Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1913-07-31
Meridian and Okolona Join
Hands in Celebration Over New
Train-Royal Entertainment

to the railway scheme, each guests S
oare was marked with a card, bearing
his name, on which was painted a
aithEuI representation of a Mobile
md Ohio passenger engine OF the
heavy type.
With faulIess service the courses
we're served until the toast master, A
T. SrovalI, rose and said the time had
,rrived for speaking as we'll as feast
Nd.
He said that he was only too glad to
with the representatives OF the me.
rono'is OF the state and that, in the
ears to come, he hoped there might
,e two metrop,lis.
He called for Mayor H L. Morrison
,bo responded and made quite a hi
when he said that Meridian sh, uld be
good town because its citizenship
vas largely recruited from his town.
lie said ir was their purpose not only
have railway connecting the two
.ities, bur he felt, and knew, there
vas ready heart TO heart connec-
ion that nothing could sever.
Next came Cliff Williams, presented
IS a native born Okolonian, and the
Big Chief Of the Boosters, who, as al
ways preached the gospel of eating
at and turn our natural resources
INTO finished products.
Mr.. Williams paid a high tribute to
Okoona people for their cordial re-.
cepion and hearty welcome. and to
The happy remarks Of these preceding
him, declaring that snch uterances
placed Meridian people in a rccip,o-
cal attitude. Mr.. Williams decIar d
hat the new trains Put on by the M.
pile and Ohio railroad would be such
a convent nee to people along the
inc that they could eat breakfast at
nome, shop economically and conven-
emily in Meridian and return to their
homes in time for supper.
Continuing, Mr.. Williams said, in
part:
Nov Meridian is Mississippi S
largest city; Meridian has led our
state in ever municipal improvement.
being FIRST to put on mule propelled
street cars, first to put on dummy
propelled street cars, aud first to put
On electric driven street cars. first gas
plant, FIRST electric light. first water
works plant, FIRST sewrage plant; Me-
rldian lacks Just $l480000 having as
much capital invested in manuiactur.
.ug as jackson and Vlcksburg com
nined. Before 1914 we will have
more invested in industries than Mis-
,issippi's next two largest cities. Me-
rdiun is Mlssispippis largest ipbbing
loint for lumber, operating nine large
5laner plants and is the world 8
argest jolst distributing point. NJ
~dian has the largest private school
n the gulf sraIes, Beeson brothers
Male and Female college, with an
attendance of 1900 students, seven
rightts of whom come from outside
The stale Meridian is M ssissippl' S
largest cotton center. Mrri Ian is
Mrssissippl's largest cotton products
center
Recently M-rd an held a home
product show, exhibiting seventy. eight
different articles produced in Meridi.
an. To become a wealthy inf rental
people we must convert our natural
resources into finished product; we
must raise what we eat and eat what
we raise. thereby keeping our wealth
here where the cotton blossoms and
sweet potatoes grow. The South has
dem onsrated she has the brains, now
we want demonstration of our pro.
ductive ability. The south will pros
per more in the next Ten years than
she hrs in the past forty FIVE years.
Values Of every description will en-
hance more in the next ten years than
ey have in the past Fifty years. Now
let's get busy and get ours.
President Finley is surely respon.
sihlp tor this new train that is so con.
Venient for you end so attractive 10
US. President Finley was shown that