The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1916-03-10
THE JEFFERSON DAVIS
HIGHWAY CONVENTION.
Brought 5000 People to Grenada. Great Day.
1t Was Breezy Convention. Grenada Did Her Best to
Make Those Who Came Pleased. Route Adopted.
Meeting Here Next Week, March 18th.


proved to be even bigger affair than
was expected. There we're fully 5000
visitors in Grenada. They came from
all points of the compass and almost
every calling and every profession was
here. There was hardly any part of
the state that did not show a keen in
terest in the location of the highway.
The numbers here showed that the
people were wide-awake to the great
Importance of the location of this great
highway and that new spirit had Ia
ken hold of almost the entire common
wealth as to the value of road building
and good roads. The numbers that
came in on every train evidenced the
fact that it was business proposition
and that the various communities that
sent representatives knew that what
was going to be done was going to open
new era in the state and that it meant
much in the coin of the realm as we'll
as to the general contentment of those
counties which secured the road. Natu-
rally the keen spirit of American rivalry
and competition manifested itself.
Naturally county pride and that COM
mendable ambition planted in the heart
of every patriotic citizen keyed the in
terest to the highest pitch and put al
most every one on his metal to do and
dare for his community. 1t was natural
to expect the closest scrutiny of what
any other locality might want to do.
1t was natural to expect suspicious and
| wrong interpretations Of honest mo-
tives and honest efforts. There was a
surging crowd and, with what might be
termed the panoramic picture above
outlined, it is no surprise that there
was the matching of wits with wits,
the bursting Of shrapnel and the flying
sparks of steel against steel. The day
was memorable one in the history OF
Grenada. Its like has never before
been seen.
The Sentinel is warranted in saying
that Grenada wanted to treat with the
utmost courtesy and consideration every
man and every delegation that came
and that wherever and whenever this
did not appear to be done, it was either
a misconstruction of the acts or pur
poses of Grenada people or that the
delegation from this county thought il
was compelled to do what was done If
what might have appeared in a belig
erent manner in order to care for anc
protect its own. Self-preservation il
the first law of nature and is no less
applicable in securing a good road thar
in any of the other affairs of life
Grenada did her best to prepare for The
day and for the occasion; whatever she
lacked in doing so was because hel
arms were not long enough and because
she had been unable to estimate the
number who would be present. 1t was
generally understood that Mr.. J. T.
Thomas was to call the meeting to or
der, he did not seek the place-it was
thrust upon him. If there was any
error in what Mr.. Thomas did it wa;
the error of some of his friends anc
other enthusiastic road builders. Un
doubtedly with the basis of represen
tation as fixed by the Memphis meet, 6
majority of the counties represented,
whether majority of all the people
present or not, wanted him for perma.
nermanent chairman and so indicated
as well as anything could be indicated
on that day. When once at his ap.
pointed post, it was Tol Thomas to stay
there, and his standing there appealing
to noisy and boisterous throng, call
ed to mind:
"rhe boy stood on the burning deck
While the flames that lit the battle
Shone round him over" their heads.
Yet he stood because it was the wish
of those who placed him there that he
should stand.
The official statement as given out
over the signature of the secretary,
Hon. Walker Wood (who by the way,
was the only one who was regarded by
any element or locality as the secre-
tary of the convention) shows that the
route from Memphis via Holly Springs,
Oxford, Water Valley, Coffeeville.
thence to Grenada and psralleling the
railroad to Winona. Durant and so on
south, was the officially adopted route
of the convention. If there is any ap-
peal from the action of the convention,
the body to consider that appeal has not
yet been created or called and until