The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1902-05-10
II is not 30 cry long since A.issis-


sippi hills and bellows, plains, etc.
were believed to contain nothing but
dirt" and some of it rather poor dirt.
OF late. however, various things have
beer found mixed with this dirt besides
the roots of cotton and corn, and we
are in consequence beginning to look
up. A number Of discoveries have been
reported lately of valuable building
stone, several beds of phosphates.
strata of fine clay, minerals and other
valuable materials. One of the most
interesting Of these discoveries is at
West Station, on the Illinois Central
road. If one-half the reports from Wis
iting experts are to be accepted as
true the little Holmes county town will
soon spread out into a city, and a city
of stone at that. The hills surround
ing the town are solid chunks of what
is now said to be some of the finest
building stone in the country. There
is a constant and heavy demand for
building stone and the news of this
discovery has brought a number Of
prospectors to the scene.
Those who have examined the stone
pronounce it superior to any in this
section for building foundations, MAX
ing concrete and ballasting. 1t is al
most as hard as granite, and is imper-
vious to the weather. For such stone
there is now an almost unlimited de-
mapd and no,tIl %Ha 1r,rA, - xl~z..
beds but come to some kind of an un-
Outstanding and form a company for
the purpose Of putting the stone on the
market, they would almost equal the
oil barons of Beaumont, Tex. The sup
ply OF stone in the neighborhood Of
West seems almost inexhaustible. II
extends for a number of miles on the
east and west sides Of the railroad.
the lands being of but little value ex-
cept for this stone deposit.
And now m the regrettable part
OF the story. which might well be
headed with the old saying, slightly
altered, about "the prophet" and his
own land" This time it might be
said that land is not without honor
save among its W prophets" At
any rate, whatever profit was to be
found In this new discovery will 60
into the pockets of Michigan capital
lists, who came down and got options
on vast acres at very low figures. while
our OWE folks were thinking about 1t.
Fortunately, some of Holmes county's
far-sigbted citizens refused to enter
into the Michiganders' hard deal. and
II the people will work together az
they should do, they may yet make
a grand success of the hidden quar-.
ries on the hillsides of old Holmes.
Success to them, and all other enter
prising Mississippians!
We would be glad If we had space
to reproduce every word of the lead
Ing editorial from Hon. Lem Sea
wright's able pen in last weeks Plain.
dealer. 1t is on that most important
question, the Rural School," and
contains some excellent advice. Among
other things. Mr.. Seawright says: "Oi
the 1000, 900 children Of school age in
the Southern States, more than 6.OjO..
QUO live In sparsely settled districts
or in towns Of less than 1000 inhab.
ltants. Henc the rural schools are
OF first Importance and should receive
first consideration. We can never be
an educated people until we have good
schools and the country children at.
tend them" Continuing, the writer
gives facts which prove that the aver.
g school life of our children in rural
districts is lamentably short, the ac,
~commodations poor and the equip
ment meager. These children, from
whose ranks so many of the futures
great ones must come, are confined
to the poverty Of a few ill-assorted
textbooks from which to get their
start along the road Of knowledge.
Were it not that theirs is the bound.
less wealth Of the great teacher Nature
their way would be hard, their work
OF scant avail and their knowledge OF
little worth to them or others.
We find in Mr.. Seawright's plea for
better opportunities an earnest appeal
to our men to build worthy houses for
their children's school days, making
them attractive as we'll as comfortable.
The South is no longer poor as it was
in the decades Immediately succeeding
the ravages of war. Building material
is abundant in every State, and u
men have strong arms to fell trees.
prepare lumber and make brick. We
begin at once to build decent
and comfortable school houses in ey.
cry school district, and to equip them
with the needful furniture and appa-
ratus. These school houses are the
of our children all the days they
attend school, and we should see to it
that they are made worthy"
1t is a great pleasure to run across
good news as the published state.
.ent that Mississippi pine will figure
largely In the building of the Louis,.