| Show FROM mississippi TING lutten mm eldell N eitor ROUNDUP ROUND up I 1 have learned to look for ane ROUNDUP with the same bame satisfaction I 1 do a letter from a friend As the good people of web co may occasionally ocasio nally wonder how I 1 arn am pro ross ing and what my impressions are concerning th the c people and country where I 1 am laboring I 1 take pleasure in stating that my health has been the best beat since my arrival at Meri meridian jan 25 1896 meridian is the leading city of the state with a population rl cf about black and white the first thing thine to attract my attention ateo tion was the darkies and ox teams which crowded the streets from early morn morning irig until lark dark the ox teams are used to haul the cotton to the city and it is amusing to watch the old fashioned gna and carts drawn by oxen or as they are called here year lings yes people lere have 2 and 3 year oli old yearlings yearnings year lings alter after that age is is past they call them steers and oxen many of the teams would go teat catering ering along and I 1 almost imagined I 1 could take a yoke of them by their tails throw them over my my shoulder and tote them away I 1 did stare when a young youn couple would come along in a cart drawn drai n by an ox and apparently as well satisfied as if they were in Vander bills bilts private car now I 1 dont wish to create a false impression impression the people here are not all the kind I 1 have describe I 1 by any means you can se some of the most aristocratic teams and carriages carria ees here that can bo be found in the nation meridian is tha only city in mississippi that has an electric street car system it has some 1 17 factories of different kinas and seems to be established on a solid basis the first seven months of my mission was spent in lauderdale co I 1 never will forget forant the many impressions impress ons which played through my mind when with grip and uni umbrella brella in liand hand we started along the roads winding over the broken country among the tall pine pina trees As night drew near I 1 could not help wondering where we wre w re going to stay aba abigt dark we cale 1 upon a gentleman gettleman geat leman and my companion asked for entertainment no they were not prepared to entertain folk we went on to the next but they had sickness As it was now dark and very col it i my mind in spite of all 1 could do woul 1 t revert to my own comfortable home and then my mind shoot out into the tu fu turo ture and I 1 would have the comforting reflection that it would last for only two or three years nt at most I 1 must not forget to tell you that we were taken rare care of during that night ni ht in a royal manner sly 31 y experience among these people has taught me to ti love them and I 1 never expect to m et a more inore hospitable and generous hearted people I 1 have bave met while here as kren keen and bright people as there is anywhere I 1 listened to a speech of the present active t ti Con congreso Co neres gresi who said that 90 per centon the whito whitis people were descend bonts of the revolutionary fathers and I 1 have noticed as ai a rule they are very religiously inclined in almost every house you will see a f fine ine bib bible le and such books as the life of christ leading stories of the bible etc our conference convened in pike co on cin the ath and of august we received macli valuable irn im formation from our president since conference 1 I have bave been laboring as a meteoric elder our duty is to revisit re visit counties and hold a series of meetings in ia tyna and cities I 1 am pleased to say eay we ve been very successful having been e pertained by sonio some of the best and most influential citizens and wa have placed the prin caplea cip leq of the gosele before many who had never before heard them it is a source of lucli enuch satisfaction after entering a town where the people had always been led to believe that no good could come out of and were suspicious of us to have hav e them give us ns a hearty shake of the hand band and say pleased to have met you gen Vernen you have bave given us food for reflection call when you have an opportunity etc etc we have many experiences some gome more pleasant than others but all calculated to edify sometimes wo e have a time when all seems to go 0 o our own way then things will change and it will appear as it if the very elements aro are against us but in the end all turns out forthe or the best to the humble elder who is doing his duty A bhora time ago my companion and aej I 1 called on a gentleman for entertainment when we made mada our wants known to liim him lie paid yes I 1 have resolved never to turn off another elder I 1 did so once but was answered to bo kindly by them that they heaped coals ot of fire oo on my head I 1 have been refused entertainment tain ment and alter after leaving havn hava been called back and treated as only southern people know how bow to treat strangers the land where I 1 havo have traveled is ia generally poor the alio people buying commercial fertilizer to make it produce cotton corn etc I 1 pee ce in a newspaper that it is estimated it takes one third of th the crop to pay for the fertilizer fertiliser liser thero there is ia some very largo large saw mills here lumber and square cuts an important in the exports while there are ara many people who are poor from various causes I 1 observe that where a man owns his hie own farm arm and rai es first corn sweet potatoes anti ri ribbon cane from ni which is ia made the best syrup in the world arid and raises cotton only asa surplus crop such a man is dent but many have pot got into the habit of raisin raising cotton only and it seems will continue evon even though they starve at it although there is plenty of land which can be bought tor for to per at a re there is only about 35 per cent of attic people people who own their homes the darkies rent principally we had a very severe spell of weather on nov rind and dec 1st ast although the people here are arc planting some crop every month of the year when a cold spell from the mortn corti strikes us it is is very penetrating and one nearly perishes A new older elder from home has been appointed a as my companion and we with tybo elders who are laboring in in the adjoining county have passed christmas together with saints and friends fent ing on the good things of the south I 1 holding meetings etc fearing my ra rambling nibling remarks are growing tiresome I 1 will ivill close I 1 was about to say by exhorting the to prepare for the great events of the future 1 but it seems that while we ie are at home L bur ur rounded by plenty we wa cannot sense the great necessity of taking advantage of every opportunity to obtain knowledge but let me tell you boys that when you get out here and in other fields of labor you will find that the time now being wasted will bo ba regretted M you till all a prosperous and happy new bew year yE BEKER ellisville Ellis ville miss dec 31 |
