Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1902-01-18

"Ten years after Revells' leJirement
from the Senate l visited the capital
of Mississippi, and there met the late
Senator George, who was then Sena.
tor-elect with the Governor of the
State and a number of other promi
nent officials. l was equally surprised
and gratified to hear from them that
ex-senat- sa2yells was doing a great
work III Mississippi as president OF
college for colored students, and that
he was very highly respected, and his
work was so wellappreciated that the
State of Jefferson Davis, who was then
living, contributed annually and liber.
ally to maintain the institution. Re
wells continued in that work until his
death, and he lived to see Blanche K.
Bruce, of his own race, represent his
State in the Senate with half a dozen
or more negro representatives in the
House. Bruce entered the Senate in
1875, served a full term, and afterward
was made register of the treasury. He
had more rosy pathway than his pre-
decessor in the Senate, as the negro
was no longer Stunned as pest in
the councils of the nation"
B. X. Bruce's son, Roscoe Conkling
Bruce, is, by the way, the orator Of this
years senior class at Harvard.
Col. Mcclure relates also the follow
ing interesting story of John r. Lynch
and President Roosevelt;
'In 1873 John r. Lynch, another
prominent negro, appeared as a mem
Der of Congress from Mississippi, and
was one of seven negroes in that body.
He was elected for three consecutive
terms, and | saw the rapidly growing
tolerance Of the Republican leaders for
negro political fellowship very impress
siyely portrayed at the Chicago Repub
lican national convention in 1884
When the chairman of the national
committee called the body to order one
of the youngest members of the con-
vention rose and in a speech of sin.
gular elegance and force nominated
Representative Lynch as temporary
chairman. In presenting this nomina-
tion the young orator said that it was
a fitting thing for us to Cnoose to pre-
side over the convention one Of that
race whose right to sit within these
walls is due to the blood and treasure
so layishly spent by the founders of
the Republican party Mr.. Lynch was
promptly and unanimously elected,
and the Elng orator who thus pre-
sented the first negro to preside over
national convention, and the only
one of his race who has ever been in
charge of such body, was Theodore
Roosevelt now President Of the United
States"
Capt. John A. Webb secretary of the
Railroad Commission, has recently
completed statistics from which We
gather the following interesting facts:
During the two years ending October
| /, 1901, 1000 persons were killed OF
injured on the railroad in Mississippi
Such tragic happenings are on the in
crease and this record shows an in
crease of is per cent. over the two
years Immediately preceding the pc
riod, and this despite the fact thai
there We're no smash-ups or great ac
cidents involving heavy loss.
The number of persons killed by
railroads in Mississippi in 1900 wa!
106 and the number injured 361, max
ing total of 467 killed and injured
during the year. In 1901 124 were killel
and 400 were injured, making a tota
of 593, or an increase of Sc over th'
record of the previous year. The tota
number of killed during the bienna
period was 230 and the injured no
making grand total of killed ant
injured amounting to an even 1000.
Labor agents are infesting some o
our hill counties" again, each per
suading the negroes to follow him t,
some new land of promise" Abou
100 families have left Claiborne count.
for the delta already. Most of thes
people did well last year and cleared
money, but in spite of this they wer
eager to leave their comfortable cal
ms and patches" their kindred an,
home, to enter new country AM
new life of "the ills Of which the
know not" The poor, deluded crea
lures are usually glad to get bac'
home after year or two spent in tn
arduous labor necessary on the bi
plantations in the swamp. This fac
however, does not go very far towar
helping the Claiborne county farmer
to plant, make and harvest his crop
next year, whatever it may do tn
year after.
His friends-and wherever there ar
newspaper men, Masons, merchants 0
jolly good fellows in the State hi
friends are numerous and sincere-o
Hon. ]. II. Duke Of Kemper count
sympathize with him in the loss b
fire of his business house In Scoobi
The loss amounts to $4,000 and tn
insurance to $4,000.
Copiah countys fine new courthous
will be built at once by the Hull Bro!
of Jackson, whose bid (the lowest
. was $44,60S. The contract insures tn
completion of this magnificent ne'
building by November of this year.
William F. Swami has been appoin
ed Collector of Customs for Pearl rive
at Biloxi. Hon, II. G. Lee succeed
the lamented Albert Lea as Distrit
Attorney for the Southern distric
The Register of the Land Office 9
Jackson is +. w. Collins, and Nanni
s. Nelson postmaster at Greenville.
A thoroughly original note of thanh
is the following, copied from recer
Issue Of colored brothers paper hei
in Mississippi' "Tlfe editor extend
his thanks and congratulations TO Go
and his friends Tor a good ChltSsla
and q happy New Year"
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