The North Mississippi herald., January 21, 1921, Image 1

About The North Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929

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A WEEKLY PAPER WORTH WHILE ; _ N_ "THE LOVE OF COUNTRY GUlDLS." ~ THE ONLY UVE PAPER »~THE COUNI)
VOLUME XXXIII WATER VALLEY, YALOBUSHA COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI, FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 1921 NUMBER 3
TIME TO OUT
EXTRAW NCE
Hon. T. C. Bradford, Prominent
Citizen of Oakland, Gives
Some Sound Advice to Coun
ty Supervisors.
—— ■ ■ 11 ■
Oakland, Miss., Jan. 16th., 1921.
Dear Barber:—
I want to thank you for the ar
ticle in last week’s paper. If there was
ever a time in theTiistory of the coun
try when it was neccssory to curtail
some of the useless expenditure of the
country, that time is now.
In the face of all this it seems there
is a determined effort on the part of
the parties in authority to spend mon
ey for everything possible. In Yal
obusha county the condition is bad
and getting worse every day. A cer
tain element is insisting that we pay
a big salary for officers to go over
the county and inspect the school
children. These officers find out
what is wrong, but please tell me
where the parent will get the funds
to treat the child.
We have a Demonstration Agent
who ships cattle and hogs, buys fer
tilizer, seeds, etc., for the farmers.
You understand that in practically
every case the farmer must pay cash
or give bankable paper. It this farm
er or any s.t of them would go to any
of the supply houses in Water Valley,
Coffeeville, Oakland, or any other
town in this county and offer to pay
cash for a car load of fertilizer 1
reasonably sure that supply house
would be willing to sell as cheaply as
the Agent now buys.
my ureai uranamotner picnea oer
ries and canned them before there
was a Home Economic Agent. Gen
erations to come will do the same
thing years after the myth of the
Home Economics Agent has passed.
Of course it is figured that it costs us
only a few cents to maintain these a
gents yet this counts towards extrav
agance. The Demonstration agent
ships cattle, yet the local buyed near
ly always pays more for the same
stuff at home. As an illustration an
effort was made to ship chickens and
eggs on the co-operative plan here.
This plan was abandoned because the
local buyers paid more for produce
cash, than the shipping agent could
realize.
It seems to me that these agents
could see the condition and be willing
to get out and work for a living one
year. This would cut the expense of
the county about one mill.
The road situation is deplorable.
Men who in private life are honest
and honorable seem to think nothing
of presenting bills and demanding pay
from the county on road work when
they know that this work was never
half done. And yet in our little town
and in the county we find bills after
bills piled up when in instance after
instance thes^ men who present the
bills would not be willing to make an
affidavit that they had done an hon
est days work. Privately they would
not be willing to pay an individual
to tvork for them and do the work
that they do for the county.
The county officers are drawing a
better salary than they could make at
anything else in the world, yet one
will dabble in real estate, another dab
ble with a farm, and another do
something else while a- deputy does
all the work. Of course this deputy is
paid by the people, not by the offi
cer. I f the Water Valley Bank would
employ as many deputies and officers
as we do in this county in proportion
to the work done, the bank would go
broke paying salaries. ^
We are constantly hearing about
the underpaid teacher, yet I have long
since reached the conclusion that the
teacher gets excellent pay for what
he does. Can you imagine the Bank
of Water Valley or the Bank of^Oak
land paying a salary of $2400.00 for
a clerk spending most of his time
walking up and down'the streets leav
ing the work to be done by others?
Could you imagine the I. C. R. R. pay
ing a clerk a salary of $1500.00 for
four years and yet that clerk study
ing medicine out of the county? Yet1
Yalobusha County has done this in
the name of the school. We are tax
ed to maintain an Agricultural
High School. This School
will get about $11,000.00 from all
sources this year. The school will
not average over 100 in attendance
for the 8 months of school. This
means an average of over $110.00
per pupil or nearly $15.00 per month
for the sohool year. How long can we
stand up under this? This $110.00
would pay the tuition at a good many
of the private schools of the state.
We had better send these few pupils
to some other county, pay their tui
tion of say $20.00 per session, and
give the balance to pay on their board.
If there is any way in the world to
stop a waste of funds, a campaign of
economy or a campaign of business
administration, for the pity of the
people, start this.
Understand, I am for everything
that looks to the uplift of the county,
and to the business administration of
all things.
