Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-11-06
]. V. WILLIAMS.
Writes the Ledger an Interesting Let
ter From the South.


Correspondence OF the Ledger
Nashville, Tenn, Oct. 26.-This
bright, lovely autumn morning finds
me in the grand capitol Of Tennessee.
My travel thus far South and from
West eastward along the border lines
Of Southern Tennessee and Northern
Mississippi has been sorter of a bridal
trip-withont a bride-a little lonely,
but full Of pleasure and splendid trade
among a people whom naturally love
for their sociability and high-toned
sense of honor and propriety. 1t is
claimed that Tennessee has this year
the largest crop Of cotton she ever
raised and perhaps leads all other
cotton states in proportion to acre. A
good crop of corn has also been raised
and, therefore, the Tennessee man is
happy and trade is good in all lines.
On the Mobile railroad a few days
since ] met my old friend, NJ. Shoan,
formerly with the c. & A. in Missouri,
but now Assistant superintendent Of
the Frisco In Alabama, with head
quarters at Birmingham. In Memphis
| also had the pleasure Of meeting my.
old drummer chum, Johnnie Ford,
whom many Missouri grocerymen re-
member with pleasure. He Is now
partner In a wholesale grocery house
In Memphis and doing a large busi-
ness. We had some good laughs over
past experiences with Bob Jourdon,
Wat Warder, Jim Snaveby, T. G. Os-
borne and Others in the good old gro
Gerry trade days Of 1872 to $50. | was
glad TO meet him; 10 fact, I'd be glad
to meet even a mule from Missouri. /
haven't COTTON down into my terrific
ry where | shall work this winter. Il
think shall take the states Of Mis-
sissippi, Alabama and Georgia for my
field Of labor this winter and perhapsl
the city Of New Orleans, and Louis
lana, Florida and South Carolina will
be wOrken by some other man from
our factory. In Tennessee they work
constantly, the county prisoners on
the county roads: all prisoners of less
sentence than n year in the county
jail are put into a ''chain gang and
camped out and work the roads. A
good idea for Missouri lazy, fat, WE'LL
fed county prisoners. / had a good
laugh last week. A fellow down in
Holly Springs, Mississippi, asked me:
What on earth is that stuff you sell
that smells so?n l told him it was a
d~isinfectant. What does that mean?n
he asked. | told him a disinfectant
was something which made a worse
smell than you had before. "You
must have a good trade on it then"
be said, "How is in for bad feet?" |
told him it would certainly give salts
faction as similar similibus curantai
was an established axiom. ! gave
him half a bottle and the next morn
ing be appeared on the hotel porch
with each foot done up in about two
pounds OF raw cotton. He said it took
all the skin of and some Of the meat
and nails, but it lure had the desired
o~lfactory effect. / think his feet were
spoiled before his heroic application. i
a little shy Of him while in Holly
Springs. ] wanted to 60 to church
here this morning, so | called a white
boy with a crippled hand from the
crowd Of boot blacks and while he
was shining my shoes / asked him how
he got his hand hurt. tFell out OF a
walnut tree he said. l asked him
tt being Sunday morning) II he knew /
about the little man who climbed up |
a sycamore tree to see somebody once.
Eyes, / knowed him we'll. He lives in !
edge Of town here and he amt walked
any since be got that fall. / told !
him "his name was Zaccheus; he was a !
publican lie said: "No, sir: vou
got the name wrong. / knowed him
well; we've got no Republicans down I
here, no how So ] stopped morallz- I
Ing, as ] saw be could out talk me and
twas useless 10 east pearls before {
swine But what must a poor, lone. !
some, bomesick man do but t. get a =,
sunshine" IA Of everything be- ,
can. think that's what keeps my /
hair black at the age Of 81. In the 9
beautiful cityof Jackson. Tenn, (25,-
100 inhabitants) in the court house
iquaTe there stands a beautiful marble ,
monument 70 feet high, with statute
top Of a soldier, full size, at parade
est with folded flag, dedicated to the c
memory u the Confederate dead Of '
he county, With an inscription on the |
lase showing that the county furnish {
d more soldiers for the Lost Cause"
ban she had voters. 1t is very ex-
travelling in the South. No 1
UGH rates or hotels as We have In Z
Few Missourians appreciated (
be blessings they enjoy, and especial '
, those who live In Mexico-the queen
I all the little cities the home 81
he purest, most intelligent and pro- j.
people 10 the imperial State >
{ Missouri. I can't say where I'll be :
ext Sunday, but my wife will know :
hen She gets my SUNDAY letter'i
here / will pillow my head each
light the coming week. 1oun, +
J. v. WILLIAMS. =
Miss Helen Walker, Of ST Louis, Isl