Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-02-20
"REMINISCENCES.
WRITTEN FOR THE BEACON BY j. K

WRITTEN FOR THE BEACON BY j. X.
/ went from Lauderdale Springs to
Meridlan last Saturday and when | got
aboard the car | had the unexpected
pleasure Of meeting quite a number of
friends from Fox Trap, who were on
their way to Mobile to enjoy the fun and
frolic of Mardi Gras. II | had though
for a moment Of this festive season, |
might have expected to meet some OF the
people Of that noted neighborhood, for
they make it a point to take in all the
| good things Of this life that money a
procure. The present generation Is com-
posed Of chips from the old blocks that
lived down there when | knew their
| grand old ancestors. | believe that more
of the estates in that locality are now
in the hands Of the descendants Of the
a~nte-bellum owners than in any other
part of Noxrbee county, and ] can also
say that the modes of life, with all the
generous hospitality of the old timers,
are more closely followed by the present
generation than anywhere else that
know of. Fox Trap used to be consid-
cred the cream of the county in rich and
fertile lands, and the owners had ways
and manners that seemed to fit the char
acter of the soil. You know that the
celebrated Perique tabacco and Tobasco
pepper II can be made only in "A very
small area down in Louisiana. No 9th
er land will impart to these plants the
pungency and flavor that the parish of
| New Iberia does. 1t takes fine soil to
grow fine people as well as plants. just
as it takes the soil of old Kentucky to
raise the finest horses. And while !
know that the whole of Noxubee coun-
ty will grow fine people, | can say that
there Is a kind of snap and dash in the
Fox Trappers that you do not see in ev-
cry part of the country. This comes
largely through heredity for the fathers
and grandfathers Of the present genera
ton were rs high toned and chivalric a
people as ever lived, Old Gen. Wyatt
Moye, DR.. Boykin ST., Martin and Jobe
Binion, Hugh Windhqm, Russell and
Frank Spann, Nathaniel Harrison, Ba-
lus Deale. DR.. Calhoun and others whom
| might name. were broad minded men,
and in their home life, as well as in all
public matters, were gentlemen of the
olden style. These grand old men did
not have TO work for money and wealth.
1t came to them by inheritance and
their modes of thought, their manners
and customs, their home life and public
conduct were on a scale that such a
fortunate condition tostered and sus
tanned. tell you, Phil, it makes my
mouth water now to think of the good
things which these old fellows enjoyed.
They did not have to get up before day
and strike an old sweep to wake up a lot
Of lazy niggers and start them to the
fields. They had somebody to do this
for them and they could rise early or
late, as suited them. And when they
needed a little money all they had to do
was to check on John Anthony Winston,
Joel Jones or Dick Cavett, Of Mobile,
and get it. They paid only thirteen and
a half cents for the privilege Of drawing
their own money out Of their commits
sion merchants hands; but they. didn't
mind a little thing like that. They had
lots of land and niggers and mules and
fine horses and carriages and lived like
princes. Champagne wines were only
twenty four dollars a basket, and a first
class article of Dexter whiskey, ten
years old, could be bought for only thir
y cents a gallon. A box of n hum
dred Havana cigars cost thee dollars. -
All they had to do to get these necessary
supplies was to order them from Mobile
and 90 to Fairfield for them when the
boat brought them. l tell you it was
glorious to go to see these people. You
could stop in at any time and you were
met with Il warm handshake and a glass
of sweetened toldy. The ladies, bless
their memories, used to make up tum
blers full of toddy, ~sprinkled oyer with
nutmeg, and send it in to you before
breakfast. and there were no mere
d~runkards then than now and the blind
tiger was unknown Those people had
too much respect for themselves and
wives and sisters and daughters to
get drunk,
I lived IN Fox Trap during the year
1866. This was the first year that the
free nigger was worked. The freed
mans bureau was in operation and it
had a satrap stationed at Macon, The
darkies knew this infamous machine was