Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1902-02-01


will mail either or both to the editor
Of this department, the greatest care
will be taken Of the pamphlets during
their use and they will be promptly
returned and expense of carriage paid.
1t is our desire to reprint certain ex-
tracts from these two pamphlets,
which, if memory serves Alright, would
be Of great interest to our people at
this time. Few even among our most
loyal and bestinformed citizens real
ize the States possibilities; indeed,
few have any conception of the extent
Of the exhibit made a score Of years
ago at this Southern Exposition. De
spite the fact that we had few fac
tories, that the lumber industry
(along with others of present i'm
portance) was in Its infancy, that
railroads then ran only straight up
and down and across the State, we
made at New Orleans a display that
amazed strangers and was reyela-
tion to our home people. Even such
Mississippians as the beloved Wal
thall remarked upon seeing his States
display: well, | was always proud
Of the old State, but never knew why
until | studied it's resources in this
building" The writer has heard it
told by one who stood by him as he
wrote, in his delicate almost effemi
nate handwriting, his name in the
register, that Mr. Jefferson Davis, the
honored President of the Confederacy,
the beloved chieftain of the Lost
Cause, said: "The name of every Mis-
sissippian should be on this book, for
the exhibit is a revelation to all of
us, and congratulate you (the Com
missioner) and the State" If there
was cause for pride then, when the
State was making her first struggles
to throw off the burden of the wars
accumulated misery, and had taken
but few feeble steps along the road
Of Progress, how much more reason
is there today, when she stands forth
free, strong and full of hope in a glo-
rious future and joy in the achieve
ments of the past quarter of a
century, for every citizen of the State
to rejoice in his birthright, and to use
all possible means to show to the
world the possibilities that lie within
us, as well as the things we have al
ready done. There il scarcely a doubt
as to the Legislatures action in this
matter. 1t has the welfare of its State
too close at heart to refuse to demon
strate its achievements to the millions
who will gather at st, Louis to see
what the South is doing But we
must get good mer to carry out the
work, and every man and woman in
Mississippi should be a self-appointed
committee of one to make the State
exhibit great and a grand and a
worthy success.
A great many OF our people who
have reyeled in the prosperity Of the
army post that was to be established
in their town." along with it's gay
addenda of flags and bunting and
brass buttons galore, will read with
regret the following extract from a
letter written by Senator McLaurin
to a friend in Meridian:
81 do not believe the army post
will be established in the State of Mis-
sissippi. If they should establish one
think it will be at Meridian. l do
not think much good will come to the
city in the way of trade by the es.
tablishing of an army post there. All
the supplies for the soldiers are sent
to them under contract and there is
very little money that they would
spend there, scarcely"
Upon sober second thought, most
people will agree with our distin.
guished Senator, some will even go
beyond him and say that it is their be-
lief that an army post, with the
myriad evils that seem to follow in,
variably in their track, would work
a great injury to any Of the small
cities in Mississippi, should one by
chance be located there. Some OF
these towns have enough men with
idle brains already; they need no i'm
portations.
1t is more than refreshing, 1t is de
lightful, among so many croakers, to
find occasionally a man who sees only
the bright side Of life, and who ac
knowledges living in a county where
crops are good and where money Is
made instead of lost by the majority
Of farmers. Such a man is that able
legislator and successful planter, Hon
J. Hiram McGehee of Franklin coun
ty, now in the Senate. Mr. McGehee
gives the good news that the banks oi
Summit, McComb and Magnolia paid
out to the farmers of his district over
and above all accounts more than one
million dollars last year. If his OWL
experience has been duplicated by
many Of his neighbors we can readily
comprehend how this state of thing;
came about. Senator McGehee killed
forty-two meat hogs for his planta
tion, made 800 gallons of Louisiana
cane syrup from his own cane ant
made up for his neighbors 1000 gal
Ions, of which his toll was 500 gallons
lie also raised sufficient corn to ruT
his entire plantation through the year
made plenty of high grade rice~for thu
consumption of his family and sole
enough syrup to pay for all the sugar
and coffee he will use during the year
In fact, the only supplies for whicl
the Senator will have to make casl
outlay are dry goods and flour. Al
Senator McGehee very wisely remarks
the only way for a farmer to live il
comfort is to live at home and raist
all that is needed for his family's use
II more of our men would follow thu
example of this Franklin county Sen
ator we would have fewer pessimists
the country would be better off, tn,
States credit wOnld advance marvel