Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II, Part 39

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1032

USA > Mississippi > Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II > Part 39

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The following statistics, taken from the twelfth United States census for 1900, relate to farms, manufactures and population :- Number of farms 2,256, acreage of farms 266,491, acres improved 74,470, value of lands exclusive of buildings $702,680, value of buildings $353,120, value of the live stock $439,445, total value of products not fed $817,228. Number of manufacturing establish- ments 28, capital invested $31,740, wages paid $3,662, cost of mate- rials $10,674, total value of products $27,573. The population in 1900 consisted of whites 9, 874, colored 2,852, a total of 12,726 and an increase of 1,580 over the year 1890. The manufactories in the county have increased fully 50 per cent. since 1900, and real estate values have increased four-fold during the same period. New set- tlers are rapidly coming in and in 1906 the population of the county was estimated at 15,000. The total assessed valuation of real and personal property in Neshoba county in 1905 was $1,355,398 and in 1906 it was $2,767,769, which shows an increase of $1,412,371 during the year.

Nettleton, a thriving station on the St. Louis & San Francisco R. R., located on the southern line of Lee county, about 13 miles south of Tupelo. It was named for a former vice-president of the above railroad. It is an incorporated post-town and has several

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stores, a brick plant, a cotton gin, 2 banks, 4 churches and a fine graded school. The Bank of Nettleton was established in 1904, and is a branch of The Bank of Tupelo. The Peoples Bank & Trust Co. of Tupelo have also a branch bank located here estab- lished in 1904. The population in 1906 was estimated at 600. It is surrounded by a fine farming district.

Nevada, a hamlet in the northwestern part of Hinds county, near the left bank of the Big Black river, about 22 miles northwest of Jackson. Population in 1900, 30.

New, a postoffice of Jasper county.

New Albany, the capital of Union county, is a prosperous incor- porated town, situated on the Tallahatchie river, 34 miles southeast of Holly Springs, and 79 miles from Memphis. It is at the junction of the Kansas City, Memphis & Birmingham, and the Mobile, Jack- son & Kansas City Railroads, which provide it with excellent ship- ping facilities in every direction. It is in a good agricultural section and there is an abundance of fine timber in the surrounding region, while the Tallahatchie river affords it ample water power for mills and factories. It is the market town for a large section of the sur- rounding country, and its shipping and manufacturing interests are developing at a rapid rate. Among the manufacturing enterprises now in the town, are the New Albany Clothing Mf'g. Co., a cotton compress, a planing mill, iron works, a cotton-seed oil mill, pressed brick and tile works, a soft mud brick plant-capacity 32,000 bricks a day, an ice and cold storage plant, the New Albany Furniture Mfg. Co., three saw mills, two Munger System gins, an ax-handle factory, also a spade, shovel and hoe-handle factory, a box factory, an electric light and water plant owned and operated by the town, and tombstone and marble works. There are two wholesale gro- cery houses, three hotels, and one livery barn. It has express,

telegraph and banking facilities, good schools and several churches. The Bank of New Albany was established in 1896, present capital $60,000; the Merchants & Farmers Bank was established in 1903, present capital $75,000; The Citizens Bank and Trust Co. was established in 1905, capital $65,000. The Gazette, a Democratic daily newspaper, was established in 1890; The Vidette, a Demo- cratic weekly, was established ,in 1904.

The population of New Albany doubled in the decade, 1890-1900, and continues to increase at a rapid rate; in 1900 it was 1,033; in 1906 it was estimated at 3,000. The following fraternities have lodges here viz :- Masons, including Blue Lodge, Chapter and Council; Odd Fellows ; Knights of Pythias; Knights of Honor and Woodmen of the world. The M. J. & K. C. R. R. shops are located here; also a large canning factory. The total capital invested in manufacturing here in 1906 amounted to $525,000 which is $435,- 224 more than the total capital invested in the whole county in 1900.

