Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1921-08-19

supper and the surroundings OF
which we visit that afternoon, and
u takes several miles ride to negC I'll
ate all of it. There is an old sugar
mill chimney which we pass after a
piece out which we are told was
operated in slavery time and that
near here ia one of the old homes
Mr. Benjamin, the Treasurer of the
Confederacy, was in hiding few
days after the collapse OF the Con
federate Government when Rich
mond fell, on his way fleeing to Gu
ba aud later to France. He got cross
M small boat from here to the is
land.
A fulers earth plant up beyond
the edge Of this town was one of the
points of interest visited that after
noon. 1t looked much as other
mining plants, differing mainly IN
the way the raw product is gotten
-p into the mill, which has many
different washing troughs and re-
torts for separating the real miner
al from the dross and natural earth.
There was huge excavation that
reminded one Of part of the Panama
Canal diggings where this earth or
mineral had been taken out in straits
measuring fifteen to twenty feet and
strung along like steps. showing
against the walls on either side.
Thew use hydraulic pressure of water
to wash it down in places, after the
strata has been dug down to and
barred on the sides. Then it's pulled
up into the mill either by suction or
small cars where it goes through tha
cleansing or separation process.
i After it's ready for market its loaded
onto freight cars of the coal type
and hauled away to the marts of the
world. There are huge piles OF the
separated earth dumped out and
some OF its used in facing up their
graded roads in places.
Those people at Palmetto gave us
a fine dinner or as we of the South
would call it supper. 1t was really
an open air BANQUET. They stretch
ed large ieut with the side Flaps
up and arranged long tables under it
with seats aud stand at the end
where there were Musicians and re-
letters of their local talent to enter
4 tain us. They had aoig lat boy or
Iyoung man who was marveiin his
way singing in the soft tones as of a
woman and bringing the houses
down with great shouts for an en-
core, as he looked so large as mascu-
line and his voice was such a sur
prise
The eating was superb. Native
/ fruits and little Jars of the jeliss and
{. flames to take along with us. A
number oil witty and snappv speech
es were INDUCED in. A glowing
tribute was paid to Mr.. Hosmer for
! fhis efforts in providing this en- ter
tainment as well as the balance oil
, the Florida trip and how we die
cheer him. and what fine plaudits
some of our press people did DROP
, him here in the presence of his home
!. folks as Palmetto is only across the
river from Bradento wn and Bradeu
/. town fol ks themselves were
there. A ( t er III e b que
was over we got aboard our Pull
mans, the train having pulled ur
!, conveniently near to save US troubl,
!, of going back toIBrsdentown.a ana thu
;, next morning we were awakened
,, in time to dress and get out of thu
lear for
PIERCE
;, which was small mining town ant
where we were served fine break
! fast upstairs in one of their publ,
!. buildings after which we we're load
ed on flat cars and pushed out tn
:, Phosphate mills where we got fin
view of the process of taking this
fertilizing property out of tn
tthick layers IN which 1T is found il
n the ground there and run into tn
d mills and refined and then loade
it onto cars to be sent over Florid
). and the states generally to enric
II the soils needing this form of plan
If life. Florida uses thousands an
e thousands of tons of phosphate eac