The leader., 1899-08-09

were held some of the noted political
meetings of ante-bellum times. About
twenty years ago we attended the clos
ing exercises of splendid school there,
of which Hon. f. y. Thomas, now of
Grcenville, was the young and talented
principal. DR.. j. W. {. 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, new opera
house, the only pablo library in Missis-
sippi two oil mills. a mammoth com
press, with storage capacity of $4,000
bales, tie best constructed and best
gravclcd streets in the State, beauti-
fui 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 "Iazoo plan.
There are very few, If any. kickers. \
public improvement once agreed upon
becomes at once a reality. IN opera
house was thought to be a necessity. \
stock company was Immediately organ
lied. and the operahouse at lazoo City
is the admiration of all who behold 1t.
1t was opened on the Goth of April la st,
the first entertainment netting about
5000. 1t represents an investment OF
about S3G 900, and while it may not
weld 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 500. There are 400 lights, of which
$50 are over the stage. and II 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
lerics. The building has fire-escapes.
Show people are enthusiastic in their
praise of all the comforts and con
venicnces provided for their special
benefit.
In connection with the operahouse is
a dance hall 21 by - feet. The lower
story of the building is occupied by
two stores-Onc of them the hand
soonest grocery store in the State. All
the hard wood finishing of the opera
house and stores is from the Novelty
Machine Works of IazOo City. To Mr..
John Lear, president and general man
ager of the operahouse company, we
are indebted for many courtcsies.
Altogether the handsomest hardware
store in the State is that of the Crane
ninman Company. There may be one
other that carries larger stock, that
of Lee Richardson. Nicksburg.
There two immense cotton oil mills
in Yazoo City. The "Mississippi'' is
one of ten mills of one company. 1t
operates &. months in the year, brushes
l35 tons of seed every "a hours, employs
l25 men, and has "A weekly payroll OF
about $500. Its product is crude oil,
cake and meal. Its ginnery connection
has eight stands, ginning Is bales a
dav. This mill was esta blished 1877.
Our good friend, f. Schaefer, is gen
eral manager.
The plantof the Producers Cotton Oil
Company is nearly equal in capacity.
Its main buildings are brick and its ma
chincry the very latest. The company
was organized in 1898. The plant cost
CarlcSs engine runs as smooth as a
watch Its principal shed for the stor.
age of seed from the trains is 5Ox35C
feet: and in the rail 10 I'd traci running
through its yards we recogn led some
of the rails of the late street railway in
Jackson. Our old-time friend, j. C.
Henderson, Is secretary of the company.
We had heard much of
IINToNIA,
And thanks to the courtesy of Messrs
Lear & Pepper, we were able to see TO,
| ourselves this extensive suburban ad
dition. Until 1890 this tract of 3 ,15(
acres was known p, the Willis planta
ton. 1t, last cotton crop was made
that year. A company bought the land
| for so, 600, laid it off in lots of from
one half to twenty acres, and have since
realized many times the original in
vestment. The handsomest residences OF
the city are being erected in Lintonia
a wide grlveled avenue runs through
the center for the distance of two
miles. The Illinois Central recently
purchased sixty acres in Lintonia-
twenty acres along its track, and three
acres wide, at cost of IS, 900, and here
they will erect roundhouse and other
improvements necessitated by the ex
tension of the road to Memphis. Mr.
Pepper showed us one of his corr
patches in Lintonia-forty acres
planted the I'D of May-the Mosby
Prolific-that will yield rs bushels tC
the acre The seed came from the A
& NJ. College. We took many notes Of
Mr. Peppers success in extensive farm
ing. but cannot trespass further or
limited space. Lintonia can easily ac
commodate "a population of ten thou
sand, and in ten years it will approach
that number.
Want of time prevented our calling
upon the county officials. We wer,
pleased TO learn that Mr.. 5. S. Griffin
who has been chancery clerk for twenty
years. viii be his own successor b,