New Augusta, county seat of Perry county, two miles south of Augusta, the old county seat. It is the railroad station for Au- gusta, on the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R. It has two

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large saw mills, a cotton gin and grist mill combined and a tur- pentine distillery, a bank and a population in 1906 of about 250.

Newbell, or Newmans Station, a hamlet of Warren county, on the Alabama & Vicksburg, R. R., 8 miles east of Vicksburg. The postoffice here was discontinued in 1905, and mail now goes to Bovina.

Newhebron, an incorporated post-town in the northern part of Lawrence county, on the Columbia branch of the Gulf & Ship Island R. R., one and a half miles west of old Hebron. It has several stores, and a bank. The Bank of Hebron was established here in 1904. In the vicinity are several saw mills, and the town is growing rapidly. The population in 1906 was estimated at 500.

Newit, a postoffice of Lawrence county, 7 miles southwest of Monticello, the county seat, on Halls creek. Booneville, one mile south, is the nearest railroad station.

Newman, a post-hamlet in the western part of Hinds county, situated on the Big Black river, 18 miles west of Raymond, the county seat. Population in 1900, 67.

New Orleans Exposition, 1885. Major S. A. Jonas was. ap- pointed commissioner of the World's Industrial and Cotton expo- sition, for the State by the president of the United States, upon the nomination of Governor Lowry, and an Exposition board was appointed under a State law, which made an appropriation. Ram- sey Wharton was acting commissioner in charge of exhibits. Dr. H. E. Mckay was chief of the State department. The expenditure was about $14,000. Of the exhibit, Governor Lowry said: "The people from other States were not more surprised at the extent of Mississippi's exhibit than were her own citizens. The peoples of the world assembled in the gigantic structures composed of pine and cypress drawn from the forests of Mississippi. Her corn was not excelled by any made in the United States; oats, wheat, barley, rice, were most creditable; the hay exhibit compared favor- ably with Kentucky and Missouri. The wine exhibit demonstrated that Mississippi was almost equal to the valley of the Rhine for pure sparkling wine. Honey, sugar, molasses, fish, fruit, vegetables and dairy products of superior quality were found; cotton, wool and tobacco were conspicuous for quantity and quality." The timber exhibit, particularly that part showing the wealth of the State in hard woods, was astonishing, and doubtless led to heavy investments in the State. The same might be said of the hay and clover exhibit. A similar exhibit was made at the North, South and Central American exposition at New Orleans in the following year.

The wine exhibit included three or four hundred bottles, rep- resenting twenty counties and thirty-one vineyards, and the scup- pernong, muscadine, catawba, concord, and other varieties of grapes. It was revealed that Winston county had 400 or 500 acres in vineyards. Twenty-eight counties were represented in the wool exhibit. It was also revealed that tobacco culture had not been abandoned altogether for cotton, and that the product would grade

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well in any market. The fruit exhibit was the most extensive of its class at the exhibition. Among the premiums taken in this class was the great sweepstakes prize and gold medal for the best collection from any State or country. A peach weighing 161/2 ounces was shown. J. H. Odeneal, of Hinds county, won the sweepstakes premium for the best fifty pounds of butter from the Southern and Southwestern States.

The Woman's Work exhibit was regarded as the best ever made at a great exposition. The commissioner acknowledged great in- debtedness to Mrs. Kate S. Minor, of Natchez, in this department.

In 1885 a Colored State fair was held at Jackson, and the ex- hibits, to which Tougaloo university made a creditable contribu- tion, were sent to the exposition.

Newport, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of Attala coun- ty, about 15 miles southwest of Kosciusko, the county seat, and nearest banking, telegraph and express town. Population in 1900, 70.

New Prospect, a postoffice of Choctaw county. Population in 1900, 18.

New Site, a postoffice of Prentiss county, 12 miles southeast of Booneville, the county seat. Population in 1900, 21.

