The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1902-05-16
1elemurraf- STR
GOOD GRASS STORY.
Eow sEDGE GRASS WAS BROUGHT TO
THE STATE.

The Jackson correspondent OF tht
Picayune has the folio wing:
The publication of the story o.
Cowles Mead bringing Bermuda gras,
to-Mississippi contained in the Picay
unc some time ago, together with al
interview with Professor Tracey
eulogizing Bermuda grass. attracted
wide attention in and out OF thu
press. 1t was taken up by the Geor
gia and Tennessee press, and is still
on the rounds of the Southern press
Bermuda is the finest and best all
round grass that grows in this cuun
try.
A leading Mississinpiau this morn
ing, referring Ia the publication
ahnve mrntipncd, aud the bringing 0l
Bermuda tiras> 10 MiSsissiEn by
Cowles lead. said II reminded him nI
another grass story.
''Soon after the war" he continued
'when the weight OF the reconstruc
tion policy was bearing heavily on US
thousands of acres Of land in Madison
county In sight Of the Illinois Central
then the Mississippi Central, was
lying idle, abandoned on account O
the labor conditions then existing
This land was covered by "A luxuriant
growth Of scdge grass, or broom
sedge, which needs no description, al
MissisSippians being familiar with
it.
SIN the fall of the year. when thi.
grass had taken on a golden hue
thousands OF acres of it waving in the
autumn breezes, it was beautiful tt
behold. On une occasion the late
Col. Otho r. Singleton boarded the
southbound train at his home at Can,
ton. Soon the train was passing
through large plantations near Madi
son Station, which were covered W it'll
the golden broom sedge. A gentle
man from the North, a passenger on
the same train, was dilating enthuSl
astically over the grand beauty of the
harvest He was enraptured aud de-.
clared he had never before seen such a
grand sight. He said he could not
tell, however, just what crop it was,
whether it WAS wheat or oats, or
probably the motion Of the train. he
said, mlde his sight little unccr
tain; he was certain, however, it
was great crop and grand. He said
he was glad To see such crop, and to
say lie had seen it ever since he had
reached the State. He asked if he
might inquire what crop 1t was with
which the State was so blessed Broad
smiles lit the faces of the passengers
around, but for Il moment no one
made answer. The silence was broken
by Colonel Singleton, who turned to
the Northcrncr and said: My friend,
] can enlighten yOu; that, sir, is eman.
cipation grass. Ii is the progeny ul
the Republican party and its policy.
1T is not worth snap except for a
hiding place for rabbits. 1t impovcr-
lshes the ground, and is utterly worth
less for any purpose. The Northerner
was evidently satisfied with the eX.
PLANTATION, for lie lapsed into silence 81
After telling this story. the Missis.
sipplan aoove quoted added:
THE ground on which that emanci.
patton grass, as Colonel Singleton
named it, was growing could have
been bought for song-two or three
dollars an acre. In fact, the ground
on which the first Strawberries were
planted near Madison Station was
bought for 81 80 an acre. This was in
1869. Emancipation has been ban
iShed, and prosperous truck farms are
there instead. and the land is now
worth from twenty-five TO tifty dol
lars an acre"