The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-04-08
ing to those who are interested in the
truck and fruit business.

J. F. Culp, of Waynesboro, has 5000
bearing peach trees on his farm which
has ben opened but four years, eight
acres in strawberries, one acre of as
paragus six acres in potatoes and a
large acreage in beans. Mr.. Culp also
grows corn, cotton, sugar cane, sweet
potatoes, peas n peanuts. He is an
Illinois man and is delighted with the
South and it's wonderful possibilities,
never allowing an opportunity Of say
ing a good word for it pass by without
taking advantage of it. He has been
the means Of locating a number of
families of Northern people and will
continue in the work of getting good
families to come to Mississippi.
Poplarville and Lumberton have
joined forces in the boring of an eight
inch artesian we'll and the contract is
being advertised. The people of those
thriving towns will have pure drinking
water in bountiful quantities at any
cost.
Greenyille is taking on a great deal
Of activity in the early spring months
n will do something during the
present year. A move is on foot to
VI " ia sc q liz -
brick plant is in operation, numbers
of residences are going up, a whole
sale dry goods house is being organ
lied and other enterprises in the va
rious stages of naturalization Green
vile is in the heart of the richest sec
ton of the world and there is every
reason why it should be a prosperous
city of fifty thousand souls.
Paul J. Rainey, the Cleveland, Ohio,
millionaire who has property interests
at New Albany, has recently bought q
frame hotel there and will tear it
down n erect a modern three-storied
hotel and business block. Mr.. Rainey
some four years since bought a place
at Cotton Plant. just north Of New
Albany, to be used as a summer hunt
ing lodge. He became interested in
the possibilities of large dividends on
Investments in the South and built an
oil mill at New Albany. In a short
time he sold this property at a hand
some profit and then built an i'm
proved compress. He also invested in
several manufacturing enterprises at
New Albany and will cap the climax
by building the city a handsome no.
tel. All of~these investments are pay
ing Mr.. Rainey satisfactory interest
di1u iit 10 IL FCStlIS III d StlN every
year 1t is q pity that more of the
wonderful possibilities of our great
State were not known by people in the
North and East with money to invest.
The per cent to be made here is large
ly in excess of the best hat can be
realized in the older States.
The visit of Mr.. William E. Curtis,
the noted newspaper correspondent Of
Washington. to Mississippi, should
prove an event of unusual interest and
result in good to the South in general.
Mr. Curtis took great pains to learn
Of existing conditions and promises
to write them for the powerful syndi-
cate papers hat he represents, just as
he found them. Such visits as these
from responsible men, and the attend
ant publicity, will do much to get the
true condition of affairs down here
before our brethren of the North and
thereby bring about a much better I'M
derstanding and feeling between the
sections.
The reduced showing Of deposits in
a large numbe of Mississippi n
does not mean that the country is not
so prosperous as formerly, but is on
account Of a great deal Of cotton being
held and large mounts Of capital
being invested in manufacturing.
Large bank deposits do not mean
prosperity for any one except the
banker particularly. 1t would be far
better for Mississippi if the deposits
were invested in legitimate manufac-
turing enterprises to work the crude
material we ave into the finished ar
ticle. 1t would be worth far more to
the general prosperity of the State
and its people.
The city authorities of Laurel are
wrestling with the proposition to pur-
chase the light and water plants Of
that city with a view to ~cheapening
the cost to users. Such action has
RECENTLY been taken by Greenwood,
and a majority of towns in the State
and under municipal management
with. good success. The municipal
ownership idea is gaining ground fast
in the South, not only in towns, but
in cities of the first class a. we'll.
Memphis is undergoing the same
transformation, as we'll as others in
the same class. Laurel is growing
fast and it is q difficult matter to force
q private concern to keep step with
it's growth, so the proposition is to
take the plants over and operate them
by the city.
The little city of Alderman is be-
coming active in the building of
churches and two splendid new ones
will go up this summer. This is we'll
and good. Every community should
be we'll supplied with churches where
the people can worship according to
the dictates Of their .consciences, and
comfortable and co%mmodious school
buildings where the youngsters can
be properly fitted for the battles of
life. Money spent in good public
buildings is not squandered by any
means. The first impression a stran-
ger receives from a town comes from
the churches and schools. Better
public buildings are the rule in Mis-
SiSSiDpi now