Newspapers. Upon his arrival at Natchez in the summer of 1798, Governor Sargent wrote to the Secretary of State: "We have no printing offices in this country, we are remote from all others, and under such circumstances I shall find it impracticable to diffuse a knowledge of the laws and other useful matter without the aid of government. A small traveling press, sufficient for half a sheet of post paper, which would give four pages, would be a blessing to the people of the territory, and I would myself contrive to manage it if we may through your goodness be indulged."- (Sargent's Journal.) The settlement was twenty-five years old, at least, but had been under Spanish control nearly twenty years. Only one printing press was allowed at New Orleans and that was made use of by the government only. No bills were allowed to be posted in that city without official permit .- (Bailey's Journal, 1797.)

Andrew Marschalk, an officer of the United States army, was the first printer. (See Marschalk and Sargent Adm.) It is told that Marschalk brought a small press with him in 1797, and printed a song, as his first work, at Vicksburg; that he used the press at Natchez in printing the territorial laws, and afterward sold it to B. M. Stokes, who commenced printing on a foolscap sheet the first newspaper in Mississippi. This paper was the Mississippi Gazette, and it was started at Natchez in 1799. Gov. Sargent wrote to the Secretary of State February 10, 1800: "I take leave to send you the Mississippi Gazette, and shall so continue to do."

In February, 1802, from Governor Claiborne's letters, it appears there was only one printer in the territory, and he a novice, work- ing for high wages in printing the acts of the general assembly. For the "want of types and a good press" the work was expected

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to occupy several months. James Ferrall was the name of this public printer. He was specially exhorted by the governor to "all possible dispatch."

The Mississippi Gazette was a success, but a paper started soon after by Robert Green was short-lived. Marschalk again entered the field, and with largely increased facilities, began the publica- tion in 1802 or 1803 at Natchez of the Mississippi Herald. The Halcyon, Messenger and other papers were soon after started, but not long continued.

The Natchez Chronicle was established July 6, 1808, by John A. Winn, a man of education and business energy. In this year there · were four papers in the State, all at Natchez. A year later another paper was started at Natchez by Peter Isler, and The Natchez soon after appeared at the same place. The Ariel was established about 1825; P. F. Merrick, owner, and James K. Cook editor. It was a creditable literary publication. Papers were also established in towns in the adjacent counties. The Woodville Republican, which still exists, was started about 1812. From the early Natchez papers one may obtain the details of the Napoleonic wars and pol- itics, and very little local news. Gradually they became champions of one or the other political parties in the United States, and de- fended or attacked ferociously the local champions of party. Par- tisanship has never been more fierce and intolerant than it was in the Territorial days.

The Natchez, which was published by James H. Cook, became a power in the politics of the State, both as an opponent of An- drew Jackson, and representative in this State of the Whig party. The Statesman, published by Marshall, appeared as the exponent of the Jackson party. It was edited by distinguished and able men, among them Col. J. F. H. Claiborne and Robert J. Walker.

Richard C. Langdon, of the Mississippi Republican, was elected public printer, over Marschalk and Isler, in January, 1820, but he was called before the House early in February on motion of Mr. Runnells to answer for a charge of contempt in publishing "two pieces highly defamatory on the members thereof, and calculated to disturb the coolness and deliberation of this body." Langdon was defended in the House by Joseph E. Davis, but his dismissal from office was voted, 17 to 10.

In 1822 Langdon, in connection with Francis Baker, started the Mississippian at Natchez. The Southern Galaxy was established May 22, 1828 by Wm. C. Grissam & Co.

Between 1820 and 1830 a number of papers were started in the interior counties, which region was rapidly settled by intelligent and wealthy people from the older States, especially from Vir- ginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee. These papers were, without exception, political papers. They were in- tensely partisan, either Whig or Democratic.

