The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-12-21

MISSISSIPPI
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
By KATE MARKHAM POWER.

Now that all the States and all the
counties are clamoring for rural free
delivery, and honestly believe that
they can no longer exist without the
postman's daily visit. the oldest in
habitants find fruitful themes for
"reminiscences" One of these aged ones,
whose years draw near the century
mark, has Just showed the writer a
letter yellow and brittle from its long
life, shut in meath the lid of the old
COW skin trunk, studded with brass
nails (the loving handiwork of her
father, who was n of the pioneers,
many of whose days were spent fight
ing redskins and nights other n
scarce wilder creatures of the forest).
This letter, written in an eXquisiteiy
fine hand, contains, in the three closely
written sheets of foolscap, as much
news from home as scores of today's
letters would convey. There is no
waste of words. In those days CORE
spondents had to weigh their words
| almost, for the benefit Of Uncle Sam.
The old lady told us-the while her
dim eyes DINNER grew with tears and
memories of Aud Lang Syne-how her
invalid mother, shut in from even the
wild life about her, in the home hewn
for her by strong and loving hands,
would week after week lie and look
along the narrow trail, hoping against
hope that some Il might pass near
the settlement and bring for her news
from the old folks at home, back in
Carolina" And, maybe, after two or
three months of such watching the
mail rider would appear, and rich in
deed were the settlers whose mail
counted more than a letter or two.
These were read and re-read, and sent
from kinsman to kinsman in all the
new country" that other hungry
hearts might feed on news from the
happy old home they had left to seek
their fortunes.
And perhaps it was as well in those
times of scarce money that letters did
not come often. For the receiver paid
then instead of the sender, and twenty
five cents was the usual price. AS
held this thin yellow letter (minus
envelope or stamp, but sealed with 6
dab of wax in my hand | wondered
what the gentle invalid who read il
so eagerly eighty years ago would havt
said had any seer told her that hel
own great-granddaughter would Otter
fro+ onI fY,1ao hono,1ua thn tonetn1aT
failed to bring her letters at each o
his three visits a day. But 'twoulC
have comforted her somewhat to know
that this same great-granddaughte
did not have to pay Uncle Sam a quar-
ter for each one.
Commissioners from Texas spen
last week in Vicksburg and at thu
military park locating the position
Of Texas troops. One of the dele
gates, Gen. Il. N. Waul, VIII be ninet.
on his next birthday. Texas vii
build worthy monuments in the par
81 Vicksburg to commemorate the he
roic deeds OF her brave boys. Thi
, week will witness the visit Of a deiC
l CATION from New York whose wor
will BE- to locate the spots on whic
lie New York troops of the Mint
army Corps had their most bloody e.
periences during the siege. Me-
York purposes to erect handsom
monuments commemorative of tn
deeds of daring of her SON durin
that stormy time. Gen. Lee and Co
p. Rigby are showing these commission
ers and their guests every attcntio
during the days in which they tram
together oven historic ground, {
=. around blazing Southern fires recour
the heroism of the blue and IL
Gray
The following facts relative to IL
nativity Of Congressional Repr
IS sentatives were CLEANED by the Laur
II Chronicle, but we are sure that e
o cellent paper would not object to Il
If use of them in these columns. On.
two, Representatives Speight and III
Ie Lain, are natives of the State the
Q represent. Mr.. Gambler was born
h. Bellville, Hamilton county, Fla; Pa
J. rick Henry Of Vicksburg was born
II Arkansas; MIR. Fox in Pickens count
Ie Ala; Mr.. Williams was born in Mel
Is phis, Tenn; Col. c.. E. Hooker
D Union District, S. G. Messrs. McLa
" and Speight still live in the count
in which they were born, and tn
prove that in some instances, thous
they are few and far between,
ID prophet is honored in his own land
Brig.-Gen. James Argyle Smit
marshal of the Supreme Court of M
sissippi and former Superintende
= of Education, died in Jackson Decel
=. Der 6, and was accorded the homo
-, due his rank by a state funeral. &c
-. Smith was born in Rankin count
educated at West Point, and serv
CALAMITY during the civil war, risil
re eventually to the position of brigade
general, C. S. A. He served with t
armies under Gen. Albert Sidney Jof