davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-05-28
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES NiNINlNfN'NYNfNviNH
: ''HOMESIDE OF WARTIMES," in 13 Letters. =
=
: aMILLDAY AND CHARITY SERVICE, Letter No. 9. &
8 Written by ''VrgI," for The Brandon News. =
Written by ''VrgiI, !" for The Brandon News.


certain. Of course, the poor widows and
soldiers wives needed meal, and notWith-
standing boys earthly glory was wrap
ped up in Saturdays evening fishing expe-
dtion,w had to visit that never-to- -be-for-
gotten corn whacker, rain or shine, hot or
cold, mad or pleased, and had it not been
that we could swim in the mill dam little
we should have died of Heart FroubleG)
Tho | have headed this letter "Charity
Service" don't mean to nsinuate that
our dear destitute women were paupers.
We took all the pains possible to keep
them along; would ploW their little crops
while they would take their little children
to the field and do their hoeing. We
would stay with them at night, for being
alone, old Tempest fuget" dragged his
chariot wheels slowly to those patient
waiting souls, looking for husbands and
sons, whether dead or alive they could
not tell We cut and piled them ash
heaps to burn, from which they obtained
strong ashes, this was drfpped and then
with the lye and greece-if old Lunar"
would set her face right-the soap was a
certainty, for our women made soap in
the moon and let me tell you when you
got your hands into that homemade soap,
if you did not know how to humor it,
your hands would be full of holes, and in
six days you would look like small pox
patient convalescing. We did not buy
all kinds of toilet soap, perfumed to suit
our fancy, nor did we depend on concen-
trated Iye, coal oil, Gold Dust free ne
groes, and Providence to be our washing
machines. We simply rolled up our sleeves
and went at it in good old southern style.
This scribe knows how to wash clothes
asWell.aS to soil them, and even now If This
old world could flop around and get her wise
side up again, our people would do more
OF their OWN work on all lines, and not de-
pend on little old black floplipped Africa
for everything, not knowing whether
they are clean" or 'unclean beast" but
then lSuppoSe what can't be kept out can
be strained out. And this reminds me of
a good hostess who was not bit slow to
take hint. A drummer CHANGING to no.
ticesom milk on her table, said, Madam,
would there be any improperly in my
drinking this milk?' Don't know lust
VIII It you mean by 'decompriety, but if
anything nasty, can inform you that
Dorotha Ann strained that milk again as
soon as the dead cat was found in it.
The explanation was perfectly satisfactory,
even to the saving of the latter half of
the gentleman's dinner.
We would sometimes have big roos-
ter given US for faithful service rendered
in cutting ashheaps, and then we would
enjoy cock-fightng for season, for
when we put the new rooster down on
the dunghill, every uncircumsized gentle
The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-05-28

would 90 for him, and the new conner
would have warm reception. Every
fellow bet on his own Dominickers. Af-
ter we had fattened our meat, we were
frequently put to trouble to obtain salt
to save it, especially the poor destitute
women. We would dig up the dirt floor
in the smokehouse and drip it, then boil
the dripping to strong brine and use it
in saving meat.
The first time saw the tower of
Brandon went with my father and took
little mutton, weighing from 25 to 90
pounds, for a lady neighbor, which he
sold for SIS; he then took the SIS and
bought one bushel of rock salt, and took
it back to the woman. We bought the
salt from some one living think where
Rev. ]. H. Whitfield now lives, two miles
east Of town.
Wool and lint cotton was hard to pro-
cure during those days of trouble, but my
father had fine lot of cotton ginned and
gave it to the helpless, and it gives me
great pleasure to bear testimony to his
kindness after forty years have passed by,
and he sleeping in his grave. God will
not forget his kindness to those broken
hearted and weeping Rachaels of war
times, and while all this was going on
some of the negro holders would sell corn
to the widows and soldiers wives at a
high price, some think, as much as S.
in confederate. 1t was real hard to think
that our poor boys were in the war fight
ing to save the negro to the south, and
same time us little rebs and the negro
working for the rich. But the terrible
war cloud turned back from the north,
and the cyclone.of changing events swept
everything before it, and left us all on a
level at the bottom of the hill. Immediate
ly after the war, the poor boys who got
back alive, and who had got through all
kinds of hardships, had been raised ON
cockleburrs and pinenots, and who's e
necks had been hardened by the yoke OF
labor, soon became the foremost men in
the industries of the country, the bottom
rails got ON top, and the fence has never
been reset since. Once in a While the
boys would grow tired and lazy, and re-
bell against so much ''charity service" !"
and talk "Big Ike" to those poor helpless
ones, but it always turn led out to our dis
advantage, for sometimes the home doc
tor would put about 100 love marks, back
and down where we could not see the
trouble, and if we escaped kthe home rod
we would be certain to get a shower of
warm advice and warning from those
faithful ladies. However, we would con-
sole ourselves in the poetical sentiment
expressed toward the milder sex.
''God was just in all his ways,
When he made'men the strongest,
But in the end, to make amend,
He made woman'S tongue the longest"
But am here to tell you that those
good old war time "dameS" could use
something else than their tongues and
wood cords" for if they ever did settle
down little below your shirt, you would
decide that you had run into hornets
nest, or blundered over bee hive. have
no earthly use for the keen parts of a
blackgum or peach tree till this day.
am like David, II count them mine
enemies, hate them with perfect hatred" I"
The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-05-28