The Mississippi Free Trader, edited at different times by Clai- borne, Forbes and other able men, was the leading Democratic paper. It was started August 4, 1835, with L. A. Besançon as ed-

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itor. Besançon was one of the most noted newspaper men of his day. He was editor of the Natchez Free Trader in 1838, and was the publisher of an Annual Register. The Courier and Journal published at the same place was the leading Whig paper. In 1837 this paper was published weekly, tri-weekly and daily. Both of these papers were powers in politics until about 1860. Among the bright, influential and forcible editors in Mississippi at the period of the early conflicts between the Whigs and Democrats were: Black, Melen, Van Winkle, Baldwin, Risk, Duffield, Prewett and Hillyer.

The Republican, the Advocate, the Mississippian, the Sentinel, the Register and the Sun, with such editors as Fall, Hagan, Green, Jenkins, Jones, Roy, Wood and McCallum, were the Vicksburg papers of this period that led the Jackson or Democratic forces .-

There were a number of able Whig papers published at Vicks- burg at different times. The most influential of these was the Whig. It was founded by Shannon and Henderson, and was from 1840 to 1860 a daily paper. Among the able men who edited it at different times were Griffin, Tyler, McCardle, Hammet, A. H. Arthur, R. Arthur, Carnes, Brooks and Partridge. These names are among the most brilliant of the Southwest at that time, and the influence of the paper was very great. The Sentinel and Expositor was started at Vicksburg December 27, 1836.

In 1828 there were six papers published in Mississippi, and in 1834 there were thirteen. These were the Courier and Journal, and the American Standard at Natchez; the Correspondent at Port Gibson ; the Advertiser at Grand Gulf; the Intelligencer at Gallatin; the Southern Telegraph at Rodney; the Advocate at Columbus; the Register at Vicksburg; the Republican at Wood- ville ; the Bulletin at Pittsburg; the Herald at Manchester. News- papers at that time were projected, if not published, at Canton and Clinton. The Pittsburg Bulletin was published at the present site of Grenada by John J. Hamilton in 1835. Grenada's first paper was the Bowie Knife, published also by Hamilton. This was be- fore the town was given its present name. The Yazoo City Whig, a strong political paper, was started at Yazoo City about 1835. It was edited by J. A. Stevens.

Between 1830 and 1840 the Intelligencer, the True Issue, the Constitutionalist, the Southern and other creditable papers were published at Vicksburg, with McCreary, Hurst, Miller, Buck and McCardle and others as editors. The Southwestern Journal was established in 1837 at Natchez. It was a creditable literary maga- zine and was published semi-monthly by the Jefferson College and Washington Lyceum.

At Jackson, a short time after the city was founded, in 1823, the Pearl River Gazette was started by G. B. Crutcher, and the State Register by Peter Isler. The State Rights Banner and The Mississippian were later. The Mississippian was first established at Vicksburg and afterwards moved, first to Clinton, and then to Jackson. It was at one time edited by Henry S. Foote, assisted

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by his brother-in-law, F. H. Catlett. It was one of the strongest and most influential Democratic papers in the State until the out- break of the war. Among its editors in later years were the How- ards, Price, Fall and Barksdale. The capital city had other strong political papers before the war. The Southern Flag of the Union and other papers were edited by A. B. Johnston, Thomas Palmer, Dr. Pickett, H. V. Barr and Col. Purdom, all supporting the Whig party. About 1848 Price and Fall brought the first power press to Jackson. Thomas Palmer, who had been elected State printer, brought another in 1852, on which he printed the Flag of the Union. John Marshall was editor of the Reformer. He was a bril- liant man, and his paper stood high in the esteem of both polit- ical parties.

The Eastern Clarion was established at Paulding between 1830 and 1840. It was edited by John J. McRae, afterwards governor and congressman. He was succeeded by Simeon B. Adams, who made the Clarion a power throughout the State. Under its leader- ship East Mississippi began to dominate the politics of the State. Col. J. J. Shannon bought it in 1862 and moved it to Meridian, and at the close of the war it was moved to Jackson, where it became the Clarion and later the Clarion-Ledger.

