Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1901-10-26
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MISSISSIPPI MATTERS
NOTES OF PAST AND CURRENT EVENTS.
BY KATE MARKHAM POWER.
&C., es e 80 ss. ns. esseNs essI

there are more than dozen brainy,
active, sensible young men in whose
hands the matter could be brought to
successful issue. 1t is unquestionably
true that these organizations are neces-
sary to the growth of our towns.
There must be some official source
from which to get the facts and fig
ures needed by wouldbe investors.
| Capitalists who look about them for
| places in which to make suitable in
l.xestments do not often pause to CON
slider town that is so slow as to have
no organized body of business men to
whom they can apply and from whom
they can get tie facts and figures they
need Our Safe has great natural
wealth and splendid resources, and
while her devoted press is unhagging
in the zeal with which these facts are
kept before its readers, it is well un.
derstood that these readers are largely
home folks" and familiar with the
conditions. 1t is the people who never
see and rarely hear of a Mississippi
newspaper that we are most anxious
to instruct. Boards of Trade can do
this, and our towns can have Boards
of Trade. All that is needed is the
will and a considerable amount of
energy mixed with large amount Of
faith in the town. Our section is the
only part of these United States
through which the traveller can pass
without gathering up a trunk load
(more or less) of pamphlets, folders,
brochures, etc, usually prepared in
attractive style, and telling all about
the country or advertising some spe-
clal point. Every town in the West
(and sometimes only the place where
the town ought to be) has its regular
advertising agencies. These get up
and keep on hand facts and figures
well written and illustrated, and every
pleasure party and excursion passing
through is flooded with them, while
the regular overland trains always
carry supplies of this literature" !"
And such a country as they have, in
some instances, to advertise. Our
stately pine forests, our glorious coast
country, our fertile uelta and splendid
hill land furnish facts enough
to fill volumes, and figures that
would cause many an fastener
west bound to change cars at Chi
cago" and head Tor the South.
Reference has been made in these
columns recently to the remarkable
increase in the number of children in
the graded, public and private schools
of the State, and while several towns
are on this roll of honor, we believe
the prize should go to Laurel. That
thriving young city needs more school
buildings and more teachers for the
accommodation of the children clam.
oring for instruction this term. The
teaching capacity should be more than
doubled and the town needs, right
now, three times as much space in
class rooms as it has. Last year 262
white and III colored pupils were en-
rolled. This year the first enrolment
showed 527 whites and PSI colore1
children. 1t is probable that no other
town in the State can make a like
report.
The people of Gulfport went wild
with enthusiasm the other day, when
a large seagoing vessel anchored at
the railroad pier. Brother Settler of
Hattiesburg truthfully says that as
soon as Gulfports deep water harbor
becomes a fixed fact a new epoch in
the commercial history of Mississippi
will begin. And that, with the deep
water harbor at our door, where the
largest ships can be loaded with home.
made wares and goods, we will have
in the course of a few years one of
the most prosperous States in the
South, If not in the Union. From
here we can ship anything we can
raise or manufacture direct to any
foreign country at as low transporta-
ton rate as can be had by any other
State in the Union-and Mississippi
has "the stuff" to ship.
The regular fall term of the Su-
preme Court of Mississippi convened
Monday afternoon. A large assem-
blage of lawyers from all parts of the
State was present at the opening of
the term. The first fortnight or so
will be occupied with the docket for
the middle district. On the fourth
Monday the criminal docket, contain
ing over dozen murder cases in
which capital punishment was affixed,
will be taken up Among the impor-
tant cases coming before this high
court during the first fortnight is the
celebrated quo Ddrrdnto proceedings
against the cotton oil mills on the
charge of violating the antitrust law.
Jackson is fortunate in the posses
sion of such a citizen as Mr. Thomas
McClelland, who has just let the con-
tract for the erection Of wholesale
hardware house. The building will he
an expensive, convenient and thor
oughly modern structure, located on
the A. V. r. r. (from which spur
is being laid to run to the building),
on West Capital and Gallatin streets.
This is the first wholesale hardware
store in the State, and If we may
Judge by the orders already placed,
Mr.. McClelland means to make of 1t
truly immense affair.
Representatives OF the fourteen
lodges of Elks in the State held a con-
ference in Jackson last week and per-
fected arrangements for holding an
nual State conventions. The first an
nual convention will be held In
Natchez during the Mardi Gras festi-
val. Mr.. A. M. Paxton of Vicksburg
was elected first president, and under
his able leadership Mississippi's Order
of Elks will forge ahead rapidly. One