The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1920-05-06

post he may have filled in life who will
faithfully record the events in which he
has borne a share. even though incapable
of himself deriving profit from the les
sons he has learned may still be of use
to others-sometimes a guide sometimes
warning. / hope this is true. like to
think it so, for If / cannot adorn tale,
1 may at least point moral Charles
Lever
When L went to Brandon In the fall of
1868, Ii was a beautiful and prosperous
town. having an intenngent and progres1
sive citizenship, surpassed by no place
In tho country. There was an air of cul-
ture and refinement there that impressed
itself upon all visitors. On every hand
were evidences of thrift and enterprise.
and the people were of the better class.
honorable. sincere and lovable. many
from old arstocrauc families of the
wealthy. ante-bellum type. but all re-
gardless of caste, were sociable happy
and contented. forming a homogeneous
population. among whom is was great
pleasure a never ending delight to live.
| felt that my lines were cast in pleas
ant places. when l learned / was to be-
come an inmate of the Frantz home-a
home presided over by pure. sweet
Christian wife and mother. whose influ-
ence was wholesome. good and ennob-
ling: for while Col. Frantz belonged
rather to the worldly set. having been
Bohemian of extensive travel. he had
great respect for the religion of his wife.
who exercised a wonderful influence over
him. and had been to him beacon light,
casting its rays OF benefience across his
pathway in life.
Frantz lived like q prince, having not
only comfortable, well furnished home.
but a table good enough for q bishop"
He prided himself on native grown pro-
ducts, both wild and domestic. meat.
fowl fruits anu vegetables raising much
OF the latter himself. being an expert
gardner. His wine cellar was stocked
with the best vintage of France, from
Mumm's extra dry, to sparkling sherry
and st. Julien; with a" wee drop of the
crater from Robinson county for his
more democratic visitors.
His was of social, convivial nature,
which craved company, the companion
ship of bright, intelligent people, of the
uppertendum class, for while Frantz was
at home in any company, and easy any
where, for he could adjust himself to any
condition or association, he never invited
to has home the coatless, One-gallowsed
class. He was fond of entertaining, and
had IS his guests many of the most dis
tinguished visitors to Brandon.
He loved the society of young people,
especially young women, and l have
known him to buy. quantities of fresh
fruit. peaches, strawberries and melons,
and invite the Silk Stocking girls up to
his house to. enjoy such luxuries with
himself and family. Besides. fruit of all
kind was sent him by country cousins"
and he was always glad to have his girl
friends Join with him in partaking of it,
IL
During my sojourn in Brandon, the
country business was large, its cotton
receipts being heavy, for in those days
farmers had but one money crop. and
had no thought of diverSification, buying
from local merchants practically every
thing they ate or used.
The wagon trade was enormous and
growing, coming largely from Rankin,
ton. Leake end Jones; for In those days
we hal4 only three railroads In the state
the New Orleans end Great Northern.
now part of the Illinois Central. the Mo-
bile and Ohio and the Vicksburg and Me-
ridian. There were large, progressive
merchants in Brandon. all of whom
bought cotton, while their stocks were
equal to those carried by merchants of.
jackson.
1t was long haul from Simpson, Cow
ington Smith, Scott and Jones to market,
and farmers went to the towns offering
best inducements, giving most for their
cotton and selling dry goods, groceries
and general merchandise cheaper than
competitive towns.
Farmers would load UP their OK wag-
ons with cotton and start for Brandon
early in the week, each wagon groaning
under the weight Of the fieecy staple, and
carrying necessary camping outfits.
They came in large numbers, regular
caravans, expecting to consume a week
on the road coming and going. They Sctd
their cotton to the hest advantage. and
from its proceeds laid in supplies for
eraI months, including barrels of flour
mOlaSses, sugar, meat. lard, sack of
green coffee, and abu1dLl ut quantities of
other grocerieh and merchandise. inG.ud-
ing whiskey. FIR III th?so days wtiSkey
was void by tie bottle gallon CT barrel,
and theta vas no bau uEo.. the ardent
as now
Camping on some creek or spring
branch, the teamSters, after reStful
~tx& I<
fast, most of which had been cooked at
home, would announce Their approach by
incessant and continued whlp-popping.
the swapping of the bdckskin crackers
sounding like . reedbreak on fire q; an
engagement of pickets on an outpost. Ey
ii4o time they reaclird the head Of Silk
Stocking. wher. Fraatz Evei. the fus-
silade became terrific, banished sleep
from tired eyes of printers, wont to rest
in bed till the first bell warned them
breakfast would soon be served.
"Old Richardson, as we called the-
dean Of the printers you'd turn over
fools from the country, disturbing every
one with their cracking long-tailed
whips Then he would ruminate for
he was well read In the classics, the very
'.Sleep no more; Macbeth doth murder
sleep. and would could murder those
buckskin- -crackered boys.
Popi why those farmer boys had prac-
ticed so long that they could really play
tunes with their whips. and the nearer
thep approached the business mart the
more the gave evidence of their prof.
cheney.
They often camped inside the corpora.
ton. and made the wellkin ring wlIn their
whip-music. but the real fun began when
they had loaded up and started home
ward when the boys tried to excel each
other withs their chorus of double-twist-
ed popping, and their music could be
heard far beyond the limits of the town,
ringing and resounding up and down
SILK Stocking and out on the street to
tho depot. rising and falling in rhyth-
mic cadence, till lost in the distance.
Who has not been regaled by the popping
days that are gone. for now the honk of
the auto has taken the place of the
farmer boys whip.
III
Frantz loved newspaper controversy
better than any editor I have known,
and when once started he held on with
bulldog tenacity. Some times these con-.
especially when conducted with a carpet
bag editor.
He became involved In q controversy
with Whipped, editor of the old Pilot the
radical organ published by the firm do
ing the state printing at Jackson. 1t be-
gan very pleasantly. but Frantz became
SO severe and abusive as the controversy
bagger who had been imported here from
the North to edit the Pilot. felt that he
was warranted In denouncing Frantz,
having no idea that he would be called to
account; but he was.
There Wa9 q council OF war held In
Brandon attended by Frantx; Lowry,
Mayors. Mccaskili. Henry. Cole and oth-