Marschalk, Mason and Morris were the pioneer editors of Port Gibson.

The first paper at Macon, the Mississippi Star, was established by Col. A. G. Horn in 1836. Col. Horn afterwards published the Meridian Mercury, and was one of the ablest newspaper men of his day.

S. T. King started a paper, The Public Echo, at Raymond before a house was completed. It was succeeded in 1836 by the Raymond Times. George W. Harper and S. T. King established the Ray- mond Gazette, which still exists, in 1844. It was edited for forty years by George D. Harper. He was succeeded by his son, Samuel D. Harper.

Andrew Harper established the Brandon Republican, which in 1852 became the property of A. J. Frantz.

Before the war newspapers flourished in almost every town and village. They were full of political matter and intensely partisan. There was a demand for such papers, but neutral papers found favor nowhere. But the war brought a time of great trials and difficulties for the newspapers. The first of these was the want of practical printers. Almost to a man the able bodied printers of the State answered the call of their country and went to the front. Their places could be filled to some extent by women and children, but the South was cut off from its paper supply. No paper could be brought into the State, and no machinery for its manufacture. Some papers appeared printed on common brown paper, leaves of ledgers and wall paper. During the war printing offices were sometimes burned by invading armies. Sometimes the Union sol- diers would destroy the press, and dump the type into a river or an old well, or scatter them about the streets, as in the case of

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the Jackson Mississippian. The Vicksburg Citizen, the Natchez Courier and a Corinth paper, after the occupation of those towns, were continued under the supervision of the Federal officers. At the beginning of the war there were 50 papers in the State. At its close, 1865, there were only 14. When peace came new papers were started, or old ones revived, in all parts of the State. There was new printing machinery, new type and new editors to take the place of the old, which had passed away. At Jackson E. W. Yer- ger published the Mississippian; Shannon the Clarion edited by Ethelbert Barksdale; Power, Hamilton and Jones the Standard, which was edited by A. R. Johnston and others. The Her- ald was published at Vicksburg by Swords and Partridge; The Times by McCardle, Manlove and H. Shannon. At Natchez there was the Democrat by Botto; the Courier by Hillyer, and others. Meridian had the Mercury and the Tropic. There were many creditable papers in other towns.

The Mississippi Press Association was organized in June 1866. The meeting was held at the capitol at Jackson, and J. M. Part- ridge, of the Vicksburg Herald presided. The membership, limited to the publishers of papers, was as follows: Jackson Clarion and Standard-J. J. Shannon, Jones S. Hamilton, B. F. Jones, J. L. Power. Jackson Mississippian-E. W. Yerger. Christian Watch- man-A. N. Kimball, H. M. Aiken. Brandon Republican-A. J. Frantz. Meridian Tropic-Jere Gibson. Vicksburg Herald-J. M. Partridge, J. M. Swords. Vicksburg Journal-T. B. Manlove. Handsboro Democrat-P. K. Mayers. Lexington Advertiser-J. D. Houston, Canton Mail-Singleton Garrett. Brookhaven Jour- nal-S. W. Dale. Panola Star-M. S. Ward. Natchez Democrat -J. F. Mead. Mississippi Conservative-J. L. McCullum, F. T. Cooper.

By 1870 there was a newspaper in almost every county in the State. Many of them were defiant, from 1865 to 1876 of the reconstruction policies, and after the close of the military adminis- tration in 1869, there was no restraint. The public printing, how- ever, was given, lavishly, to a number of Republican newspapers that were published throughout the State, and supported in that manner until 1876.

