The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-02-27

of the State and will be a source of
The rural schools are deserving of
consideration, as large per cent of
the people attend no other Some of
the foremost citizens of the State re-
ceived their education altogether in
the public schools. While the higher
schools are worthy institutions and
deserve the liberal appropriations
made them, too much attention can
not be paid the country schools. The
increase in appropriation is not in
tended to be used altogether in max
lag the terms longer, as in many coun-
ties they are already long enough for
practical purposes, but to raise the
grade of teachers and improve the
rural school houses. Many of these
houses are a disgrace to the State and
it is to be hoped that something sub
stantial along the line of Improvement
will be accomplished Make the rural
schools good first and then we may
expect to see our citizenship better
year after year.
Too many Mississippi towns have
within their borders men who are of
the dog in the malger" variety. They
will not help in any good work under
taken unless they can be the head,
tail and whole hog. What we need is
to get rid of this kind of men and in
their stead live, progressive citizens,
who will pull anywhere. There is a
decided change taking place along
&c, nd IN
be more broad and patriotic every
year. The knockers are being buried
so deep that shortly the class will be
unknown.
The writer of these items is very
much gratified at the letters of COM
mendation received from publishers
all lover the State who are entering
heartily into the work of Greater
Mississippi" and willing to do more
THAI their share in pushing it along.
That there is not more patriotic
body extant than the country pub
fishers no one can doubt. The papers
are always first to take up work of
progress and last to stack their arms
if defeat is the portion. To the press,
Mississippi owes largely her present
era of great prosperity.
$50
1t is too often the case that when a
section of country becomes especially
prosperous and much money is bei1 6
invested in corporations, that there
are numerous wild cat" schemes and
balloon companies organized to catch
the unwary and part them from their
money. Be it said to the credit of
Mississippi that not one has been tried
so far. All of the companies organ
lied have been genuine and are doing
nicely. Keep a. watch for such as
these and when one shows up, pune
ture it before anything is lost.
Few people away from the scene of
activity appreciate the proportions OF
the oyster industry. carried on along
our gulf coast. There are numbers OF
factories employing large numbers of
men, women and children at almost
every town between Mobile and New
Orleans. The product is considered
of the finest and commands top of the
market prices wherever offered. Then
too, this industry is really in its in.
fancy and will be greatly enlarged
upon in the future.
President Spencer of the A6uthern
Railway and a party of officials have
been inspecting their lines in the
State and promise to encourage and
help in locating enterprises, develop
ing lands, etc. The Southern main
tains splendid industrial department
and has been the means of helping the
country adjacent to their lines greatly
His road is the pioneer in this work
and that the venture has proven a
success, we note that the department
is being enlarged and made better
each year.
The price of cotton will, to some
extent, distract the attention of ouI
people from industrial development
for time 1t is likely that everything
that will raise cotton will be planted
this year, but we must not forget that
there are other matters just as i'm
portant demanding our attention.
80
More Eastern cotton mills are seek
ing information concerning labor con
ditions and the cost of operating with
the view of moving South. With the
advantages we possess there ought tC
be no difficulty in locating them with
US While mills IL the North and
East have been compelled to shut
down during the summer months, an6
in many cases ran the season at loss
the Southern mills have run right
along and paid good dividends in every
case. This is the sensible location
for the cotton manufacturing industry
and the mill operators are beginning
to find it out What we need now tC
stimulate this kind of education is ar
organized and persistent movement tt
bring them here. If there was de
partment in the State whereby iafor
nation desired by them could be Sc
cured for the asking, it would prove a
great investment. Let us be up and
doing. Don't sit down and wait fol-
something to turn up, but go after il
and turn it up
AS an index to the value of timber
the. erection of million dollar plant
for creosoting ties, being erected near
Grenada, is straw at least. That
such an amount would be expe AIDED to
lengthen the life of railroad ties
proves that the supply is necessarily
limited, and should be warning to
parties owning timber to get the worth
of it before selling. Our State pos
sesses vast tracts of timber just now
being opened up by the new railroads
building and the owners should post
themselves as to the value before let
tag it go. Timber tracts are getting
to be more valuable than coal lands
and the now seemingly high values
are only forerunner as to what they
will be in the near future.
New Albany, in Union county, has
made rapid strides during the past
year and promises greater things in
the present. Forty-five thousand dol
lars has been subscribed for a com
press and work will commence short
~ on construction; a steam brick
plant, plaaing mill and other enter
prises are under way and will soon be
in operation A splendid three-stors
Masonic temple, and other substantial