippi
so done, the State would have been,
like the others, reimbursed. The
matter will be brought before the legis-
lature, and the legislature will doubt
less pay what may be due, or memorial
ize congress to foot the bill. The pay
rolls for the period indicated amount to
about $40, 900. The amount due each
officer and man has been carefully
stated by Col. Hamilton and Gen.
Henry.
1t may be six months before the Mis-
sissippi claims for extra months are
reached. There are about so, 900 claims
on file. Attorney w. T.. Mollison, of
Vicksburg, represents the general gov.
eminent as to these claims, which are
separate and distinct from those from
enlistment to muster. j. l.. POWER.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
yellow Pine In Mississippi.

y ARentleman in Louisville, KY, writes
ID that he is preparing q paper on the
sTimber Resources Of the South" and
- yellow pine il quite an important
factor, he wants to know about how
uuch Of the ares in Mississippi is in
tellow pine, and about how 1t runs to
tkA acre.
M have replied: The total acreage
/ lississippi Is so,l 49, $40. About one'
sAhfrd-cr 10, o50, $50 acres-is covered by
siSSIlow pine. This timber runs about
~ 70 the acre. 70 that Mississippi
soy9pe,ooo,oo0 feet OF yellow pine.
-. w. A. Ward and J. N. Cum
shavs besn appointed election
11221fIatpuess foe Clay county in place
E1anedy and MCGEE, resigned,
candidates for office.
&yVSSalcw fever having invaded the
1pttaty, the convicts were removed
Aetention camp northwest Of
Much ~ the sickness has
vicinity Of the prison, and
yine vegetation and defective
E11IlS possibly be due the pres
ne pen should b K.
EIf*r-ffa4IH El&4ttT NNf
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
Total. s2ss, 59I IS s156,7I7 IS s.

The appropriation for 1899 is SEQ, 900,
which, added to total in first column
above, makes the appropriation for the
twelve years, s3os, 59l.5 So. II the APP
preparation for 1899 is all expended the
total expenditures for the twelve years
will be Sl78, 7t7.56. This does not in
clude expenditures for printing sta
tionery and postage, which are paid out
Of other appropriations.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

Corporations of all kinds are created
IN Mississippi under chapter 25 an
notated code of 1892. They are first pub
lished three weeks, except that charters
for religious, educational, charitablea and
fraternal associations aye not required
to be published. Tas5ey are sent to the
governor, who refers them to the at
torney general, and after scrutiny of
both, are approved Or di%sapproved.
They are then sent to the office of the
secretary of State to be recorded, which
is done If the uniform fee of $500 has
been paid. This fee, like all other fees
paid State officers, goes to the treasury.
The secretary of State is now listing
for his biennial report the titles of all
charters granted in 1898 and 1899, and
will make a general summary of all
charters granted in the last four years,
classifying same, and giving the total
capital stock. The amount will run up
in the millions.
From July I to October 20, 1898, forty
five charters were recorded, and of
these twenty-nine were for business
purposes. Their aggregate capital
stock is S1,373, 900. Classified: Cotton
seed oil companies, 5; lumber com
panies, 4; mercantile, 4; banks, 5; cot.
ton mills, 2; cotton gins, 8; compress, 1;
I general manufacturing company, /;
stave manufacturing, /; stone company,
/; telephone and telegraph company, 1;
operahouse, /; round lap bale company l
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
MERE PARTY BRAG.
republicans Rejoicing over the
Effects Of the Magic Ding
ley Law.

The appearance Of the September
| statement Of our foreign by
the treasury department statistician is
made the occasion for another hnrrah
for the great advance agent OF prosper
ity and the party which furnishes forth
the show.
According to the statement the ex-
cess of exports over imports of mer-
| chandisc during the nine months end
ing September 10 was $3l7, 292 .402. This
is about SIG, 500, GOO less than the excess
of merchandise exports during the same
time last year. But the administration
economists hasten TO assure us that this
decrease in the favorable balance il not
due TO any falling off in merchandise
exports, which. in fact. have increased
S33, 100000, but to the increase in i'm
| ports, which amounts 10 sllO,3Gb,OO 600.
And curiousIy these economists pro-
fcss to be delighted al this proof that
thc Dinghy law has not decreased our
at this is n mystery, seeing that the
avowed purpose Of the Diuglry law was
| to exclude foreign goods. When boast
ing Of the miraculous efficacy Of the law
why should they also boast TINT il has
failed in the accomplishment Of It's chief
purpose?
The truth obviously is that the natu-
raj effect Of the law is to reduce imports.
and the fact that they have increased
only proves that the country IN It's rapid
recovery from panic depression takes
more foreign goods in spite Of duties
intended to be prohibitory.
The monthly hurrah over the com.
merce reports reminds u of the al.
most equally absurd hurrah over the
debt statements when Grant was presi.
dent. These statements showed a CON
siderable reduction of the debt nearly
every month, and the republican papers
and orators all held them aloft and
shouted: See what our president is do.
ing! How our administration is pay
in~gthedebt! The people who were earn
ing the money by hard days work were
given no credit; all the glory went to
the administration.
So now Mckinley and his magic tar.
in are given all the credit for short
crops in Europe and Asia and for the
rain and sunshine and labor which have
enabled us to supply the wants Of the
rest Of the world at good prices. In
deed, the men Of to-day are even more
absurd in their worship of parties and
| statutes than were the men of a quarter
of a century ago.-Chicago Chronicle.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

