The Kemper herald. (Scooba, Miss.) 1875-1908, 1904-06-02

q like nature, are requested to furnish the
writer with notice Of matter that would be
OF interest to readers of this department.
Newspapers are also requested to send
marked copies containing mention OF new
enterprises, good yields OF crop, extra stock
&c, or to place the writer on the mailing
ilst SO that such matters can be properly
handled. Would highly appreciate any OF
tne State papers that might be sent regularly.
All press people are cordially requested to
make this Office headquarters while in Jack
son. Always have a comfortable chair ex-
changes. stationery and hearty greeting
for the fraternity.
The terrible calamity which befell
1azoo City last week should be a
warning to other towns that water
works, and good water works should
be maintained for use on just such
occasions. A private corporation had
maintained the system in Yazoo City
for number of years and many were
the complaints Of inefficient supply
and pressure. The city was in the act
ct installing a system of its own when
the fire swept away the greater por-
tion of the business district and a
great many dwellings. No town of
800 or more inhabitants should be
without good system of water works
and regularly organized fire compa-
ny. Profit by the costly experience of
Yazoo City and provide these things
while there is time and not be COM
PEELED to stand by and watch millions
OF dollars go up in smoke without
means to check it. The entire state
sympathises with the stricken city and
much substantial sympathy has been
shown. Arrangements are already be-
ing made to rebuild and that in
much more substantial manner than
before. The people of Yazoo City
will emerge from their fire bath brigh-
ter and more energetic than ever.
Without doubt the biggest propo-
sition which confronts the large plan
ters OF the state is that of labor The
enormous amount of public works be-
ing carried on has taken a large per
cent of the negro labor from the cot
ton fields and given employment in
towns and on the roads. They get
good wages in the first place, and with
the rising generation of negroes it is
their desire to live in town where
large numbers of them congregate,
and it is hard matter to keep them
on the farms. A solution of this
problem will no doubt be presented
soon and the writer is inclined 20 be-
lieve that it will come about through
the breaking up of the large farms
into small plots and working with
white labor from the more crowded
sections of the North and West.
Then each farmer will own and till
his own land.
There is complaint coming from
some sections as to the effect of the
Wells vagrancy law which has been
in force now about one month. 1t
is claimed that the negroes are leav-
ing the from which complaint comes
and that labor is hard to get. This
probably from the fact that large
number of negroes and some whites
only small portion of the time and
depend upon gambling and other ne
farious practices to help along and
that the law is being enforced in their
cases and driving them from the
country. This makes scarcity of
labor for odd jobs but does not effect
the regular workers. 1t is better that
such characters be out of the State
and nothing is lost by their absence.
There are millions in the culture
Of ginseng if our people knew how to
get it out. In some sections of Ken
tueky the root is being cultivated with
the greatest success and in Mississippi
there are thousands of acres that are
especially well adapted to it. Rev. W.
E. Crum of Hickory Flat in Benton
county is planting little each year to
see Just what can be expected of it.
In the section of the state where Mr..
Crum lives the plants grow wild and
is hunted for the root with fair success.
If it will grow wild and make mer-
chantable roots, Mr.. Crum figures
that if cultivated that much more
ought to be expected of it. Interest
ed parties can get information from
Mr.. Crum concerning the great posi-
bilities of this new industry by ad-
dressing him with stamped envelop
for reply.
The Illinois Central railroad offers
to import Italians to work the cotton
fields of Mississippi. Several large
delta farmers have been trying them
and find that they work well and are
little trouble. AT the same time it is
change in conditions that our peo-
pie will be slow to accept There Is
nothing like the negro and the mule