Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1902-11-20
Sam Jones Also in Mississippi,
But He Is Not Hunting Bear

AM now circulating through Mis-
sissippi, Alabama, Louisiana and
Arkansas and will close this tour
Of lectures at Peoria and Men
dota, Ills, November 24-25.
passed through the iron and coal
belt of Alabama, taking in Birming-
ham. through to Jasper. Ala. and
with a casual survey of things, one
marvels at the growth, development
and upbuilding of that section of the
south. Birmingham is becoming more
and more Pittsburg. Pa, over again.
Not only is Birmingham growing in
leaps and bounds. but all the country
within a radius of fifty miles Of Biz
mingham is feeling the thrObs Of her
great life. Cotton may be king in 9TH
err sections of the south, but iron and
steel is car and emperor in the Biz
mingham district.
When we come into Mississippi, it is
a state without a city. 1t is nip and
tuck between Meridian and Vicksburg
in size and commercial Importance,
with about an equal population of
10000 people. 1t has been ten years
since spent any time in Meridian. She
Is now UlOEE IMAM LNlGC dS AdA sc anu
the great number of business and
splendid Office buildings that have
grown up since 1 was last here. one
can hardly believers he sees with his
own eyes.
l gather some data as I go through
each section concerning the cotton crop
of this year. The mild pleasant wealth
er of the last thirty days has added
more than one million bales to this
years crop. This is the general opin-
ion and we shall perchance have some
thing like an eleven million bale crop
this year. That being the case. cot
ton may touch seven cents as it's low
est price and will no doubt go back to
nine cents before the first of March.
The corn crop of the south also is
much better than was anticipated. 1t
was generally believed that my own
county of Barlow, Georgia, would not
make more than a quarter crop of
corn. but the farmers there tell me.
many of them, that they will gather
more than a 90 per cent crop.
I spent yesterday at Waynesboro,
Miss, a quiet town on the NJ. & o.
railroad, and as I travel through
southeast Mississippi 1 wonder that
there Is timber enough left for fire
wood this winter, when I see the
thousands of car loads or lumber move
every day out of this section to south
ern ports and for northern cities.
This section of Mississippi has grown
rich in the last few years on saw
mills and vegetables. While the Delta
of Mississippi in the western part of
the state has always been considered
the farming section of the state, yet
dare say that the hills and poorer
lands of the eastern side. with diver
sified crops, Including fruits and veg
etables, have been more productive of
fortunes than the Delta.
am the guest, while In Meridian, of
my old time friend, L. P. Brown. He
is a marvellous character, a man of
God and a man of prayer. Without a
vote on the question, this great city
of twenty thousand people has been
without a saloon for ten years, and
know of no way of accounting for il,
and never have found a man in Me-
ridian who could explain 1t, otherwise;
than that this man of prayer is to
blame for ii some how or some way.
Elijah prayed that il might not rain,
and 1t rained not upon this earth for
a space Of three years and six months,
and he prayed again that 1t might
rain. and 1t rained. believe in one