Dear Young People: In this letter we
will not conflne our thoughts to the cap
ton altogether, but write of things in a
general way.
Times during the war were so checker
ed that it IS impossible to tell all the de-
tails of anything. There are various
kinds of mills; we have the grist mill, saw
mill, water mill, flour mill, dirt mill, and
rhe wind mill. The last named is the
stimportant (?) smill of all. They are
out west, and elsewhere, to draw water
for stock. have seen quite number of
them on the cattle farms in Texas. But
the wind mill most familiar in this country
is run by animal gas, and are TO be found,
frequently, sitting upon goods box at
the street corner, and at other times on a
stump or log at church or public gathering.
These mills are used mostly for blowing,
probing and cultlvatlng purposes. The
blowing process IS necessity, for if they
did not blow off the SUI Nus accumulation
of gas the old physical pbler would ex-
plode. The probing process is beauti-
full past time industry, and is carried on
in order to sample eVerybody's business,
except their own; in fact, this kind of
mill has outgroWn all other sorts of EN-
ployment, and has no calling more than
to be a benefactor (?) in serving as a
nuisance. The wind mill cultivating pro-
cess is carried on at the bottom, side, and
basal gearing of their anatomy, cultivating
new patches on the seat of their bread
sack, and, like aswoodcock in a'polkberry
bush, all ''gut and gab."
We wish, however, to write of mills oi
more value. We have in the Bible two
kinds of mills spoken of, CD The kind
worked by hand, (2) the kind worked BY
an ass. The upper stone of the handmill
was moved by wooden spoke or handle.
which two women, at opposite sides, work
ed as men worked at cross cut saw, see
Matt. 24:4I. 1.-The women of Palestine
would thus grind and to the jerky motion
of the stone they would keep time by a
low, Wailing chant, something like our
southern negroes in chopping or hoeing,
in fact laborers of many kinds, all over
the world, have certain chant, or song,
to accompany and relieve the monotonous
work. The stone of the ''asS mill'' was
much larger, theloWer, sometimes called
'.the neither mllstone," was soIidly fixed;
the upper was made to go around by the
traction of the animal, Numbers II:8.
During the war we didn't depend on
the north for meat and "Cream meal"
We took all they had to give us in powder
-and lead, seasoned with Yankee cursing.
The reason why mill day is indelbly
stamped on my mind is, was SO thor
oughly disgusted with going to mill.
had to go any time in the week, and two
or three times on Saturday, more or less,
The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-05-28
BRANDON, RANKIN COUNTY, MISS, THURSDAY MAY 28 1908

