Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-05-11
CORNER STONE LAID
Old Soldiers Reunion at Houlka
Last Saturday. Many
Veterans Present

people. His rebel yell and awful
charge has never been equaled in all
the annals Of war, and his cool judg-
ment and fidelity to duty through the
most stormy periods Of our country S
history, has proved him a patriot to be
relied on at all times. For half a cen
tury he has been in the limelight of
public opinion, exhibiting that superb
self control gained by four years hard
service in the army, showing that a
man's S fitness to rule must be measured
by his ready obedience to constituted
authority. The reconstruction period,
the overthrow Of the carpet bag rule
and the partial settlement of the race
D. ob!em have all been settled by the
men who wore the gray, and now in
the evening Of his life, when the
Iengthening shadows begin to tell that
soon the bugle blast that calls him to
cross over the river will be sounded,
he shows himself man among men
and asking no odds Of the younger
generations while he pilots the ship Of
state over the rough seas of political
discomfort that seems now to be the
heritage OF our own sunny Southland
He can be trusted for he has proven
himself equal to the occasion in any
emergency. Now | want to say the
/, officers part has been told in song and
story, and while would not detract
one word Of praise from him, | mus
say these old private soldiers who knew
their names would never adorn the
pages Of history and VINO with their
old army blankets wrapped about them
for shroud would lie down in un
. known and unmarked graves and be
forever forgotten, showed the mos
sublime patriotism the world has eveI
t known. All honor to the private sol
{ dier, who, half clad and half fed anC
outnumbered three to one, without tn,
{ hope Of reward, and oblivion starjnl
hem in the face, was the creates
r fighting machine that ever fixed a bay
onet or fired shot in defense of hi
S country.
E When everything was ready Brc
NebIet mounted bench and pre-
a nounced blessing and we proceede
to attend to the business in hand. Til
s dinner was tip-top in every respec
e both in quantity and qualify. Fou
d young ladies' waited on me and | ker
d them busy. ate chicken and chicke
l salad till ! felt like growing on tn
: spot, and cake enough to last me
1t whole month
e Dinner over we had speeches frot
=, Judge Lyon, Senator Gordon, Hon. ,
y A. Lewis and Col. Leroy Taylor. A
e these wore the gray and were sorr
the old soldier couldn't live always an
c enjoy the honors that everybody SCENE
{ anxious to heap upon him. was aske
e if ! didn't want to make few remark
# and relate few incidents, but in tn
e short time allotted | could not NOR
e than get steam up before | would hav
}, to stop. so told them would imiat
d Pauls pious example when he wel
e over into Asia to preach the gospel
d would write back letter and sign
o with my own hand, and besides didn
st want to preach those old fellows fl
Al neraIs while they were yet in the aes
l. and the gamest, iolIiest, heartest SC
d you ever saw.
II Then the Masons formed in line an
1t marched 10 the lodge room in the thir
!, story. Of the school buiIdin
n where they donned their whit
& aprons and official regaia and forme
e at the place to lay The corner stone q
d that lodge. The Grand Master of tn
n State was present and took charge c
S the impressive ceremonies. Afte
: singing an appropriate song and pray
1t ing, Bro. NebIett made short tall
y then Capt. Burkitt read an essay. tel