Now in conclusion let me state that
I believe in the following:—
A County Agent who is willing to
give 10 hours work, six days in the
week to his job. Who realizes that
he is getting a bigger salary than
most of the presidents of the average
banks in Mississippi. An Agent who
can therefore find things worth while
and each month honestly say that
he has jearned his salary by working
’•ather than making out reports.
I believe in a Home Economics
Agent, provided she can get out a
mong the people, be one of them and
find things to do that are worth while.
The time for berry camps, yells songs
making aprons, and the instruction in
innocence of the country girl is a
thing of the past. The Ford car has
done more to educate her than all the
H. E. A. in Mississippi. The present
innocent country girl of a few years
ago can give her mother all four aces
Kings, Queens, Jacks and half the
trumps, and then beat her at most any
game. Glory to her, but for God’s
sake teach her something more ele
cting and useful than a few stale
stereotyped yells and songs. As a
suggestion, organize the country girls
and their city cousin into students
of citizenship. Teach them to distin
guish between a dollar made by hard
work and intelligence as compared
with a dollar from the public trough.
I believe in a County A. H. S. On
account of the immense cost in this
school and on account further of the
fact that every teacher in it is well
paid, board at cost being considered,
l believe that every teacher should
stick to'the school. All expenditures
except the salaries of the teachers
should be stopped. If the school farm
cannot take care of its expenses,
then turn it into a pasture and pay a
few dollars to keep the weeds cut.
Put in a course of study that is worth
while. With the cost attached if
this school cannot give a course, of
study equal to the course at Water
Valley, Grenada, or Charleston, then
we are not getting our children edu
cated, merely passed' to higher grades.
I would like very much to see the bud
get the course of study and the pay
of teachers of all these schools com
pared, especially the course of study
and the requirments of a pupil. We
could well afford to pay the principal
of this school and each of his teach
ers at least 50 per cent more than
they are getting, provided they gave
to the children of this county an ed
ucation equal to the best of the state.
I believe in a County Health Unit.
But let this unit give something in re
turn for its pay besides reports.
I believe in Yalobusha County be
cause I live in it, my home is here, I
pay tax here, and expect to be buried
here. I am not after a single office
in this county. I fed at the public
trough myself for five years. At
present I am making a better salary
than the A. H. S., the H. E. A., or
the C. D. A. I am not after the jobs
of any of these people nor would I
have the places if tendered me on a
silver plate. I am working hard,
bringing $100.00 into Yalobusha
County for every dollar that I take
out. All that I want is that every
body go to work, cut down useless ex
pense, have a business administration
in all things, let no man or woman de
mand unreasonable pay, put in every
hour possible in the upbuilding of
Yalobusha County.
Now go to it. Make a plain state
ment each week of the useless ex
penses of the county. Publish this if
you want to do, but do something.
Here’s HOPING. ,
‘ T. C. BRADFORD
PAPER FROM FAT PINE
There has been a paper mill in oper
ation at Bogalusa, La., for some time
where many grades of pap«-r have
made from fat pine wood and the suc
cess attending the experiment hns
been sufficient to warrant the oper
ators to make extensions. Four new
mills will be erected at once, each as
large as the present plant, and the
manufacture of paper will be enRajyed
in on an extensive scale. The four
new mills represent a cost of $8,000,
000.
MISSISSIPPI MAY
BE NEXT GREAT OIL
PRODUCING STATE
Fifteen Test Wells Now Being
Drilled in Various Sections.
(From The Oil World.)
COLUMBUS, Miss., Jan. 14.—Is
Mississippi to be an oil state? This
question undoubtedly will be answer
ed within the next few months. There
are, in all, 15 test wells now under
way in this state, and a few of them
are making favorable reports.
The well at "Winona” is down at
3400 feet and is closely under guard.
Rumor has it that oil has been struck,
but confirmation is lacking. "Meri
dian” reports a good flow of gas at
2600 feet and tests at Charleston,
Canton and Fayette look very encour
aging. The general consensus of o
pinion is that all previous tests in the
middle and western parts of Mississip
pi never were drilled to the required
depth, which is estimated at 3800 to
4000 feet. Some geologists claim
that the gushers in Louisiana will be
duplicated and even surpassed in Mis
sissippi whenever the right formation
has been struck. This of course
means expensive drilling, which under
preseent conditions of “|ight money”
and the wide range of newly opened
“shallop” fields, does not look very
attractive to the average wildcat
operator.
