Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1913-10-24
Early RecOIleCtiOnS
Of Old NOxubee.
ouitman. Miss. October 10Th. 1913.

NF-way through their land or aided by
furnishing free timber for bridges anc
for piling (the timber used then being
mostly hewn). of an annual trip once &
year to Mobile, where the election Of
company officers was held annually, ant
along with it the right to vote, and
remember how the people looked for
ware to these occasions and how large
ly they were attended, for mos always
the entire family of each stakeholder, =
as they were allowed to call themselves
by the road, would go along and the
stay in Mobile would generally be from
Monday morning until Saturday night.
During the week that this annual
election was held Mobile would put on
several side attractions in the way of
turn out of the ''cowbellion society," a
noted mystic order in those days; fancy
drilling by the famous Gulf City Guards,
the company that Billie Lloyd, of Shu-
qualak, later, carried twenty-four OF the
NoXubee county boys to to go to the
front in defense of the Confederacy,
only six of them emerging from the
five years of service and battle alive;
every day matinees at the theatres;
short steamboat excursions; firemen's
parades, etc.
On these trips families would gener-
ally lay in their years supply of such
provisions as were not raised at home,
in nearly every instance these purchases
including a barrel of "Old Dexter"
whiskey, which could be bought in those
days at 18cts gallon by the barrel,
(for tfare was no revenue taxi, and a
ten gallGl keg of brandy, this costing
35cts gallon, these last two articles
coming in original packages and marked
in plain letters. there being no attempt
to conceal the owners name, for it was
considered no crime to drink in those
days. and the custom, when visitors
came, to make the second assurance of
welcome passing around OF decanter
upon waiter containing glasses, sugar
vand spoons even though preacher
was visiting the home at the time.
But those were the days of pure whis-
key, and when every man dotted upon
his good raising and being gentleman,
and excessive drinking and fighting
was the exception, and not the rule. as
now.
At every home then the first thing in
the morning was for the parents to is
sue to each of their children, both boys
and girls, tablespoon or two of toddy,
this beng looked upon as conducive to
health, and, therefore, harmless.
A.
About the first money ever saw af-
ter the war broke out, other than the
old yellow back state bank notes, and
gold and silver, such as we had been
used to, was some "shinplasters," as
they we're called. printed upon brown
paper in denominations of from cents
to five dollars, and issued by J. W.
Holt, of Macon. father of Smith Holt
and the late Joseph Holt. who was the
war time station agent at Macon, they
bearing the legend, just above Mr..
Holt's signature, "redeemable in cur
rent funds, IL months after date, or
any time thereafter, with 8 per cent
interest"
These bills were issued in. the sum
(totaD of $40, ,000.0 and were readily
accepted by the people, the same as
any other money, for all knew Mr..
Holt as most reliable gentleman.
In my mention few weeks back of
Mr.. Daniel Epps, the Tombigbee river
pilot, | forgot to state that there lived
at his home sister of his wife, Mrs.
Stratton, who was the wife of a Bigbee
river pilot, who died of yellow fever
while running the river and was buried
at their former home, Vienna. Ala. his
death occurring just before Mr.. Epps
removed to Shuqualak
Mrs. Stratton, when she first came to
Shuqualak, was known as the most
fashionable dresser that lived in the
county, she having a different satin
dress for every day in the week and as
many silk ones and was always bedecked
with costly jewelry diamonds, sap
phlres. pearls, etc.-and was the envied
of all the envied on the part of the
women of those days, but with all of it
she was not naughty. wearing all this
costly attire with modesty well be-
coming one of the most ordinary dress,
yet with grace of bearing that told of
culture and good breeding.
But alas for this good woman
had health came on after while, and
piece by piece she sold her jewelry and
fine clothes to pay for medicine and
doctor bills until at length everything
was disposed of, about which time
death claimed her. No sweeter dispo-