Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-15
HOW MERIDIAN CAME
NEAR BEING THE CAPITAL

dsco unaiiy was REefducu upOu "
appoint a special committee to hear
the case of the Meridian delegation, a
bill having been introduced early in
the action. The committee met one
afternoon in an upper-story room Of
the capitol building, and the delega-
tion was present with its regularly
appointed orator. The latter had been
instructed to bear hard in his speech
on the unsafe condition of the building
and to back this up with the proposal
of Meridian to contribute largely to-
ward the construction of a new one
on condition the seat of government
should be located in Meridian.
The orator did his work we'll. and
opened the eyes of the committeeman
to many serious defects in the building,
to which attention had never been
called before. His picture of impend-
ing danger was graphic and glowing.
He was sure that II the people of Mis-
sissippi only knew to what peril their
faithful public servants were every mo,
ment subjected by the occupancy Of
that rookery, they would gladly pay
the price for structure secure and
worthy of the spirit Of the illnesses
pecially when the greatest city in the
state was standing ready to pay a
large part Of 1t, on certain conditions
greatly to the states advantage.
A strange and memorable happening
coincident with this speeeh- was that
labout the time the orator began, a
storm commenced to gather in the
west, and, increasing in its force as
the speech progressed. the speaker
took advantage of it AMI insisted that
unless it's fury ceased the building
would likely not be able to withstand
it. The wind increased instead OF
abating, whereupon the committee, or
ator, and all present, becoming actu
ally alarmed, from purely imaginayr
reasons, suddenly, abruptly. and un
tremendously quit, without motion tc
adjourn, and hurried down to what
they hoped were safer quarters. The
storm was more eloquent and potent
than the spiel"
Though this was the last of the
committee meeting, Merchants CASE
commenced to be looked upon will
favor and gained ground so rapidly
that a legislative committee was fin
ally appointed to visit Meridian, in
vestigate and report. That commit
tee came over to thi scity on specia
train. was shown over the town, and
returning to the capital, reported ia
vorably.
4 The situation, at first regarded a
joke, grew to be serious. Member
were declaring their intention to vot
for the bill, until 1t seemed as If a SUI
ficient number had rallied to it. Me
ridian was sure she had won, an,
paused long enough to toss her ca
into the air in exultation. The paus
was fatal. jackson saw what wa
coming, became alarmed. and got busy
Women, afraid of no dangers whe
, emergencies call, rallied to the resca
and snatched from the Queen Cit
IN the eastern side of Che state tn
victory thought to be within its reacl
The capital city ladies', having n
; fears that the statehouse would IA
: down OF, them, entered it and talke
seriously with the Lawmakers abol
| the matter at the eleventh hour. The
were there, so said, quietly looking O
J when the vote was taken. The resu
} was announced. The baseless, insu
stantial fabric of Merchants vision ha
: faded-not vestige of her hopes wa
} left behind. But the old capitol bull
!, ing is still standing-a monument
the substantial character of the wor
D done in the olden days.
The war was too far from Meridian
; base of supplies. Her own wome
). were hundred miles away.
t A footprint of this forgotten car
t paign that is left on the sands
i time. may be found on page 109 I
the sheet acts of 1SS4-"A resolutie
e to provide for the examination Of Il
l. capitol building, with the view to ha