In 1874 the Press Association, organized in 1866, was revived, and in 1875 its membership, which consisted of editors, publishers and reporters, was as follows :

Jackson Clarion-E. Barksdale, J. L. Power. Jackson Sunburst -S. R. Jones. Jackson Vidette-E. G. Wall, D. Denneit, E. Elli- ott. Jackson Banner-Rev. C. B. Galloway. Vicksburg Herald- W. H. McCardle. Brandon Republican-A. J. Frantz. Yazoo Herald-J. L. McCullum. Summit Sentinel-H. S. Bonney, N. P. Bonney. Mississippi Democrat-J. D. Burke. Crystal Springs Monitor-J. S. Harris, C. N. Harris. Raymond Gazette-George W. Harper, Samuel D. Harper. Southern Homestead-J. J. Shan- non. Enterprise Courier-W. J. Adams. Forest Register-S. Davis. Calhoun Democrat-I. T. Blount. Columbus Index-G.

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C. Tucker. West Point Citizen-D. L. Love. Winona Advocate -H. D. Money, B. F. Jones. Canton Mail-E. L. Ross. Holly Springs Reporter-W. J. L. Holland. Holly Springs South-H. C. Myers. Oxford Falcon-I. M. Howry. Rural Gentleman-J. M. Davis. Durant Advertiser-J. S. Hoskins. Central Star-R. Walpole. Newton Ledger-R. H. Henry. Hernando Press-Ira D. Oglesby. Handsboro Democrat-P. K. Mayers. Tallahatchie Cartaginian-L. W. Garrett. Panola Star-J. A. Pope. Winona Pioneer-C. M. Ewing. Water Valley Courier-F. M. Morris. Senatobia Times-G. D. Shands.

There have been many changes in the Mississippi newspaper field since that time, but the press of the State is stronger today than ever before in its history. Among the leading dailies are the Jackson Clarion Ledger (morning daily), edited and managed by R. H. Henry ; the Jackson Evening News, edited by Frank L. Bel- lenger and managed by Walter G. Johnson; the Vicksburg Herald, edited by J. S. McNeely; the Meridian Evening Star edited and managed by Chas. P. Dement; the Vicksburg Post edited by J. G. Cashman ; and the Hattiesburg Progress edited by A. C. Ayles- worth.

The present officers of the Mississippi Press Association are : Robert Lewis, of Woodville, president ; John G. McGuire, of Yazoo City, secretary, and P. K. Mayers, of Pascagoula, treasurer.

Newton is an incorporated post-town in Newton county, located at the crossing of the Alabama & Vicksburg R. R. with the Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City R. R., 64 miles east of Jackson. It is the most important town between Jackson and Meridian, having tele- graph, telephone, express and banking facilities. It contains many substantial brick business houses, and a number of fine residences. The Bank of Newton was established in 1899, with a capital of $25,000, and the Merchants & Farmers Bank was established in 1905, capital $25,000. The "Newton Record" is a Democratic weekly, established here in 1901; C. E. Cunningham, editor and proprietor ; the "Mississippi Baptist," a church weekly, is also published here with W. B. Sansing, editor. The Newton Oil and Manufacturing Co's. plant was established in 1904. It manufac- tures cotton-seed products, fertilizers, ice and electricity for both its own plant and for the town of Newton. It is capitalized at $175,000, all paid up, and is a prosperous institution. Its officers are: J. N. Carpenter, of Natchez, Miss., President ; J. W. McRaven, Vice-President and Treasurer; W. V. Fant, Secretary. The plant operates 8 system ginneries, and is located on both the A. & V. and M. J. & K. C. R. R's. Newton is admirably situated to become a good manufacturing town as the M. J. & K. C. R. R. has opened up valuable timber lands both north and south of the town. There is now located here a wood-working plant, with prospects for other establishments of a similar nature in the near future. The town has a good steam laundry, bottling works, 3 hotels excellent schools, and handles annually more cotton than any other point between Jackson and Meridian, the number of bales being estimated at 60,-

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Mississippi : comprising sketches of towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form Vol. II, Part 39

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association Number of Pages: 1032

Author: Rowland, Dunbar, 1864-1937, ed
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Atlanta, Southern Historical Publishing Association
Number of Pages: 1032