Mississippi people, however, are
hopeful of increased activity this year
and especially in the northeastern
parts of the state. Most geologists
agree that the Pennsylvania forma
tion continues in a direct line through
Mississippi, entering the state through
Monroe and Lowndes counties, and
continuing in a southwesterly direc
tion down to Natchez and into Louis
iana. Furthermore, it is claimed thart
the distribution of the Pennsylvania
rock in Alabama is such as would war
rant the belief that these beds may
be encountered beneath the Greta
ceous and above the Mississippian,
even though the latter are the young
est consolidated rocks at the surface
in the state. A more recent and de
tailed survey of Lowndes county hms
shown that at least one sand-stone in
Mississippi is highly impregnated wit#
petroleum.
This being correct, it would mean
that a shallow field exists in this part
of the state. It is estimated that it
will be found between the depths of
1800 to 1900 feet. What strengthens
this belief <and makes „it look more
reasonable is that the general forma
tion in Lowdnes county is identical
with the Corsicana oil and gas field
in Texas.
Two test wells have been contract
ed for in Lowdenes county near Co
lumbus. The first one is no v drilling
between 600 and 600 feet. From the
geological veiwpoint this is the most
interesting test in Mississippi, as it
will prove once more how much oil
geology has profited by experience
in the last decade. The people, of
course, are interested in the materia!
side of the question. “Oil in Missis
sippi” would be tthe salvation of the
Magnolia state in view of the collapse
of the cotton market. Oil at a medi
um shallowd epth would mean a boom
equal to the Texas, Louisiana and
Arkansas onrush. Therefore, it is
only natural that Columbus and vicin
ity is in high expectation and that old
and new “seepages” in water well?
and puddles are recalled and debated
every day. The'report from Okolona
about 80 miles north of Columbus,
that over 200 barrels of high grade
oil have been pumped from an old
water well at 600 feet, has added fuel
to the flame, and many are convin
ced that Columbus, Miss., will be the
next oil field. —
$500,000 PLANT TO
DISTILL LIGNITE
Concern Buy* 1,000 Acre* Near
Texarkana—Will Work Out
By-products.
TEXARKANA, Ark., Jan. 17.—
Some months ago it was announced
that a company composed S>f New
York capitalists had purchased about
1,000 acres in the Carbondale lignite
coal district in Bowie County, about
30 miles southwest of here. Now
comes the further announcement, and
from a reliable source, that the com
pany proposes within a short time to
erect a plant on the property for the
purpose of distilling oil from the lig
nite, making bricks from the lignite
after the oil has been distilled from
it. Tar, phosphates, dyestuffs and
other by-products also probably will
be manufactured. It is estimated
that the proposed plant will cost about
$500,000. The lignite in this field is
so near to the surface that no under
ground' mining will be necessary, but
steam shovels will be used. The
thickness of the lignite beds is said to
range from seven to nine feet, which
exists in practically inexhaustible
quantities, it is said.
It is understood that the work of
constructing the plant will be started
within the next sixty days. It is said
the new industry will have a monthly
pay roll of about $25,000.
MEDICAL ASSOCIATE
HELD BIG MEETING
Six-County Association Met in
Water Valley Wednesday—
Excellent Program Rendered
The Six-County Medical Associa
tion, composed of Yalobusha, Mar
fhall, Lafayette, Benton, Tippah and
Jnion Counties, held one of the best
meeting Wednesday in the history of
the association.
The meeting convened at 1:30 P. M.
in the Elks Hall and the session last
ed until night.
Besides the members of the associ
ation the following distinguished phy
sicians were present: Dr. W. S.
Leathers, Pres. State Board of Health,
Dr. Pape of Grenada, Dr. C. M. Shipp
State Sanitary Inspector, Dr. .T. J.
Cullings and Dr. Willis C. Campbell
of Memphis, and others.
At the business session the follow
ing officers were elected: Dr. S. E.
Cooper, president, Water Valley;
Dr. H. N. Mayes, vice president, New
Albany; Dr. B. E. Guyton, Secty
Treas., of Oxford.
At the conclusion of the business
session the following program was
rendered.
PROGRAM
Invocation_Rev. C. D. Frown.
Report of a case of Duodenal Ul
cer-Dr. H. N. Mayes, New Al
bany.
Discussions opened by Drs. E. S.
