The leader., 1905-04-08

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
tion of the world and there is every
reason why 1t should be a prosperous
city Of fifty thousand souls
Paul ]. Rainey, the Cleveland. Ohio,
millionaire who has property interests
at New Albany, has recently bought a
frame hotel there and will tear it
down and erect modern three-storied
hotel and business block. Mr.. Rainey
some four years since bought 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 short
time he sold this property at 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 hanGsome ho-
tel. All of these investments are pay
ing Mr.. Rainey satisfactory interest
and he is investing more largely every
year. 1t is a 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 that can be
realized in the older States.
UHI,o ,xso.k NJ, G,,nkir
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 that 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 much better un-
derstanding and feeling between the
sections.
The reduced showing of deposits in
a large number OF Mississippi banks
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 amounts of capital
teing 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
m material we have into the finished ar
ticle. 1t would be worth far more to
the general prosperity of the State
and its people.
The people of Belzoni are agitating
tho question of steel bridge across
the Yazoo river near the town.
Plans and blue prints have been made
anG congress will be asked for the
necessary permission, after which is
granted the matter will be taken up
with an active campaign for it's con-
struction. 1t is estimated that the
building of the bridge would greatly
increase the trade territory of Belzoni
and prove a profitable investment.
The earnestness that characterizes the
efforts of Belzoni's citizens means
that the bridge will be built if they
decide to go after it.
So
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 commodious 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-
sissippi now.
The charter for Meridian's half mil
lion dollar cotton mill has been ap-
proved and recorded. Work on the
buildings will commence in short
time and in few more months the
Queen City of the East" will have
added another immense factory to her
already lengthy list of enterprises.
1t now looks as if Meridian would be
the Lowell" of Mississippi in the way
of cotton manufacturing plants. The
mills already there are doing finely
and the citizens are not afraid to risk
their money in another and larger
one.
The negroes of Mississippi are lend
ing substantial aid to the movement
for reduction in cotton acreage,
many of them joining the movement
and paying their dues. Interest in
the organization seems to be steadily
increasing instead of dying out, as
predicted by some, and it really looks
as if the farmers Of the South are
about to come to an understanding
whereby their interests can be pro-
tected.
Aberdeen has let the contract for
her new water and sewerage plant,
and it is to be noted that a local man
secured healthy portion of the job.
Too few Mississippi towns have con-
tractors capacitated to handle con-
tracts of this dimension, and Aber-
deem is to be congratulated upon the
fact that a large part of the work will
be done by home man.
Okolona and Iuka are preparing to
solve the problem Of getting family
washing done. AT both places COM
panies are being organized to put in
laundries that will do the washing as
cheaply and much better than the ne
gro women that have done this class
of work so long. Such moves as these
are not made on account of antago-
nism to the coIored wmen, but be-
cause these same women are getting
too trifHing and untrustworthy to do
the work. Laundries for family
washing are being built in self-defense
by those who can't get it done other
wise.
The merchants of Newton have
formed a club for protection against
those who make bills and refuse to