A correspondent writes: ''Will you
please publish a statement Of the
amounts appropriated for the State
Board of Health during the past ten or
twelve years, the amount expended
each year, and the total covered back
into the treasury for each year Here
II is:
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

The following is from the message of
Gov. John j. McRae to the legislature
in 1856:
I'm our State affairs / favor education.
internal improvements, moral reform, the
cultivation Of the mind and the develop.
ment of the soil OF the State, and all those
great interests connected with the advance
mont of science, Of learning, and agricul-
ture, which are the sources Of our wealth,
our knowledge and power"
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
President Mckinley, In his part

President Mckinley, in his part.
ing speech al Chicago had something
TO say about the ship building interests
Of the United States, and he said more
large ocean steamers are under con.
struction in the United States than ever
before" and he dwclt upon the fact that
ship plants are being enlarged and new
establishments are being projected.
Yet Hanna. backing a shipbuiIding
subsidy, will attempt TO force a scheme
through congress requiring Taxpayers
to 60 down in their pockets and pay in
the shape Of subsidies millions annual.
y to Hanna's shipping trust. The pres
ident and Senator Hanna failed to con,
fer before the Chicago speech.--Nash
vile Americas.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
Fumigsted Poll Books.

Deputy Circuit Clerk Brown was 70.
quested 10 have the poll books for the
FIRST district at Kinds county thor
oughly fumigated and at a certain
place, on q certain day, so they could
be conveyed to Raymond. He complied
with the request and inddrsed the pack.
age thus:
These books have been purged, fumi.
gated, disinfected, distntesrated, regener-
sted, and made Is pure aud free from faint
~ some Of the recently defeated candidates
for ofics In Kinds county. so don't b.
alfaids Y them
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
DISQUALIFIED Voters,

An election commissioner in one of
the southeastern counties writes that If
the law is rigidly enforced against de.
linquent taxpayers of that county no
election can be held there Nov. Z; that
upward of five hundred names have
been stricken from the poll books, and
this includes twelve candidates for
county offices, He thinks the law
should be construed to mean only those
who have not paid taxes at all, and not
those who failed to pay on or before
Feb. l. The secretary replied:
Section pa of the constitution declares
the qualifications Of voters. No one can
note who has not paid, ION or before the
first day Of February of the year in which
he shall offer to vote, all taxes which NAV
have been legally required of him for the
two preceding years, " etc. The poll books
should be purged OF all who fail to comply
with the requirements of this section.
1t is very true that 1.-The managers are
the judges of the qualifications of elect
ors," but they should be governed, as a
rule, by the revised poll books. II any
have been improperly erased, and can SO
satisfy the managers, they will DO permit
ted to vote. tSee section 3644.)
Commissioner and managers must chew
to the line, let the chips fall where they
may"
A strict observance of the law may
work a hardship to those who have no
money to pay taxes, or meet other
pressing demands, until they shear
their sheep or sell their turpentine, but
tax laws, like the dews of heaven.
descend on all alike If one, to be a
qualified ]elector, must pay on or before
Feb. l, SO must all the rest.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03
Jefferson Davis-His Humorous Sid.

An appeal to the humorous side of
Mr.. Davis nature was almost irresisti-
Bile, as instanced by the following note
received during one of the darkest and
most trying periods of the war:
DEAR Nh ~PREsIDENT-I want you to let
Jeems C., of Company Oneth, South Caro-
lima Regiment, come home and get married.
Jeems is willin', | is willin', his nanny
says she is willin', but Jeems' captain he
amt willin'. Now, when we are all willin'
cep'n Jeems' captain, | think you might let
up and let Jeems come. III make him 20
straight back when he's lone got married,
and fight just as hard as ever.
Your affectionate friend, -
Mr.. Davis wrote on the back of the
letter, Let Jeems go1' And thus a
CLEAN of happiness was shed on those
dark war clouds. Jeems returned
promptly to his command, and proved
that he was not less fierce in war be-
cause he was tender in his love for a
woman.- From Memoirs, by Mrs.
Davis.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

