Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-11-02
Rr H e. BLAKEsLEE. JACKSON.

'SlSslpP' ~ Winning up iarly sue
cessful year md our good people are
correspondingly happy and contented.
There will few leave this fall in quest
OF riches in other countries OF promise.
Mississippi is as good rs the best, the
only trouble being in the fact that we
have not known it all along. Little il
any effort has been made to develop
our resources until within the past few
years and things have rocked along in
happy-go-lucky way. But the change
desired is taking place and better times
are upon us, even at the present mo-
ment. Then let's keep up the lick and
guarantee u continuance OF prosperous
times. The farmers are organizing and
making an earnest effort to improve
their condition, and upon tlreir pros
perity depends tse prosperity of the en-.
tire State, 1t is the duty of every per-
son, makes no difference in what line
OF business, to assist in this work, q
business obligation as well.
In looking around for this satsfac-
tory Improvement and the cause there
are many things TO take into cousidera-
tion, but the writer believes that one
OF the greatest factors has been the re-
luvenated fair spirit, the building up
OF county fairs and the State fair. 1t is
4 fact that cannot be contradic icted that
communities sustaining u live fair are
doing better than those that have moth
ing of the kind. 1t brings the people
together once year in fraternal meet
ing; they see what their neighbor has
accomplished, and after hearing how it
was done are encouraged to make the
effort themselves. Mississippi has fur
nished multiplied thousands OF the best
people on earth to make the Empire
State OF Texas what she is today to the
detriment of our own. Texas has fifty
county fairs and the great Texas State
fair at Dallas, more than twenty years
old, and the largest in the South. The
Texas legislature makes liberal apprc~
priatiOnS to the support Of this fair, as
DO the Legislatures OF nearly every
Southern State, and find it the best in
vestment that csn possibly be made.
The people demand an outing at least
once each year and the fair is both
entertaining and highly instructive.
Mississippi is awakening TO tho i'm
portance Of fairs and more are being
held this year than ever before in the
history Of the State, The first at Yaaoo
City was held last week and WAS mag
niflcent success, The people OF that
splendid county took the greatest in
teres5 and the exhibits we're up to
high standard. 1t will be worth untold
thousands of dosars TO the people in
the end, Copiah county, the banner
trucking county of the State, held her
first regular fair the week before and
al its close a regular love feast was
held. Planters, stockmen, bankers,
merchants and all expressed themselves
as delighted with the initial attempt
. and pledged their undivided support to
its permanency, The reports from
every point are of similar nature.
The writer hopes to assist in the or
gani2ation OF at least half dozen new
ones for next fall. Greenville, Hatties-
burg, Greenwood, Kosciusko, Meridian
aud dozen other points are agitating
the subject and II IS to be sincerely
hoped that tangible results will follow
the organization.
The great State fair begins next
Tuesday at Jackson and continues until
Saturday, the 18th. Everything is in
readiness and the event promises to be
much better than ever before. The
railroads have all granted rate OF one
fare for the round trip plus 25 cents,
and an attendance of near 10000 is ex-
pected. Let the man who does not be-
lieve in fairs come for one or two days,
study carefully the interest shown and
the instruction received, investigate for
himself and then pass upon the possible
benefits to great commonwealth like
Mississippi of good State fair.
No city in Mississippi has experienced
a more phenomenal growth than Hat
tiesburg for the past fouryears. 1t has
discarded the swaddling. clothes of
country town and grown into an up-to-
date city with all conveniences and ne
cessities. Five and six story buildings
have replaced those Of q less preten-
tious nature, the streets have been
paved, factories built and the popula-
zion pushed TO above 10000. Hatties-
burg is the delight of oil loyal Missis-
sippians as live, hustling metropolis.
A bale Of cotton made into handker-
chiefs will bring the manufacturer
something like $1,000. The difference
OF 81 ,150 is lost to the South where lit
tie cotton is manufactured into the finer
fabrics, but there is q change to take
place that will save this to US. The
factories are gradually coming to the
fields and within few more years there
will be different tale 10 tell.
Mississippi chickens swept the field
at the Louisiana State Fair and brought
back nearly all the cash prizes. This
Is a good showing for Mississippi to go
down and capture so much of the Sl5,-
600 donated by the legislatureof OF Louis
= lana for State Fair premiums. Let's
get 1t all next time.
The town OF Magnolia and county of
Pike will cooperate in the improve
ment Of roads leading TO that place.
This Is commendable on the part of
both parties to the agreement. Co
operation Is the word.
S. G, Stokes Of near Gloster made
with his family this year twenty bales
of cotton and will have no trouble in
gathering oil of 1t. This Is pretty good
farming for one family, especially when
Il Is taken into consideration that other
crops we're raised besides cotton,
Mississippi may or may not have been
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