The Grenada sentinel., 1899-08-12
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS
RvI l. POWER
BY ]. L. POWER.

Is By ]. /.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Notes Of Two Days Outing,
It was the privilege of this writer to
attend . reunion Of the survivors Of
Company B, First Regiment Mississippi
Light Artillery, on Friday, July 20, at
the hospitsble home of Comrade f. Z.
Middleton, near Benton, twelve miles
east of Yazoo City. On reaching Yazoo
City we found our good friend John G.
MCGUIRE. Of the Herald, and Mr.. Hirsh,
with . splendid team, which took us to
the Middleton home In about two hours.
We were cordially greeted bv our host
and several comrades of'the long ago.
Company B was a six-gun battery,
commanded BY Capt. A. ]. Herrod.
From first to last it had nearly two
hundred men on its roll. Only four.
teen were at the reunion, and there are
only thirty-two in the county.
Company I, commanded by Capt.
Robert Bowman, was also from Yazoo
county, and several Of the survivors
were at the reunion.
Company b was in the siege Of Port
Hudson and Company was in the siege
of Vicksburg.
Company B proposes to have an an
nual reunion until all shall pass over
and ''rest under the shade of the trees
in the bivouac Of life eternal. Comrade
Swayzie 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 q splendid school there,
of which Hon. E. N. Thomas, now Of
Greenville, was the young and talented
principal. DR.. J. w. G. Smith, one of
its old landmarks, is still there, prac-
ticing 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
population of at least $500, splendid
public schools, new and handsome
churches, two Of the best, and best sup
ported, newspapers in the State, three
banks, with ample capital, a new opera
house, the only public library in Missis-
sippi. two oil mills, q mammoth COM
press, with storage capacity of $4,000
bales, the best constructed and best
graveled streets in the State, beauti.
ful public park, electric lights, water.
works (but not in working order just
now, and many other things that enter
into the makeup of one Of the most
progressive and prosperous cities OF the
South. And the secret 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 necessity. A
stock company was immediately organ
lied, and the operahousc at Yazoo City
is the admiration Of all who behold it.
1t was opened on the Goth Of April last,
the first entertainment netting about
5000. 1t represents m investment of
about sS0,o0O, 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 country. The seating capacity
is 800. There are 400 lights, of which
$50 are over the stage, and ~ footlights.
A ladies parlor and special seats in the
center of auditorium are up-to-date
features. The colored people have
separate approaches to separate ticket
Office, and separate space in the gal.
leries. The building has 1ire.escapes.
Show people nre enthusiastic in their
praise of all the comforts and con.
veniences provided for their special
benefit.
In connection with the operahouse is
q dance hall 81 by IS feet. The lower
story of the building is occupied by
two stores-one Of them the hand
soonest grocery store in the State. All
the hardwood finishing of the opera.
house and stores is from the Novelty
Machine Works Of Yazoo City. To Mr..
John Lear, president and general man.
ager of the operahouse company, we
are indebted for many courtesies.
Altogether the handsomest hardware
store in the State is that OF the Craue-
ninman Company. There may be one
other that carries larger stock, that
of Lee Richardson, Vicksburg. ~.
There two immense cotton oil mills
in Yazoo City. The "Mississippi" is
one Of ten mills Of one company. It.
operates 6x months in the year, crushes
1876 tons Of seed every "a hours, employs
1s5 men, and has . weekly payroll OF
about $500. Its product Is crude oil,
cake and meal. Its Rinnery connection
has eight stands, ginning rs bales .
day. This mill was established 1877.
Our good friend, E. Schaefer, Is gen.