The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1906-09-28

SaltlllO me- at the QepOC on I'M
portant business. 1t is difficult
for history makers to glance into
the future and see the result Of
their actions and the far-reach-
ing effects of a simple village or
town meeting. Some were pres
ent at this long time gone meet
ing whose hearts were fixed on
the thought that their real es-
tate would be wonderfully ad-
vanced if they could be moved
! into a new county and still not
change their domicile; others had
uppermost in their minds the
idea of fronting their business
houses on Court House Square,
and looking from their front We
randas upon a magnificent court
house, whose spire should tower
towards the heavens and whose
cupola should be kissed by ev
cry rising sunbeam; and probably
some few may have been men,
bers of that little assemblage
whose hearts were looking above
for the general welfare of the
country at large and the town of
Saltillo in particular, but is must
be said, and that not in dispar-
agement, that the most of those
old timers had IAN axe to grind"
as the reason for their appear
ance at that time and place. The
special object of the meeting was
to petition the Legislature, which
was then in session, to pass an
act creating a new county, Sug-
gesting it's name, and last and
principally, to ask with much
earnestness and stress that Sal
tillo should be made the perma-
nent county seat of the new
county. This last named prop
osition was agreed to with unan-
unity and with a flourish of
trumpets. The name gave more
concern, and was more difficult
to settle. Some wanted the new
county named Jeff Davis, others
Stonewall Jackson, and still 9TH
ers wantedlt 10 bear the eupho-
NOUS name of Pushamataha,
which last named had doubtless
been borne by some Chickasaw
brave many long years before
then, as he roamed over the fair
fields and lovely wales of North
Mississippi, scalping his enemies
whether white or copper colored.
Finally the Rev. l. G. w. Nal
lette, an old time Baptist paeach-
er, suggested the name of Lee, in
honor of that magnificent soldier
and magnetic citizen, whose
plume in war was at the front,
and whose heart was big enough
to embrace the whole of his coun-
try, with a special corner for the
land of his birth, Gen. Robt. E.
Lee. At the mention of his name
all hands went up, and the peti-
ton contained the suggestion
that the new county bear his
honored name. The town of Sal
tillo being on the western border
of Itawamba and near the line of
Pontotoc and Itawamba. it was
thought that Saltillo would be
nearer the geographical center
of the new county than any 9TH
er town if something like an
equal number of miles should be
taken off Of each Of those coun-
ties.
While the Legislature was very
accommodating to the petition
ers, they did not grant all they
wanted, but provided that Sal
tillo should be the county site OF
the new county Of Lee until such
time as the people by popula'
vote should determine where the
court house should stand. Much
disfgured, but still in the ring,
Saltillo made a gallant fight for
the court house, but failed. An
old friend of mine, whose heart
has ever beat in the interest Of
his adopted town. has suggested
that one reason Of the failure Of
Saltillo to gain the contest was
that most of the lands adjacent
to the few old tumble down hous-
es which had then been built,
were owned by parties who held
them at such exorbitant prices
that the people generally were
disgusted with such a selfish pol
icy and became lukewarm in the
cause. Another reason given
was that the election, not having
taken place till after the colored
voters tasted power, and they be-
ing much more numerous in the
southern part of the county, and
having no property interests in
volved, and by application Of ju
dicious eIectioneering efforts,
they nearly all went for Tupelo
Well, am not writing to assert
or contest any assertion Of that
kind, but aiming to write histo-
ry. The fact is that Saltillo lost
and Tupelo won the capital Of
the county of Lee. But having
the most magnificent county in
Northeast Mississippi, all feel