II you want to be walking, wailowing-
rack OF hot times, and feel a longing de-
sire tor the world to comesto an end. lust
hit the baby girl. Ny youngest sister
g loved her dearly) was the baby, and
II you did not do to suit her fand did
not take any pains to suit her) she would
get mad, and her mouth would fly open
like steel trap, and then yol might look
out tor the desolation of CONSERVATION
coming, backed up with about 40 pounds
OF Dixie motherhood armed with a branch
OF native chastisement, pointed with pep
per and purpose, and woe unto the
Scrlbes, Pharasees and hypocrites, to say
nothing of the Publican and sinners. If
you did not need the family doctor when
she hadsperformed her best miracles upon
you, you would need some of the balm
OF Gllead and few sticking plasters.
MY, my, if it was no the cherry you
had cut, it was the peach tree you had
every reason to wish you had cut. You
might Wriggle and twist like full grown
eel, but you were there to stay till you had
paid the utmost farthing" lin hide, not
smoney-and while it was 'Without money
and without price," it was not without
halr, fur, and the ground torn up. They
did not "battle our tears but they tanned
our hides. We would kill their hogs and
beeves, cut and haul their wood and pine,
burn the woods from their little pinev-
woods fields, yes pineywoods, for all
the bottom lands were owned by
the rich negro holders principally and had
not the mig been freed they would have
had it all in cotton farms in few years,
and the bullWhip and negro dogs would
have furnished the music for Dixie's war
ship. We would go for the doctor and sit
up with the sick and dying children. No
one can appreciate the awful feeling of a
wartime mother except those who know
by experience, husbands in the war, meal
tub empty-we had no Elisha 's-meat
out. no milk frequently, children sick,
crop running for work, had to spin all the
day and sit up all night and nurse and
knit, no strong arm to support, no hus-
band to cheer, all disappointment and des-
pair, and now you old soldiers, who are
Orleans to enjoy the reunion, what have
and faithful wives? Which will you spend
most for at the Crescent City for strong
drink or your life time friends at home?
Will you think of their tottering forms
and Wrinkled broWs and dimmed eyes,
and bring them nice present,
or will you go home seven times
more forgetful than = before?
To see one sad and diSconsolate woman
would put a mellow tint on a community,
but to see whole country in mourning it
is just heart sickening to any one. Now
young friends have toldy something of
the times of distress, and fearful Dispute
tude, can't you draw the contrast, and see
The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1903-05-28

tContinued OH last page.
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16

ness increase the volume of business oohe.
orr bi- swift trolley cars are as badly crowded
os oyer were the small. slow horse cars; ana
that is not simply because the city has grown
much larger IT is because n larger proportion
of tho peonle travel aud travel more, thar III
former days. So when the underground ROADS
are finished and opened il will be idle to ex-
nect tbe problem TO he entirely solved. For the
nrovision of those new facilities for travel VIII
incte more people TO travel. and to travel more
than at this time.
The fundamental trouble is doubtless the geo
o-rapbical one though in not precisely the form
I'm which If has so often been expressed. III is
not that n city is long or round or paralieio
arammic but that il is not properly planned
within that periphery. The ideal city Wouiu
ho one in which the division into 'resideuce
districts and business districts was Sucn as
to keen the need for travel at the mlnllnuhl'
and In which the arrangement and construction
of streets were especially devised to afford the
maximum of facility for such travel as was
necessary There is no city of the first rank
MANNED upon such lines. and the cost and lapor
of transforming one so as to conform with ihem
would be so great to be prohibitive so we
shall have TO continue to endure various more
or less unsatisfactory makeshifts. Perhaps IL
NAV be worth while, however, TO keep in NINA
the fundamental idea of what the city should
have, been made and direct each Improvement
toward it. even though it may approximate to
It in only a slight degree.
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
LIKE THEIR SENIORS.

The members of the legislature who will De
called upon to vote for or against the Hughes
bill, prohibiting trade unions from discriminate
ing against National Guardsmen, had an OppOr-
tunity on Friday TO make personal observa-
tions as to the conduct of union members when
out on strike. The strikers on that occasion
were not hrawny railroad men, but messenger
boys. who had left the employ of the Western
Union Telegraph Company at Albany because
the company refused to accede to their demands
for more pay Like strikers OF the older and
more mature kind. they picketed the approaches
boys from taking their places by threats of vio-
Ience crippled business as far the delivery
of messages was concerned and finally, when
the police were called to disperse the youthful
champions of the principles of organized Dor,
they stoned the officers of the law.
The Committee Codes before which the
representatives of organized labor appeared
few days ago. was told that strikers never dis
turb the peace, that they discourage acts Of vio
lence, and that they are for peace and order.
We hope to hear that the boy strikers who
defied the police at Albany have been repri-
manded for their actions by trade unions, and
that labor leaders have warned them against
similar conduct in the future pain Of expul-
sion from the ranks of organized labor
Will the reprimand be issued or VIII the older
men congratulate the boys and say to them,
"You done noble?
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
amusemcnfs.

