The leader., 1901-02-20
ON THE WING.

We have Just returned from atwenty
days trip through Pike, Marion and
the eastern portion of Covingtou coun-
ties. We cannot mention everything
we saw and heard en- route. We find
the farmers in the flooded districts
made short corn crops, and when far
mer is short of corn he is short of ev-
erything except children. Notwith-
standing the disasters of 1900 they are
buckling on their armor, turning their
faces heroically to the future and
planning for heavy cotton crop, and
IL successful in their undertaking they
may hear something "drap" next fall.
We had the pleasure of meeting
many relatives, old friends and war
comrades en- route. What privilege
to meet with those battle SCARED he
roes and talk of the doings of the six
ties. We were pleased to visit old Eb-
enezer church where our grandparents
worshipped in the years agone. TWAS
near this old church where we discov-
cred America "a years ago. We rode
behind our mother TO this church
when we we're some smaller than we
are at this writing, for we have ex-
banded to some extent during our
stay in this mortal vale. Brother l..
d. Posey, formerly of this county, is
the honored pastor of this old historic
church and three others, towit: Prime
Springs, Society Hill and Antioch.
We we're loath to give up Bro. Posey
from these parts, but were pleased to
find him so happily situated in bis new
field. We visited his home and found
him comfortably fixed. His family
seem contented in this new home, pro-
vided by the brotherhood. Miss IONA
Scarborough, an estimable young lady,
who made her home with Bro. Posey
and family while in Lincoln county, is
still with them and happy. Miss Zona
is a distant relative of ours, but we
have never heard of her Boosting of
the fact.
We spent two days in the thriving
little city of Columbia. Circuit court
was in session and we saw people from
all quarters. During our stay in Co
lumbia we broke whole lot of bread
with Jim Tyler and his better half,
but Jim says she and the baby are
more than two-thirds of the whole ar
rangement. Jim is an expert in hand
ling Uncle Sans business as postmas-
ter and says the work is increasing
rapidly every day.
By the way, Columbia has stepped
out of short dresses and is now putting
on city airs. A branch of the G. &. S.
/. Railroad runs through the town a
little way up the river to the Colum-
bia Oil Mills. We were informed that
great excitement prevailed when the
first train pulled in. However, we
learned that it was false report about
the editor of the Pearl River News Of
fering to furnish plenty of hay, shucks,
ETC., with which to feed the locomotive
if the engineer would agree to spend
the night in their city, for the poor
thing was tired and needed rest. No,
"Steve" denies "the allegation and de-
fies the alligator" Had he not been a
member of the church he would have
delivered few "facts," as Fairman
said when he cursed the mule.
People are moving to Columbia from
all points of the compass. Hitherto
all branches of business were run by
home capital, but we were informed
that firm from Hattiesburg turning
two hundred thousand dollar wheel
would soon be in to push the mercan-
tile business with a vim. With the
rapid increase of population and the in
coming of new capital, we predict that
at no distant day there will be a large
cotton factory in operation at Colum-
bia, which was once the capital of our
State. J. A. S.