The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1913-07-05
READ "THE STORY OF AKICKER"T
Narrative Of the Personal Experiences Of Man Who Was Hgn Every
Progressive Movement His County But was Benefited in
Spite of Himself, and Has Changed Heart

mixtures and drive the COWS
through them to kill the ticks.
Well, right there is where / quit
plowing; / rode all over the neigh.
bOrhood telling the people what 9
crazy notion this was, cussed the
smart alecks in town for starting
such a foolish thing. repeated 9
whole lot of remarks that a few
fellows I'd J me to say, added a few
Of my ow and then to make the
thing look solid. just lied little.
Well. they dug the holes just the
same. / swore and de drat if
would dip any of my cows in the
mess and | didn't. but the boys
sneaked off with Blacky and Muley
four or five times year and drove
them through the vats, and we
didn't have any ticks either.
GLAD THEY BEAT HIM.
About the time we got the pipe
Of peace going around good, along
came some fellow from Nettleton
with petition for me to go into
the drainage district. explaining
how we would issue the bonds and
get the money SO cheap that we
would never feel the payments.
They tried to explain how the
drainage would improve the land,
BY letting the water off quickly in
the spring and in the summer, if
we had June rise, and that we
could plant the drained land as
carly in the spring as we did the
bills. Well, | got into my old
lighting clothes right away. l
didn't know anything about it,
didn't like the idea of having a
zig ditch right down through the
center of my bottom to the railroad
trestle. | just knew it would ruin
me and smart fellow in town told
me it would too, and fought the
drainage through the courts. |
paid out some more money and the
fellows they got the ditch and | am
glad they did. Let me tell you
brother, we don't worry about the
spring rise any more. ! can make
three times the crop ! used to and
! am sure of it each year. All the
bill land is in pasture now and we
haven't lost crop since the ditch
went through.
DEAD AGIN" THE BOND
ISSUE.
Well, three years ago along
ZONES another fellow. with a petit
Sion for the county to issue $40, 900
ID bonds to build public roads.
Well, the fat got not Of the skillet
again. Some of the fellows in
town told me it would tax me to
death. that would have to sell my
place to pay taxes, gave me a
petition and told me to get busy.
Well, did. told the boys that
the bonds would raise their taxes
from Is to 80 mills, that the town
folks just wanted the roads to run
their autos on, that we couldn't
drive in the roads at all and the
devil only knows what didn't tell.
Well, stayed out of my field most
of the year fighting the bond issue,
and then they got 'em anyway.
Now the children in our neighbor.
hood go six miles 20 school, winter
and summer alike, and they have
a big school to 60 to, much better
than some of the town schools |
know of and they teach everything
you want. can 60 to Tupelo in
an hour any day in the year and
before they beat US | wouldn't 90
unless the court sent for me.
BIG POLITICAL GRAVEYARD.
Brother. I've got the biggest
political graveyard in Lee county.
Every time / want some fellow
elected the fellows will say, "Is
Bill Smith for him? If he is, he is
dead" Or" is Bill against the
issue? If he is, it's all right: 1t
will go through" | have carried
more petitions than any man in
Lee county or out, and have elected
one man in thirteen years and that
was last summer, and / have quit
lighting what the public wants. i'll
don't know, | won't talk, and am
going to learn from the other fell
low.
Il can sell my land tomorrow
for a hundred dollars an acre, and
in spite Of the fact that | fought
every measure that went to i'm
prove it. / am glad that my chill
dren will have these improvements
to enjoy and not wait for over
twenty years, as have done.
Brother. you just 60 home and tell
your wife to make you some catnip
tea and stay in the house until your
feet get dry"
What q nain WfIE M