MiSlC-S-I5-F1orodors
AMERICAN fHEATRE-S-lS-Barbsra Trietchie.
RE-I<ASCO THEATRES Darling OF the Gods
RIJOT TEIEATRE-s:2G-Nsncy Brown.
BROADWAY TBEATRE-S-The Silver slipper
CARNEGIE HA1-l,-S=i5-PhilhaEmonic Society concert
CAsTNO-s.l5-A Chinese Honeymoon
CIRCLE TFIEATRE-2-S-NagdaNille
CRITERION THEATRfc-S:1S--The Jewel OF ASA
pA1.GS THEATRE-2:15-S-15-The Bllionaire
EDEN MCSEE-2-S-The World in Wax
FNPTRF TiEATRE-S.ao-Tlre Unforeseen
OIRTEENTH TREET-THEATRE-S-The bcid Sosei
GARDEN TFTEATRE-S-lf I Were King.
GaRRTCK THEATRE-S:I5-Nice and Men.
HARLEM OPERA WORCESTERSHIRE Moc1ing Bird-
HERALD SQUARE THE ~RE-s:15-Mr. Flckwick-
IRVING PLACE THEATRfc-s-2o-Der FastoissViih-
ETH .S-Contnuous Performance.
f<NiCKERB0CKER THEATRE-S-Mr. Bue f,eaIo ~
MADISON soUA ARE THEATRE-3-Beatrioe Herloto Il"
MonoIogue-s:l5-The Earl Of pawtucket
MAJESTIC TIaEATRE-S-The Wizard OF o.
MANHATTAN TnEATRE-S-Mary OF Masoaa-
METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE-S-Alda
MRS oSBORN'S PLAY BOUSE-Romeo and JHhe|
NEW sANoYNa-The Little Princess-s:2o-The 1iri
with the Green Eyes ,f,rcbnr
K-a:I5-s:l5-when Johnny Comes Marc'is
Continuous Performance. Johnson
PRINCESS THEATRES S-SO-The FrassS Nis '
PROCToR'S THEATRE-NaudeNile So, - S,lu
THEA1RE-S:15-The Suiuan :.
WEST END THEATRE-s-The Village Fosl.na.
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
GOOD AND BAD IN ASPHALT

Asphalted streets appear to be the order of
the day In New-York, as in many other cities.
OF their acceptability from certain points of
view there can be no question. In diminution
of noise in promotion Of cleanliness, in comfort
Of riding and In reduction of wear and tear
upon vehicles they are vast improvement
upon even the best stone block paVements.
Whether they are on the whole preferable to
brick wood pavements, Of which there are
some admirable specimens in this city, and
which have some unquestionable advantages
over asphalt, may be an open question. The
condition that confronts us" is, however, that
of a great and steadily increasing mileage of
asphalted streets, with many good qualities and
with some decidedly bad ones.
There is, for example, nc Disgusting the fact
that most of our asphalted streets are at times
some Of them at all times-unpleasantly and
even dangerously slippery. Fifth-ave. has a
hard, polished surface, upon which iceboats
might sail and upon which footing for horses
is at all times precarious, unless they are espe-
cially shod Other streets are safe enough
when clean and dry, but when wet or covered
with skim Of snow or ice or mud are treach-
erous and dangerous. The question needs TO
be carefully considered whether these evil con-
ditions cannot be cured. 1t would not do to use
an asphalt so soft that it would not become
polished, for it would not be durable Neither
has it yet been found practicable to shoe all
horses so that at all times they will be secure
upon a mirTorlike surface But cannot the
hard asphalt be made and kept sufficiently
rough TO afford good footing? In some cities
they sprinkle sand upon it whenever it is wet
or icy. In others fine broken stone, such as is
used for the surfaces OF the best macadam
roads. is freely mixed with the asphalt, with
the result, we believe, Of producing and main
tanning surface that never becomes slippery.
The cost of such a mixture of stone and asphalt
is not more. but rather less, than that of pure
asphalt 1t would be interesting to see such
Dads practically tried In New-York. There GER
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
STREET CLEANING.

