Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-05-25
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS.
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
By J. L. POWER.
"Represetning Nothing on Gods Esrth
Now"
By J. L. POWER,


"Represetning Nothing on Gods Earth
Now"
The lines written on the back OF
Confederate note by Maj. s. A. Jonas
editor Of the Aberdeen Examiner, have
been frequently claimed by, or cred
tied to, others. Our readers will be
interested in knowing the circumstance
that inspired them. We felt 1t our
duty some years ago to settle the au-
thorship of THE Bonnie Blue Flag,
and it is even a greater pleasure 10
sidetrack the plagiarists who would
rob the real author Of the credit due
him.
Immediately after Johnson's surren-
der at High Point, N. c., numher OF
Confederate officers obtained transpor-
tation to Richmond, Va, where they
awaited means to return to their homes.
Several we're quartered at the Powhat-
tan Hotel, the guests Of it's kind pro-
prietor. A Philadelphia comedy com
pany was staying there, and one OF the
LADY, performers-Mis Annie Ruch--
requested that they would all furnish
her with their autographs. 1t so hap
pened that among the spoils OF the
Confederacy floating around at that
time through the town were many S5oO
bills incomplete-tha is, the reverse
sides or backs had not been printed
and Miss Ruch presented each OF the
party with one of those bills upon
which to write. They complied with
her request, each writing compliment
or a sentiment, that of Maj. Jonas be-
ing the lines in question.
The original copy on the note fell into
the hands of the editor of the Metro
politan Record, of New York, who
published it under the heading Some
thing Too Good to Be Lost" and this
was its first appearance in print, The
first person. except the author, who
ever read it was Capt A. b. Shell, OF
Louisville, who was one OF the party
at the Powhattan Hotel. He was the
commander of Cleburne's Sharpshoot-
ers. His criticism was invited and
passed upon the lines before they were
copied on the note,
LINES ON THE BACK OF A CONFEDERATE
BILI.
Representing nothing on Gods earth now,
And naught In the waters below it,
As the pledge Of a nation that's dead and gone,
Keep H. dear friend, and show it.
SHOW 1t to those VINO will lena an ear
To the tale that this trihs can tell,
or liberty born of the patriots dream,
OF a storm Graded nation that fell.
Too poor to possess the precious ores.
And too much OF stranger to borrow,
We issued today our promise TO pay,
And hoped to redeem on tomorrow
The days rolled By and the weeks became years,
But our Golfers were empty still;
Coin was so rare that the treasury'd quake
If dollar should drop In the till.
But the faith that was in us was strong indeed,
And orr poverty well we dlScerned.
And b''little check represented the pay
rhat our suffering veterans earned.
We knew 1t had hardly value in gold
Yet as gold each soldier received 1t;
II gazed in Onr eyes with promise TO pay,
And each Southern patriot believed it.
But our boys thought little OF price or pay,
Or Of bills that were overdue;
We knew II it bought US our bread today
Twas the best our poor country could do.
| Keep II ; II tells all our history over,
| From the birth OF the dream TO Its last;
Modest, and born OF the angel Hope,
Like our hope Of success, at passed"
The good old counties of Rankin and
Wayne are at present engaged in a
new-fangled educational contest under
the management Of the county super
intendents The contest" is between
the colored applicants for teachers IL
censes, and up to date has developed
some rich, rare and racy answers to
examination questions.
An extended list of these replies
would doubtless surprise (if not en-
| hghten) some people, but we have
room for only one or two samples of
the truly original style of education
prevailing among certain would-be
teachers in the Wayne and Rankin
county colored schools,
In answer to the question, "Who are
the Mormons?" this reply from one of
Rankin's female applicants came forth:
''They are peculiar sex OF people that
lives in Utah. They believes
in pluraitys of wives, and thinks old
maids don't have no souls Another,
in summing up THE Eastern Situa-
tion," opened up her fire of cloquence
with the statement, ain (490) the
Spanards found so acres of land, and
concluded with sentence which defes
all the ancient laws of grammar and
the modern rules of higher English. 1t
reads, "They tthe Americans has been
incurated very motionable." :"
Wayne comes to the front with a star
performer, whose dissertation on Phys
les" would be a revelation to all the
medical examining boards in the land.
"The liver should not be crowded
when it is it drops down low and
causes diseases"
"Lymph is an inflammation of the
trunk"
"Bils is Diseases that effects the liver
and causes sickness at the stomach"
Evidently the writer meant to say
bile" but "bilWs" goes in this case.
1t is plain there is yet work to be
done in these and other counties in
certain directions.
Yazoo goes on steadily with the work
of raising money for her cotton mill.
She has s7O,0OJ00 now. Six thousand
of this was subscribed during the last
fortnight. Yazoo City is substantial,
growing city, and its people have much
reason for the intense local pride that
animates them all alike. We rejoice at
every evidence of her growth.
Mississippi has 4, 1876 Federal pension.
ers, most of whom are negroes, and, so
says the Vicksburg Herald, (and il
knows) most of this grand army of
dnsky pensioners were recruited along
the river after Vicksburg fell,
A shipment of more than common in.
terest was started within the fortnight,
from r. w. Hinton & Co., at Lumber