The writers of history or biography
who rely upon secondhand data or
dates, frequently make serious mistakes
which subsequent corrections seldom
overtake. This writer, in preparing a
roster of Mississippi governors, found
that considerable guesswork had
been INDUCED in. For instance,
the impression very generally OBJ
tanned that Gov. John j. McRae was
born in Wayne county, Mississippi, bit
a letter from his sister informed us that
he was born in Leedsborough, North
Carolina-the family coming to Missis-
sippi when he was two years old.
We copied into our roster a statement
that Ex-Gov. Henry s. Foote, died in
New Orleans, May 90, 1880, while in
Office as superintendent of United States
mint" A letter from an obliging Off
cial Of the mint, recently received, gives
the following:
~ find that Hon, H.. s. Foote qualified as
superintendent OF the United States mint
in this city December 20, 1878. He may
have been appointed sooner, but the pay
roll for December, 1873, shows that he was
paid for eleven days that month, while
Gov. Michael Hahn was paid for twenty
days for sarne month as superintendent.
Gov. Foote served as superintendent until
his death, May 10, 1880, in Nashville, Tenn.
The marder and cremation of the
Gambel family in Leake county was one
of the most atrocious and diabolical
crimes of the century. There must have
been several engaged in the hellish
work, but only one was captured-a
negro living in the neighborhood, and
he was tied to a tree and the fagots fred
by one OF his own race. He made a
confession, duplicating others, who
protested their innocence. One was
dismissed and the others are held for
developments. Mr.. Gambel was alb.
sent, but the idea got out that he had
a considerable SUN of money in the
house, and TO get this, it is thought,
was the main object Of the fiends, who
concluded that the destruction Of the
family was necessary to prevent de-
lection. The Vicksburg Herald takes
occasion to suggest that it is very un.
wise to keep money in the home,
especially where, as IN this case, the
family was left unprotected.
The Meridian Herald Industrial Edi.
ton is a credit to Mississippi journalism.
Unlike the special editions of some
journals that are gotten up ''for evenue
only" its illustrations and descriptive
matter give n . pretty correct idea
Of the progressive city that makes
such . publication possible.
The New Albany Gazette has BEEN
greatly enlarged and immensely i'm
proved in every respect. This speaks
we'll for Mr.. Blakeslee, and speaks bet
ter for the people, who appreciate his
pluck and progress.
Fumigsted Poll Books.
Deputy Circuit Clerk Brown was 70.
quested TO have the poll books for the
first district Of Kinds county thor
oughly fumigated and at a certain
place, on q certain day, 80 they could
be ~conveyedto Raymond. He complied
with the request and inddrsed the pack.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

notwithstanding the yellow fever In
jackson students continue to arrive at
Millsaps college. The enrolment to
date is about one hundred. Only three
have returned to their homes by re-
quest OF their parents. The professors
say that the college quarantine pro.
notes study no city distractions just
now interfering. Belhaven college
will not open until it is absolutely safe
for the young ladies to come-say
Nov. 8.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

The Meridian Herald Industrial Edi.
ton is a credit to Mississippi journalism.
Unlike the special editions of some
journals that are gotten up ''for event
only" its illustrations and descriptive
matter give n . pretty correct idea
Of the progressive city that makes
such . publication possible.
The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1899-11-03

The New Albany Gazette has been
greatly enlarged and immensely i'm
proved in every respect. This speaks
well for Mr.. Blakeslee, and speaks bet
ter for the people, who appreciate his
pluck and progress.
The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-14
TO CIVILIZE LUZON.
Plan to Garry Modern improvements
to the PHILIPPINES.

New York, March IA 10000, 900
syndicate to develop the Philippines is
the latest scheme in which New York
ers are interested. If plans laid out by
Edward c. Andre, Belgian consul gen.
eral at Manila, are carried through, the
Filipinos will soon hear the Shrek Of
the American locomotive through their
native jungles and the noise of Ameri-
can thrashing machines and other Ia
Dor machinery.
NJ. Andre has been BeIgian's repre-
sentative in Manila for II years. He ar
rived in New York last Thursday, and
as at the Marlborough hotel. He is ne
gOtiating for the services of Frederick
E. Foster of St. Paul, the foremost au-
thority on Philippine matters in this
country, to take executive charge of the
new syndicate.
Mr.. Foster represented the Pacific
Mail Steamship company at Manila for
20 years.
THE Philippines are no place. said
NJ. Andre, for men of little or no cap
ital. But for a big syndicate there is
much money to be made. We propose to
build a railway in Luzon 1900 miles
long at $4,000 a mile. The northern
part of Luzon is extremely fertile and
much money can be made there.
1T would be possible for an energetic
American with $4,000 to cultivate 200
acres of land.
'He could live for s25 a month with
his family. A house of bamboo would
cost but $40. Bananas. game, rice, all
are cheap.
"A tobacco plantation would begin to
pay in seven months, and coffee plan
tation in three years.
1.-The tobacco would pay so per cent a
year on the investment, and the coffee
100 per cent A rice plantation would
pay in three months, but the profits are
not so large"
M. Andre was full of the possibilities
of the country there and expects short
ly to get the capital to begin the ven
ture He promises health to all the
Americans who accompany him there
that is, if they do as he says in the way
of dressing and eating.