The Tupelo journal., 1907-09-06

road improvement in the following
strong and sensible manner: Now, you
well know our public road system could
be improved by the contract system and
by the applying Of the labor of county
convicts to them, but when we come ia
look into this we find that there would
not be sufficient funds from the per
capita tax of those subject to road duty
to pay for this work, so / would sug'
gest as a remedy to supply the defcien.
cy that we levy a one-mill tax on real
estate, placing a part of the burden OF
maintaining the public roads on the
nonresident land holders, and l favor
the establishment of a state road com.
mission and the issuance of bonds by
tn. state to build state highways along
the township and range lines, these
roads to be graded, twenty feet wide
and straight. Now of course this looks
like a big thing, and really it is a big
thing, but it can be done and eventually
will be done, and the sooner it is done
the better for our country. When once
these roads are built, farming industries
will multiply by leaps and bounds, and
after all is said and done, it seems to
be a fact that won't down. That the
soil is about the only thing that is to
remain with us that can be turned over
from year to year to yield Il revenue, so
it seems that it is to the farm and the
farmer that we must look for the main
tenance and increase of III commercial
prosperity, and the farmer can never at
tain his full measure of prosperity until
the roads of the county have been put
in first-class condition and made as
nearly straight as it is possible to make
them"
1t has been suggested by some of the
state papers, that the Farmers Union,
along its well known educational lines,
take up the matter of tobacco growing
and make a test of the section common
ly known as the "piney woods" to as
certain definitely whether good tobacco
can be grown there or not. The idea
is undoubtedly a good one and worthy of
consideration. During the past few
years tobacco has been grown on a small
scale successfully in a number of the
counties of South Mississippi, and it il
very likely that the industry with prop
er handling could be made II of i'm
%portance. Judge W. H. Hardy has con
tended for some time that the very best
of tobacco could be grown there, raising
it himself and having a considerable
quantity made into cigars for a test. If
a tobacco that would command a fair
price on the market could be raised,
there is little doubt but what interested
growers could be found to put the
scheme into practical operation. Missis-
sippi will raise successfully almost any
thing that grows in other countries, and
why not tobacco7
The live little city of Baldwin, half in
Lee and the other half in Prentiss coun-
ty, held a preliminary fair last fall and
made a splendid success of the effort.
Again this year the event will be dupG-
Gated but on a much larger scale, re-
solving itself into three big days time,
October 25, 26 and p. The people of
Lee, ~Itawamba, Prentiss, Pontotoc,
Union and Tippah counties are invited
to participate. John Dulaney has been
elected president and Forest Prather
secretary. Charley Newman seems to
be head pusher and is making a anvass
of the territory for cooperation and ex-
hibits. A good list of cash and other
premiums to cover a wide range of ex-
hibits has been offered and there is lit
tie doubt of the success of the undertake
ing. gThe writer is pretty well ~acquaint-
ed with the territory surrounding Bald
wyn, and is confident that a display can
be made that will reflect great credit
upon the territory represented. The
promoters of the enterprise are deserv-
ing of the well wishes and active help
of all who are interested in the develop
ment of the state. Make it a big event
this year and a bigger one next.
The great Mississippi cotton crop is
moving. The first bale this year was
raised by j. c. Lindsey of Holmes coun-
ty and sold upon the streets of Lexing-
ton in August for Is 1-2 cents per pound.
1t was Immediately expressed to Mem
phis and there placed upon sale to th9
highest bidder as per the usual custom
and brought 40 cents per pound. The
producer received a barrel of -four as a
premium besides the purchase price
named. Other bales followed in quick
succession until half the counties had
gone through with attendant first bale
excitement. The crop is not good as a
general thing, either in Mississippi or
the South, and there is no reason why
a single bale of middling should sell for
less than IL cents. The spectators may
hammer it below that figure, but it is
well worth IL cents in the face of pres
ent indications of yield.
New York city now has a night court
in order to give speedy trials. If we
would have a night criminal court we
might have a little more speed in try
ing some of those old felony cases.
Columbia, as stated in this depart
ment some weeks since, has been inves-
tigating the ACCESSIBILITY and attendant