The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1902-02-12
A TRIP TO THE INTERIOR BY
OUR EX. FIELD EDITOR.

| pditS Vi Ihc COuuts, WIN "cio bhciS W
assist Judge Neville in organizing his
circuit court. On entering the court
room | found standing room at pre-
MUM. The house was packed to its
utmost capacity by the citizens of Ma
rion county, who were there to hear
the solemn charge of Judge Neville, as
he delivered it to the grand jury.
With breathless silence did the great
audience listen to this charge which
was so ably and forcefully delivered.
The Judge concluded his remarks in
substance as follows: Gentlemen, re-
member that this court sinks into ut
ter insignificance in comparison with
that great Tribunal to which we are
all fastening, where you and / must
give strict account for the work done
during this court"
With reference to their literary
qualifications, two of the petit jurors
informed the Judge that they could
neither read nor write. They we're
middle-aged men, wearing honest
faces, and were excused.
Il understand" said the Judge,
that there are parties present who
wish to plead guilty to certain charges.
If said parties are present and will
come forward, | will give them pa
tient hearing Ten young white
men simultaneously went forward and
confessed their guilt to swearing in
public place. After lecturing them
soundly, the Judge placed s. fine on
each of them. One darkey went for
ward and confessed guilty to 'shootn'
craps" His case was taken under ad-
visement until the following Friday.
A religious-like feeling crept over me
when | saw those young men going for
ward and confessing their guilt, and
it seemed as if the Judge was turning
his court into an old fashioned camp
meeting. Several of the jury looked
as if they were ready to make a mo-
tion to receive those young men into
fellowship as fit subjects etc.
Marion county is being we'll differed
in the persons of sheriff and circuit
clerk by Ball and Welborn, respective
ly. They are both sons of Methodist
ministers and | heard many words of
praise spoken of them.
Once upon time the devil sent some
of bis subjects into the world, offering
premium for the one who could tell
the biggest lie on the preachers. On a
certain day they came in and reported.
Il saw preacher at Bogue Chitto
curing cancers" said one. "Hold"'
said the devil; sit is lie that | want
and not the truth. | will buck and
gag you for telling the truth on that
man, sir! And besides, | have a man
permanently located in that town
whose duty | have made it to lie on
that preacher and you have gone there
and interfered with my agents bust
ness by telling the naked truth" Va
rious other reports were made, when
one came in and said: Il have circu-
lated a report in the world that
preachers boys are meaner than all
other boys" well, done, thou good
and faithful servant" said the devil,
"but l cannot deliver you the pre-
MUM until my agent at Bogue Chitto
is heard from"
A preachers boy may go astray, but
this does not make him worse than
other boys who do the same thing.
Columbia is still on a boom. They
are boring an artesian we'll and put
ing in fine telephone system which
will meander up the Pearl river valley
to Monticello, where it will come in
touch with the Cumberland, and then
it will be Hello, Columbia" from all
over this part of the country.
During my trip | circulated fifteen
miles below Columbia on the east side
of Pearl river. 1t is a fine farming
country along the river valley and the
farmers are just merging from the
disastrous flood of two years ago. In
this section the colored people are in
the lead along educational lines. Sit
uated on the margin of Lower Little
river they have college, where the
rising generation are being trained fol-
future usefulness. In my travels
met with Charles Stuart, an old col
ored man. who, when the war closed
belonged to a young lady who has
recognized me as her husband for 3;
years. Had it not been for fear OF
another Roosevelt Booker Wa ,hington
affair | would have stopped in and
dined with Charles, for | am always
glad to see him. Several years ago he
came out to see US and found Mis-
LISA" in be suffering with la grippe.
He sat by her bedside and they talked
a long time. Before leaving, however
l"Miss LISA" told me to take Charles
to the kitchen and give him something
to eat. We ha killed some hos a few
days previous AMI there we're back
| bones, spare ribs, sausage and SOUS
set before him, and when he left The
kitchen he was greasy to his eyes and
said it was enough. Miss LISA
would divide the last crumb she had
on earth with Charles. God bless
those olddarkeyS. There wi never be
any race war as far as they are con
cerned.
Marion county is working her roads
by contract. | don't know where the
contractors were, but | found their
roads lying scattered around with the
bottom knocked out of them. | got
jammed in between some creeks en-
route from Columbia to Monticello,