The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-04
SNACBOAT DOING
 EXCELLENT WORK Mississippi Delta Will Profit By
 River Improvement SURVEYING FOR NEW ROAD Partieo Working on Route for Railroad Through Fine Timber Counties. Champion Watermelon Raiser
 Has a Fine Crop.
SURVEYING FOR NEW ROAD

Jackson, Miss, August S.-(Special.)- The United States snagboat Ben Hum phreys is said to be doing excellent and timely work along the Yazoo river, though the water is rather high for the best re- suits. This craft, in charge of Captain Robb, has been plying up and down the river removing all the snags and other Instructions possible, cutting out 3ver- hanging trees and improving the stream in every way possible.
 This work was undertaken at the in stance of Congressman Humphreys. a member Of the Mississippi delegation, who is always looking out after the in- terests of his constituents, and who has done a great deal to interest his people in the matter of what transportation, drainage, leyee districts and construction things that count with those situated as are tile land owners ofNthe delta country.
 During the past winter Mir. Humphreys was in Jackson and went before the board of trustees of the state penitentary to urge that the convict farms in the oelta were the place to plant rice on a large scale so as to demonstrate that the cereal
 
 profitable here as in Louisiana or Texas. He insisted that 50 or 100 acres be plan eel to rice, but the superintendent of the farms was not prepared to go into the cultivation of rice on such an extensive scale, and the board of trustees. though favorable to the project, could not budge the superintendent, and the best that could be, done was to plant small-sized patch. If it makes, all well and good, If it does Tot, the state is not out much, but MT. Humphreys has proven his interest in the matter and in course of time may be able to see rice made one of the money crops by the state.
 Senator-elect John Sharp Williams is on the Pacific slope delivering his lecture, entitled A Talk About Talking and is said to be drawing good houses, no mat ter where he happens to 80. MT. Will Hams has not been to his home in Yazoo City since Congress adjourned, but turned up at the democratic convention in Dem yer, and at the close continued further west, and the last heard of him was that he was filling engagements at tile Long Beach, Cal, chautauqua, near Pasadena.
 Large and well equipped surveying par ties have been operating in tho counties of Jasper, Simpson, Smith and others to the southeast of this city the past week or two, but there Is no intifnation as to who is behind the proposed new road, where is it's beginning or the end. How ever, 1t is strongly suspected that the new road will begin near Enterprise, In Clarke county, or at Meridian. and head for Natchez by way of Raleigh, Smith county; Mendenhall, Simpson county; and .Louin. Jasper county. This east and west line would open up a magnificent region of pine timber that has never been touched by any of the roads running north and south. There Is no finer timber on earth than between Raleigh and Mendenhall, and it is almost in its virgin state.
 Matt Lindsey of near Laurel, Jones county, Is the champion watermelon grower of the United States, as well as of the state of Mississippi. It was Matt Lind sey who exhibi.eI the biggest and the finest watermelons shown at the St. Louis exposition three or four years ago, and he always raises rhe biggest of any man down in this part of the country. A 30 or 75 pound rielon is nothing unusual with MT. Lindsey a1d excite no curiosity :n his neighborhood. Last Tuesday MT. Lindsey had IA melons on his front gal lery. the aggregate weight of whicl was 929 pounds, or fraction oyer 66 pounds each. At the same time he had in his field more than 100 melons that would average 50 pounds each, and still growing.
 The little city of Brookhaven makes public announcement to the effect that 1t is not going to tolerate anything in the shape or color of negro clerks in the postoffice at that place, and when Brook haven makes such assertions they are generally to be depended on. It has come to the knowledge of Brookhaven folks that a couple of negroes have stood the examination for postoffice clerks under civil service rules, and that they are just waiting for an opening in the Brook haven office. These two negroes are hunting trouble, and in the event they ever enter the postoffFce as clerk they will And trouble in punches.