The leader., 1900-04-25

I DwaonvfI1n ElNp,UIt
| W mona .....s... .s...'''''''' 90 ~.
/ u,ttIoshrrv 49, $50 800, O0t
| ls,erdeen 100, OOt
| Ys1ao Gi., .. 10000
| Grenada - 100, O0C
| Ierry .......... ...........''' 1890
| W ater Nalley ........ ...s..'. .vveo'Sos
/ Holly Springs .. w 1Uo,O0u
Total ........... 81. 500. o6C
There are em,TyoatIc movements with
| splendid chance OF success II energy IS
| put into the effort Al Enterprise, Column
bus, Crystal Springs, Vicksburg, Gloster'
making a grand total Of twcnty-fiv new
mills which have perfected and which
| may perfect organization in the near fu-
ture. and all together representing pos
slble capital OF approxlmatlng $3.OO,Wo;
which Is. indeed, 4 grand showing, and
the Picayune, as the promoter OF the
movement, Is Indeed gratifed at the
hattering reception OF It's campaign.
There are numerous other places where
such a movement could be inaugurated
to advantage, but that could De said Of
every town In Mississippi.
With the textile school a certainty, II
is only short time when each pound OF
Mississippi cotton manufactured on her
own soil will be worth So for 81 Of to-day.
With heart full of love for the people
or Mississippi these feeble lines are dedi-
catel TO those among whom | was born,
reared and educated
H. II. HARGROvE
COLONEL JAMES MADISON WESSON.
Any historical presentation of tine cot.
ton manufacturing Industry in Missis.
sippi would be totally Incomplete with.
out as much Of the life ana character
OF Colonel Ncsson as it is possible to
secure.
His death on the cath Of April 1899,
advanced ca ~ II "A
~ days, was a source of sincere regret
IN the hearts OF many MississippiduS.
His Masonic lodge at Wesson, which
was named after him, passed d series
Oh resolutions commemorative Of his
memory and life.
After he lost control OF the mills,
In 1871, he moved 10 jackson, where
he remained until 1877 and nnally re-
turned to WesSon In 1854, where he re-
manned until he died, in 1899
He was inferred in Jackson. His life
and career were historically written out
in 1855 by his daughter and published
IN the jackson Clarion. They Will be in
tereSting reading now to the many peo-
pie of Mississippi who knew him.
The article was as follows:
Colonel James Madison WessOn, the
founder OF the town of WessOn, and the
hrst man to turn spindle in the state
of Mississippi, was born in ROckingham
county, North Carolina, April IA, 1918.
His great-grandfather, Wesson, with two
brothers, emigrated from Wales to this
country when they were young men. one
of them settled in Rhode Island, and
the large number of mercantile and other
business signs, bearing the name of
NeSSon in that state, are evidences of
large descent. Another brother came
south, but all traces of him have been
lost. The third brother (great-grand-
father of Colonel WessonJ settled in
Virginia. from whence the descendants
have scattered all over the south and
west. Colone! NELSON'S father, Isaac
Wesson, married in Brunswick, Va, and
moved to Rockingham, \. c. He was a
frugal and Industrious man. Colonel
NELSON'S mother was a Miss Seward.
Her grandfather with one or two broth
ers came over from England about the
time the WeSSon brothers came to Amer
ica) and settled in New York. Very
understood that w. II. Seward, of New
York, was descendent of one OF the
brothers.
When j. NJ. WessOn was about s years
OF age he attended an old field school
for few months in each year for sew
the farm. His father was man of
rather mcagcr education, though well
Informed, subscribed for the Raleigh
Register and other papers of that time;
Webster school. Under his teachings his
son acquired a very good knowledge of
the primary branches of education.
This remarkable man commenced his
career before he had attained the age
of 10. At the time he left the paternal
roof to battle with the rugged realities
of life he had not a dollar in his pocket.
His worldly goods consisted of a horse
which his father had given him, and
saddle and bride which he himself had
purchased with the money he mad real
lied from a small tobacco crop cultivated
a
minor and without money, still his faith
ers reputation for honor and honesty
enabled him 10 buy n quantity of to-
bacco and have it manufactured On a
credit. Having shipped his tobacco to
Columbus, Ga, he bought horses rnd a
wagon aud started to Columbus TO drum
for himself, and had his tobacco dis
trihuted by cotton wagons. The first
year he realized about $1,000, but lost
1t by the failure Of merchant to whom
he had sold his horses, wagon and rem
nant of tobacco. At Columbus he en-
gagged in merchandising, thus realizing
the fond dreams of his boyhood. At the
end of two years there were 5000 Oh
the books to his credit. He continued
to prosper from this time until the
civil war. He spent the greater portion
of his time out of business hours In
reading (medicine among other things
and studying. These studies were car
ried on under the supervision of Drs.
Holt and Persons. When he was %
years of age he married Mrs. Hardy, of
Summervile. Owing to the change from
country to city life, he became dyspep
tic, and in order 10 regain his health he
PRESIDENT In Columbus, in 1917, to mi
crate TO Mississippi and build cotton
and wool factory. Before locating he Wis
tied this state, making extensive exam
vantages and finally located in Choctaw
county at equal distances from the
nayigable waters of the Tombigbee and
Yazoo. He arrived in Choctaw county
on the nth of the month, and setting
upon McCurtin's creek, called his home
Bankston, which very soon became a
place of note. He built a saw mill Gn
order to saw lumber. for the factory
and operative house,, in the meantime
sending competent men zen TO oot tne east bc 10
had to be shipped by the Yazoo river
TO Greenwood and be hauled from there,
q distance of siXty-hve miles. Nine nilles
of that being through the 1azoo swamp;
up his heavy machlnery-his boiler
weighed $500 pounds. In 1S4S he started
the first spindle and spun the hrst yarn
that was ever made In MISSISSIPPI ny
steam or water power. The same year,
In connection with the factory, he built
a -four mill, which was doubtless the
first in the state. The first year he
ground only four bushels Of wheat; the
second he ground very little more, the
H Eaeat f hsstns on ' the 18th and 18th q
May, but having introduced new yari,
cites, in three years the success In
wheat growing In that section OF me
country was so great that at one time
he had 1000 bushels of wheat in the
mill and forty wagon loads in the yard,
thus proving the soil of Mississippi to
be adapted to extensive wheat growing
as we'll as cotton. He also put IN oper
stion a custom wool card and encour
aged the farmers to raise sheep; wrote
seyeraI articles on the treatment OF