Householders in every part of New-York are
in duty bound to do what they can to help the
overburdened Department of Street Cleaning.
Its equipment should be kept up to the highest
standard of efficiency and usefulness, as it will
surely be unless tie reasonable demands Of the
present Commissioner fail to meet prompt re-
sponse OH the part of the municipal authorities.
He can be trusted to use for the best advan-
tage OF the community every dollar which he
asks for
No city WAS ever more wasteful in many ways
than this big. rich town; and the Street Clean
ing Department is compelled to take care of a
prodigious quantity of its waste. In the swarm
ing tenement districts it must remove the refuse
daily. almost hourly-countless tons of it-and
1t must cleanse the avenues and streets with in
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
PERSONAL.

The ketteler monument is finally completed 1t
is in the form of ornamental arch and stretches
across the great street running from the Hatamen
to the north. 1t is made of Chinese marble is
extremely plain, but makes impression of
ruggedness and strength. The stone pillars are
nearly three feet in diameter The roof is en-
tirely of marble and looks as though it might
traceries of flowers. but not distinct enough to be
observed by the passerby. On the south side
guages-German, Chinese and Latin-informing
the the public that this is monument erected by
Won Ketteler. who was nefariously killed by Box
er bandlts on June 20. 1900 This monument
should be a standing warning to all to avoid like
crimes. The Chinese word used for Emperor is
Chen or the Imperial We
Duke Carl Theodor of Bavaria has for great
number of years followed the profession Of a doc
tor. What was in his boyhood hobby has become
the serious work of his lifetime. His example has
varia, cousin of King Otto, who has also passed
his examina ton as a doctor and who works in the
Womens Hospital at Munich and has thus found
an outlet for his energies.
The North Dakota legislature has Just passed
suitable resolutions on the death of Captain Alex
ander Griggs, the pioneer steamboat captain of
Forks.
The Emperor Menelik Of Abyssinfa among his
other hobbies takes great interest in clocks and
several chronometers have recently been imported
from Switzerland by his Swiss adviser which vary
no more than six seconds in two months. Ras
Makonnen has also ordered several curious me-
chanlcaI clocks from Swiss firms for presentation
able OF these is great Ginning clock to initiate
that Of st. Margarets. Westminster Abbey.
tablet in bronze and marble has been placed
in the National Academy Chapel. ANNAPOLIS IN
memory OF Lieut. Lieutenaat Commander Jesse N; Roper.
Petrei off Cavite. Philippine Islands.
New-York tribune., 1903-02-16
MEANS FOR FIGHTING FIRE.

If one may judge from the rank and expert
ence of the men who have been invited to con-
duct the coming exhibition of apparatus for
fighting fire In London the enterprise has been
orga nized with commendable thoroughness.
Two recent confagrations in the largest city of
the world, attended by considerable loss of
life, may have supplied the immediate incentive
for this undertaking. 1t is quite credible, too,
that there is room for improvement in the meth
ods and mechanism Of British f1remen. What
ever doubt there may be these points,
though it is clear that the Lord Mayor, who
has taken the initiative in the matter. is very
much in earnest, and has sought the coopera-
ton of able counselors and administrators. Upon
his choice of chairman of the executive commit
tee it would be impossible to improve. Edwin
o. Sachs is widely known for his services in
fire prevention, and with him are to be associ-
ated several of the most eminent engineers,
architects, chemists and ordnance experts in
the United Kingdom.
Equally admirable is the broad scope Of the
proposed exhibition. It will include appliances
for salvage and rescue, as well as means for
supDresSng fire. The show proper, moreover,
will be supplemented with a congress for the
discussion of related topics. Among these are
the proper design and construction of buildings,
the best forms of fire escape means employed
for the detection and prevention OF tncendia-
rism, methods of official inspection which shall
cause the least Inconvenience to tenants and,
above all, effective practice in stopping fire
that has once started. The project distinctly
recognizes the possibility that something may
be learned from other countries, and thus lacks
the spirit Of fnsularity that is sometimes I'm
puted to Englishmen.
In more senses than one this will be an inter-
national enterprise. German manufacturers are
planning to improve the opportunity which it
will afford for advertising their wares. Their
American rivals will doubtless perceive the
chance which is presented for doing the same
No doubt success In a campaign against fire de-
pends largely upon system, discipline and per-
sonal courage, just it does upon "the man
behind the gum In another form of warfare
In both however, it is essential to have the
right weapons also. In exhibiting fire engines
and allied apparatus in London next summer
therefore, Americans may give the world a few
valuable points I'm equipment while turning an
honest penny for themselves.