Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1907-07-10
w. G. STOvALL.

Of Railroad Commissioner. the neigh
bors and friends Of Capt. w. G
StovaII take this method Of explaining
to the voters Of the Northern Distric
Of Mississippi why he has not beer
active in the canvass for the pas
week, and assuring his supporters 0
the hope that as soon as he can ar
range his farming interests satisEacto
rily, he will again enter vigorously int
the campaign, in which, notwithstand
ing the numerous reports put in cir
culaton, his prospects for ultimate
victory appear to us exceedingly en-
couraging.
We Aatter ourselves that most o
the people throughout the thirty-one
counties comprising this district are
familiar with the history Of this gallan
"Old Confed,' but for the information
of those who are not, we deem it no
inappropriate to give a short synopsis
of his life.
w. G. Stovall was born on farm
in Lawrence county, Alabama, in 1843
where he was reared, and his devo-
ton to this honorable occupation has
never waned, for he has never aban-
doned it. Today he is probably the
largest hay grower and shipper in the
state.
In 1861, when a mere boy, less
than Is years of age, he left his home
and came to Iuka, Miss, where he en-
listed in Company B, jeff Davis
Legion, as a private, and went imme-
diately with his command to Virginia,
where he did valiant service under the
immortal Jeb Stuart Such was bis
efficiency as a soldier and gallantry on
the field, that he was promoted to the
rank Of lieutenant in his old command,
and in 1863 he was commissioned to
return home and raise company Of
his own, which he did, and served
until the close Of the war in jeff
Forests regiment Of Cavalry.
During the terrible reconstruction
period Mississippi produced no more
valiant worker in the cause OF home
rule, and no man did more towards
the expulsion of the carpetbaggers,
and the over-swing Of the negro Loyal
Leagues, than Capt. StovalI. 1t is
said he marched his red shirt COM
pany from Egypt to Okolona, dis
lance Of eight miles, on one memora-
BILE occasion in twenty-eight minutes,
and when the head Of the column
struck the head Of the main street Of
the city the black cohorts assembled
therein, and numbering several hum
dred, were scattered like chaff before
the wind.
For fourteen years he was sheriff Of
this county, for four years a member
Of the legislature, in which Offices he
filled the most sanguine expections Of
his friends. He was elected by the
legislature as a member Of the new
Capital Commission, and was the only
member of that commission who served
continuously from the time the first
shovel of dirt was thrown in excava-
ton Of the foundation to the reception
and dedication Of the building, con-
ceded to be the finest and best capital
in the United States, when the cash is
considered.
For the past six or eight years Capt,
Stovall has given much time and
thought to the subject Of railroad
freight rates. Being himself directly
interested in the shipment Of farm
products. he early discovered that the
Mississippi farmer was Disseminated
against in the shipment Of corn and
hay in favor Of Missouri, Kansas and
Illinois. and he set himself to correct
this injustice. For instance, the rail.
roads formerly charged ~ cents pei
hundred pounds for hay or corn from
Okolona TO Alderman or Eupora, anc
only IL cents from Okolona to Green
wood or Greenville. a hundred d
more miles further. The old rate t.
FIattiesburg was IL cents from Oko
Iona, when Ellisville. point this side
was CHARGED % cents.