The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1900-08-04

The old Veterans Reunion and f1u-
dlers' Contest is a thing OF the past.
The day was a record breaker for Gre
NADIA and one which we will all look
back to for long years TO come as one
OF pleasure and profit, notable among
the gatherings OF the disappearing
clans who fought under the stars and
bars.
Nature was In a generous mood and
with lavish hand scattered her sun
shine and cooling breezes, and from
early morn till dewey eve not a cloud
hecked the azure sky. Twas an ideal
summer day and the fates which deal
us out our weather have the sincere
thanks Of the Grenada people.
The incoming trains Wednesday
evening pore the vanguard Of the Wis
itors and they continued to pour In IN
til Thursday noon, at which hour there
were fully three thousand white peo-
Pile within the confines of Grenada. 1t
was as large a crowd as the city ever
entertained, and it was, besides, the
best natured, j%olliest and best behaved
crowd ever gathered together under
the shining sun on any part OF the
globe.
At eleven o'clock the court house
hall was crowded to ~suffocAtion, and
there were many hundreds still outside
clamoring for admission. Shortly
after the above named hour Judge
Roane assembled the platform, and in a
few fitting words introduced Hon. W.
S. Hill, Of Winona, who, In a'speech OF
forty minutes length, crowded much
brilliant oratory, sound sense, patriot
ism and wit. He portrayed the hero
ism OF the women OF the South who
fought not the lesser part OF the battle.
His speech was full OF historical events.
Judge ]. C. Longstreet was then In
troduced by Judge Roane, who paid
Grenada's ~favorite son a handsome and
we'll deserved compliment. Judge
| Longstreet was in one OF his happiest
moods. In words tuned by the feel
ings of a heart which beats in warmest
| sympathy with every cause the South
holds dear, he pronounced u glowing
tribute to the gallant Mississippians
who made up the 18th Mississippi
Regiment. He told anew the glorious
loyalty and devotion OF Walthall,
Statham, Farrell and other heroes
whose memories are enshrined, un-
dying and forever in the hearts Of our
people. He spoke Of the causes OF the
war and told why we will always be-
lieve that our cause was just
Hon. T. o. Sission, OF Winona, was
called to the stand by Judge Roane, and
made an able and enthusiastic speech
OF about ten minutes. A young man,
he revers the cause for which his
father fought, and every insult offered
to any Confederate soldier is to him Q
personal insult. This young lawyer il
more than passing eloquent and his
short talk captured the audience.
Calls we're made on the beloved ant
gallant Col. Jas. r. Binford. who re-
sponded in a brief but forcible and en-
thusiastic manner His remarks were
loudly applauded.
The crowd then adjourned for din
ner, which wss served in the cour
house yard, and when it is said tina
this vast gathering was fed to satiet.
it can be realized what Grenada ladie
can accomplish when they put on thei
aprons and go TO work. There wa
enough and to spare, and il any indi
vidual went away hungry it was hi
own fault, There was barbecued nut
ton, beef, pork, Brunswick stew, cak
and pies, bread, fried chicken and dell
cacies of every imaginable kind, an
: all this was served to everyone withou
money and without price. 1t was
tremendous undertaking, but 1t wa
: we'll performed.
a After the dinner was over the crow
r assembled in the hall once more 70
the grand event OF the day, the OF
Time Fiddlers' Contest. Mr.. job
e Collins, OF Coffeeville, acted as starte
and got the contestants, twelve 1
number, together, On an improvise
platform. The crowd was on the Vi
! toe Of expectancy when the combine
salvo OF the iddles broke out in th
we'll known strains OF "Arkansa
b Traveller" The people went will
Q with delight and every living sol
stood up in their seats and shouted
After a few numbers were played
10 was decided to adjourn the contest
lle the open air, and there with the COG
IS ing breezes gently stirring through II
long locks of the fddlers from the bac
r. woods, the battle OF the fiddle bo'
d was fought TO an exciting finish. Aft
1t the contest was ended some OF the
iddled on, and when the sun sank
s. its rest they were still iddling.
u The prizes were awarded as follow
Youngest fddlsr, Fred Daniels; be
fiddler, Raines Bankston; second be