The leader., 1904-06-01

thAubA Va 0AAVVhAhhtAtA AAuH
Brookhaven, Miss.
cy,n by Congressman Williams;
"The Influence of the Press in
Politics." by Hall Sanders; THE
Local Press" by r. B. May;
Mississippi, Manufacturing
State,o by the veteran lumber
man and patriotic and enterpris-
ing citizen, Capt. j. j. White;
"The Womanhood of Mississip-
pi," by E. q. Williams; "Some
Hot Air. by the inimitable Dick
Quin, editor of the McComb
Times. 1t was early in the morn
| ing when the RECALLED guests retir-
ed to their rooms, each one vieing
with the other in expressions Of
praise and admiration for both
che material and intellectual feasts
so lavishly spread.
With the brightness of the
morning, while the dew was yet
upon the blossom, the animated
faces began again to assemble in
the dining hall Of the hotel and
again to receive extended courte-
isles of McComb's citizens. In the
afternoon procession of near
thirty vehicles were lined up in
front of the house of entertain
ment and soon long, delightful
drive over the charming little city
engrossed each participant. The
expansive territory covered by
the town, the many beautiful resi-
dences, EMPOWERED in living
green and vari-coIored flowers,
the ice factory, the cotton mill,
the saw and planning mill and 9th
er enterprises bespeaking thrift
and foresight for future veal, the
pretty stretches of woodland that
could easily be converted into
beautiful parks; and finally,
greatest and last, the magnificent
public school building, all aroused
a lively interest in our neighbor-
ing municipality.
The school building had been
in use for only one month, so it
was viewed by the Press in all its
original and immaculate beauty.
There was not scratch nor scar
to mar the purity of its walls or
the architectural ornamentation of
its decoration. Prof. Hughes and
his faculty of 20 teachers, whose
work was closely inspected in the
lower grades, were warmly com
mended by every visitor. The
building, including furnishings,
cost $4,000 and is the pride of
the city and certainly an inspir-
ing possession of the entire State.
On Tuesday night, the 18th inst,
between 9 and 10 o'clock, seventy
members of the Association babe
a regretful adieu to McComb and
her hospitable people and took
Pullman Palace cars for St. Louis
and the Worlds Fair. When
daylight dawned, the joyous party
were still in Mississippi, though
speeding toward the Exposition
as rapidly as steam could carry
them.
One is impressed by the poor
and broken farm lands lying along
the railroad in North Mississippi,
and only here and there passes
really fertile field. After entering
Tennessee, the land appears to
gradually improve; but there is no
perceptibIe difference in forest
growth, grasses, etc., with which
Mississippians are familiar. Old
cotton stalks or newly planted
fields appeared all through Ten
nessee until Kentucky and the
Ohio River we're reached. At
Cairo, the great steel bridge of
the Illinois Central railroad that
spans the Ohio was crossed and
soon the neat, well-kept and often
picturesque farm houses of the
West hove in sight with their &C
companying sweeps of hay and
grain fields and the most luxu-
RANT and abundant apple orchards
our verdant eyes had even beheld.
Could we visit such orchards in
harvest time, we would be wholly
unmindful of the courtesy of
Mother Eve and would consume
all in sight, regardless of any
Adam. Truck farming also ap-
peared to be receiving much atten-
ton.
The first thing after getting
into Illinois that impresses a
Southerner after the State line
has been crossed, is the way ne
groes are seen crowding into
coaches occupied by white people.
In Mississippi, Tennessee, Ken
lucky and other Southern states
the railroads are required by law
to furnish separate accommoda-
tions for the races; but in Illinois
and other States north Of Mason
and Dixon's line the negroes APP
pear quick to avail themselves of
the privilege of mixing with the
whites in the cars. All this was
soon observed and warmly COM
mented upon by the Mississippi
Iaalaalal1