The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-29

dropping down, for the fast train on
the Alabama Great Southern carried
me there in less than eight hours while
I slept. Beautiful cars and smooth
road made the trip pleasure, even to
a veteran. had some hattering calls
to the cotton belt of Alabama and
Mississippi, and as the larder was
low and the family purse looked like
an elephant had trod on it, and the
taxes were to pay and coal to buy, and
my female folks were in need Of win
ter garments, my wife said [ had bet
ter go. That settled it, and here am
in Meridian. Many years have pass
ed since visited this growing city,
and I hardly recognized it. 1t has
since grown from 500 to $4,000 people
and now puts on metropolitan airs, for
it is the largest town in Mississippi.
It used to be dirty place, and was
dug-out for saloons and disreputable
quarters. Six years ago there was
great awakening, and the saloons were
abolished, and many Of those who
supported them left for parts un-
known. Grass dident grow in the
streets as was predicted, but the town
took on new life. Mr.. Dial was elect
ed mayor on temperance principle and
a asystem Of public works was at oncei in
augurated. Since then fifty miles of
sewerage has been laid and thirty miles
of sidewalk paved and twelve blocks
Of streets paved with vitri6ed brick
and as many more with ebert. Two
cotton mills and an oil mill and fer
tilizer factory and a splendid system
Of waterworks have been established.
Six large buildings for the public
schools have been erected. Two fe-
male colleges have been planted there.
The new city has gasworks and street
cars, and new residences with hand
some architecture are in sight on all
the high lands that environ the city.
I never knew before that there were
hills within miles Of Meridian, but
there are not only hills, but mile or
two south there are mountain ridges
like those in upper Georgia, and from
these come the gushing springs that
supply the city with the purest water.
There is no better kept hotel than the
Southern-good fare, good beds, good
service of every kind-and what was
best Of all to me the people gave me q
good audience, all select, especially
the eighty college girls who came ar
rayed in college uniform. I saw more
cotton yesterday than ever saw be-
fore at one time and place. Meridian
compresses and markets 40, ,0W bales,
and half of it is there now in the
warehouses and outside. Much Of it
has been sold, but cannot be moved
for lack Of cars. Cotton is still the
king.
While at breakfast this morning
two northern men took seats at the
same, table, and one remarked: ''This
town is OF boom. They are build
ing all over it. eyes, said the
other, the whole South is on the up
grade, and if it keeps on Bryan won't
carry single Southern State. ;" Well,
they were for Mckinley, Of course,
but they will know by waiting. A
Northern man who has never been
South finds much to interest and as
tonish him. Not long ago Mayor Dial
took one over the city and asked him
what he would like to see specially.
He replied that he would like very
much to see where the negroes lived
and how they lived. So the mayor
drove up to negro town, where he saw
numerous women and children, and
heard them laughing and talking mer-
rily. "What are they laughing at?'
he inquired. ~ dident know they
ever laughed why said Mr..
Dial. "they laugh all the day long;
they laugh at anything us it pos
sible?" exclaimed che Yankee. "Sup-
pose we stop and ask them what they
are laughing about? My curiosity is
greatly excited So the mayor stop
ped, and calling one Of the women
whom he knew to the gate, said:
Hannah, this gentleman is from the
North-up in Gods country-and
says that he dident know that the ne
groes down here ever laughed, and he
wants to know what you were all
laughing about when we drove up.
This, of course, provoked another
spell and all they got out Of them was
that "Jinny axed Mandy which was de
most alike, possum or a coon?" The
stranger was profoundly impressed,
and made a note in his memorandum