The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1900-10-03
BROOKHAVEN
As Seen by a New Orleans Pic
ayune Correspondent.
Fortunate in Possessing Citizens
Patriotic for Progress.

A Thriving and Enterprising City, Dis
tinguished for Her Commercial Pro-
gress and Interest in Education.
Brookhaven is the county seat of
Lincoln county. 1t is 100 miles north
of New Orleans, on the Illinois Cen
trail Railroad, and is fifty-six miles
south of Jackson, Miss. Brookhaven
was founded in the year 1857, and is
situated in the center of prosperous
farming and timber section of the
state, and is making the most of her
opportunities.
The town is fortunate in having
men who take interest in everything
that tends to build up and advance
the material interest of this section.
These public-spirited citizens have or
ganized social club, known as the
Cherokee Club, and at present the
membership is about 125. While this
organization was started for social
purposes only, some of the fars seeing
members realized what great amount
of good could be accomplished if the
club would devote some of its time to
promoting the welfare of Brookhaven
and the surrounding section. So a
committee consisting of the progres-
sive members of the club was selected,
whose duty it is to attend to all mat
ters that will in the slightest degree
benefit this town. This committee is
organized on lines similar to boards of
trade, and have done good work.
Much of the substantial progress of
Brookhaven is due to the efforts of
this committee, and this but points
the way for other towns to follow.
There are about fifty stores here,
including general merchandise, drug
stores and grocery stores, and many
of them are very large and commodi-
Gus, well-filled with goods, and one
wholesale grocery store. 1t is not the
purpose of this correspondent to
specially mention one firm above
another, but to write about Brookha-
ven without mentioning the firm of
John McGrath & Sons would hardly
be fair. 1t is one of the largest con-
Germs of its kind in the state and does
tremendous business. This firm re-
ceives between 1000 and 5000 bales of
cotton annually and enjoys the conf
dence and trade of large number OF
customers.
The professions are well represent
ed, there being some eight physicians
and ten lawyers, many of whom are
the peers of any. The religious de-
nominations are we'll represented, all
of the congregations having nice
buildings. The Hebrews have a syn
agogue here and the attendance is
quite large. The secret societies are
also here in large numbers. 1t is
claimed that the Masonic Temple
here is one of the finest in the state.
There are two banks here, both doing
large volume of business, which is
constantly increasing. The citizens
are supplied with light and water from
an electric light plant and water
works owned by the city. They be-
lieve in municipal ownership to that
extent and have found that it works
satisfactorily. There is one foundry
and machine shop, three cotton gins,
one shingle mill, one sash and blind
and scroll factory, one brick yard, and
one large cotton compress. This COM
press does a great deal of business,
and is one of the fourishing enter
prizes of the town. There are three
hotels and several boarding houses.
Two newspapers keep the people post,
ed. THE LEADER, B. T. Hobbs, editor,
is meeting with the success it deserves.
The Times is eleven years old, and
is owned and edited by Messrs. w. S,
and l.. H. Bowen, who have achieved
we'll earned success. Both of these
| Journals have done much to advance
the material welfare of the town.
Brookhaven has been known for
for years for its interest in educati ional
matters. Here is located the re-
nowned whitworth College for young
ladies, which has in years past gradu-
ated so many ladies who today stand
first in the southern country. al
though this is an old institution, il