The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1903-07-14
FINE SPEECH
Delivered by Maj. John Mayo
Before the Tombigbee I'm
provement Committee.


action between Columbus and al
lower points of Tombigbee has
long been recognized by all con-
cerned. In June 1901 the Board
of Trade of Columbus, Miss. ap-
pointed an executive committee to
arrange for the holding of con-
vention at Columbus. This con-
vention was called and held July
% to %, 1901. At that conven-
ton were representative men from
nearly all counties along the
Tombigbee from Aberdeen to Mo-
bile.
His Excellency, Gov. A. H.
Longino, of Mississippi, presided,
and among the distinguished
speakers present wore Senator
A. J. McLaurin, Hon. r. S.
Gambler, jr., of Mississippi; Hon.
John II. Bankhead, of Alabama; !;
Hon Pat. Henry, of Vicksburg,
Hon. Z. o. Sykes, of Aberdeen,
Miss, and many others of equal
note. In all their utterances,
the speakers were most emphatic
in their endorsement of the pur-
pose of the convention, and un-
eQuiyOcally pledged their hearty
support.
1t is my pleasure and privilege
to say they have since met and
discharged this obligation as far
as lay in their power. The ring
ing periods of Hon. John II.
Bankhead bore good fruit, in
culcating as he did, the lesson of
persistence in our efforts. "Keep
at it, everlastingly at it, to Sc
cure your appropriation was
the keynote of his speech. He
gave US our slogan, "Yours for
the improvement of the Tombig-
be river"
Thus you see US two years la
ter on Alabama soil. in Mr..
Bankhead's own b ailiwic k,
pressing the claims of our great
cause.
Mr.. Gambler declared his pub
lie life and the success of the
Tombigbee Improvements were
one and the same, and to perfect
this keystone of his career he
pledged his most earnest and
persistent efforts.
Right royalty has our most
honorable friend redeemed him.
self and by work in sessions of
house and committees and by
speeches he has made himself
widely known as our advocate
and received the nickname of
tIombigbee Gambler.
Such work as his from all rep
resentatives from the Tombigbee
districts of Alabama and Missis-
sippi mean an early fulfillment
of our wishes. Senator A. J.
McLaurin made an earnest effort
for'us in the senate and secured
an amendment which was sub
sequently lost in the house.
A t the completion o f Mr..
Candler's speech in favor of our
river, Mr.. Burton, chairman of
rivers and harbors committee,
found it necessary to exert all of
hisinfluence to defeat theproposed
amendment giving a handsome
amount to the 'Bigbse. In the
course of his remarks Mr.. Bur-
ton said, "For the first time in
our country's history the Tom
bigbee was given a place on the
map as a navigable stream"
and he paid graceful tribute to
Mr.. Candler's efforts, regretting
the policy of the administration
that session to cut out all water
ways not of the greatest import
ance and now under construc-
ton.
So we have made a long step
forward and emerged from the
primeval forests and swamps to
public attention.
The time is now ripe to press
our claims through proper cham
nels. The extent of this work is
difficult to grasp.
In the eight counties of
Alabama and the three of
Mississippi through which the
1'onbigbee passes we have H.