The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1906-08-04
THE TRIP TO
BELZONI
BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVIS-
ORS AND OTHERS
Where, With Prominent Citizens o1
That Town the Proposed New
Bridge Was Discussed

The official board of the county,
/ the honorable Board of Supervisors,
| boarded the Southern train last We'd
nesday morning for Belzoni, the en-
| terprising little city on the 4azoo.
| All the members of the Board were
present except Maj. T. S. Redd, who
found it impossible to make the trip.
Accompanying the party was Mr..
Malcomb Robertshaw, = the Craw-
! ford Grocery Co, Mr.. I. A. Daniels,
the photographer at the Bell studio,
! w r. Harvey, county civil engineer,
and the city editors, Messrs. l.. Pink
| Smith of the Daily Democrat, and
H. T. Crosby, editor of The Times.
The object OF the trip was to meet
! the citizens OF Belzoni, view the. site
of their proposed bridge across the
! Yazoo river and discuss with them
| the plans, etc, on which it was to be
erected. On arriving at Belzoni the
party was met at the depot by num-
! Der Of citizens headed by Mr.. 5. Cas-
/ tleman, and escorted to the offices OF
| Mr.. Castleman, over the Bank OF Bel
zoni, where liquid refreshments were
iserved to all who would partake.
| Then they were shown over the little
CITY were made to feel welcome by
the warm. grasps Of the hands OF her
hospitable people.
After a few minutes rest the party
then IN a body went to view the pro-
posed site of the new bridge to cross
the river The site IS situated about
half way between the city and the
Eclzoni oil mill, and with the high
banks OH each side at this point was
agreed to by all as an ideal place for
the bridge
After viewing the site the party re-
| turned to the Offices Of Mr.. Castle
man and on assembling President II.
Wilczinski arose and addressed the
meeting. In opening his talk he eN-
pressed the thanks Of the Board and
party for the happy welcome that had
been shown them by the big hearted
people OF Belzoni. He was glad that
they had come, had seen the enter
prising city of Belzoni, Washington
county coming town, and the bright
future it has That it was the wish
Of every member Of the Board to as
sist them in the building of this
bridge that is calculated to help in
/ crease its prosperity. Continuing, Mr..
Wilczinski said Il will admit 1t
Emanns something for the county, it
means something for Holmes coun-
ty with which it connects, but RI
means more for Belzoni and its busl-
ness than it does for either There
fore, he favored that ii the city or
Belzoni would bear so per cent. OF
the cost, Holmes county 25 per cent,
that Washington county would bear
| the other 25 per cent. That he and
every member OF the Board would be
glad to do more but that as they were
only the servants of the people, and
that the public expects them to use
Judgment and discretion III the award
ing of the public funds, that to avoid
just criticism, they must do So The
Third District may some day want TO
build a bridge across the Mississip-
pi,' said Mr. Wilczinski, 'and the act
of the Board OF Supervisors in that
case would no doubt be governed by
some extent by our act with you here
today. Now, we want to help you
we feel you deserve aid from the
county, and we are going to give lit
to you as much as our power will ad-
NIT, and we can honestly and consls-
tenty consider it our duty to do
Mr.. Wilczinski was forIowed by
Mr.. Castleman who said that he and
every citizen appreciated the visit of
the Board as their guests, and felt all
the time that they wanted to do the
right thing in the matter. He then
exhibited the drawings of the new
bridge and said it would cost be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000. That as
there was only about 20 per cent.
cleared across the river IN Holmes
county, he did not think that they
would be willing to give fourth OF
the cost, but he felt they would con-
tribute between four and five thous-
and dollars.
Mr. Castleman said that while it
was true the Fifth District, of which
Belzoni was part, had drawn heav-
lily on the county's fund, still very
little of it went to his section, and
he felt that as this bridge would in
crease the value of property in this
end of the county and that the coun-
ty in time would get the benefit from
it, that the county could we'll afford
to give the building of the bridge at
least $4,000 That the bridge, he
thought, commercially. would con-
tribute little to Holmes county, but
would have a tendency of raising the
values of land in their county on
Honey Island, by opening it up
Mr.. Castleman was followed by Mr.
, VIM. Griffin. who said he thought
the Board could contribute this
amount, as Belzoni asked only
: Lldll uoNIl on COnpIellOfl OF the
f bridge, and the balance one year
! hence without interest.
!. Mr.. Wilczinski followed Mr. Grit
fin giving brief history OF the finan-
clal condition OF the county, which
, showed it to be out of funds. This
he attributed being due to useless ex-
pense of last quarantine, money
thrown away on public roads in his
district, and smallpox epidemic, etc
! That he did not regard the people of
Belzoni as step-children, but as full
citizens and deserved the support as
any other part of the county That
if the Board favored it he would be
willing to contribute from the coun-
ty at least $1,000 to be paid as stated
above. But he added this proviso.
that should this part of the county
some day form another county with
, Holmes and Sunflower, that they will
pay back the amount donated to
this bridge to Washington county.
(Thls was agreed to by all mem
bers PRESENT. Mr.. Wilczinski then
spoke of the land rolls of the coun-
, ftv and ff,e number nf 1ara 1,.rarr