Bramlett, S. E. Cooper, Leo Brown.
Some abnormal forms of Tetanus
with a report of a case_Dr. L. A.
Barnett, Holly Springs.
Discussions opened by Drs. J. F.
England, I. B. Seale, C. M. Murray.
Gall Stones. Report of three cas
es-Dr. C. M. Speck, New Alirany.
Discussions opened by Drs. Marsh,
Geo. Brown, N. G. Gholson.
Improvements in the treatment of
Typhoid during the past three dec
ades-Dr. F. B. Boatner. Potts
Camp.
Discussions opened by Drs. S E.
Eason, G. W. Sisler, H. E. Griffin.
Report of a case of Partial Obstruc
tion of Intestine-Dr. R. G. Grant,
Pctts Camp.
Discussions opened by Drs. W. W.
Phillips, S. L. Cox, J. S. Donaldson.
Intestinal Bacteriology and its i p
plication to Clinfral Medicine-_J_Dr.
Paul R. Cannon, University. Miss.
Discussions opened by Drs. H. R.
Carr, Whitman Rowland, M. W. Jack
son.
Acido3is._^_Dr. N. C. Womack,
Jackson, Mississippi.
Discussions opened by Drs. P. W.
Rowland, Sr, E. S. Wesson, R. M.
A.dams.
Fractures in and about the Neck
of the Femur_Dr. Willis C.
Campbell, Memphis.
(Lantern Slide Demonstrations.)
Discussions opened by Drs. O. G.
Coleman, J. C. Culley. Luther New
ton.
Discussions of present knowledge
of Tuberculosis-Dr. Henry Bos
well, Sanatorium.
Discussions opened by Drs. W. S.
Leathers, C. M. Shipp, A. D. Tisdale.
(Papers are limited to 20 minutes,
and discussions to 5 minutes.)
At the conclusion of the program
a fine banquet was enjoyed at the
New Herring Hotel, Mrs. Weatherly
the proprietress being assisted by Mrs.
S. E. Cooper, Mrs. G. W. Sisler, Mrs.
S. L. Cox, Mrs. H. R. Carr, Mrs. Ida
Jones Hervey, Mrs. Russell Byers and
Miss Minnie Frederick, all well known
society leaders of the city.
OXFORD MUNICIPAL
AFFAIRSARE AIRED
Ouster Is Again Instituted
Against Mayor and Commis
sioners.
OXFORD, Miss., Jan. 16.—The
municipal affairs of Oxford are n
gain to be aired in the courts. 0. B.
Boofie et al. have again instituted an
ouster suit against Commissioners
Louis Stephens and T. J. Metts and
Mayor E. E. Temple. These proceed
ings were filed before Judge Long of
the Corinth district on the statement
that Judge Roane of this district
was out of the state and Judge Long
has set Friday, Jan. 21, as the date of
the hearing in Corinth. Mayes &
Potter are attorneys for complainants
and Andrews & Bryan of Oxford'will
again defend the suit for Mayor and
commissioners.
In the meantime a special election
for a mayor to succeed E. E. Temple,
resigned, has been called by the com
missioners, and this election is to be
held next Friday.
Mr. Boone was appointed mayor on
the demoting proclamation of Gov.
Russell in the fall, and this is his sec
ond appointment as mayor by Gov.
Russell. _
CARD OF THANKS
We take this means to thank all
our dear friends and neighbors for
all the services, kind acts and loving
thoughts, during our troubles through
sickness during the past few months;
also for remembering our dear little
children through the holidays.
We pray to God to shower the same
blessings on one and all.
MR. AND MRS. C. R. ROBINSON
AND CHILDREN i
HON. MOODY PRICE,
MERIDIAN ATTY.,
MURDERED
Hacked to Pieces As He Lay in
Bed Asleep by the Side of
His Wife by Two Unkndira
Assassins; Wife Also Receiv
ed Terrific Blow
MERIDIAN, Miss., Jan. 14.—At 1:30
p’clock this morning Moody Price,
prominent lawyer and up to a few j
weeks ago United States Land Com-;
rcissioner was foully murdered as he
slept at his home in this city.
Mrs. Price, who was sleeping with
Per husband, was awakened by a
flashlight thrown in her face and ris
ing to a half reclining position she saw
two men in the room. She screamed
and was dealt a blow over the head
but not before she had seen an axe de
scend upon her husband’s head. Her
husband had raised himself as his wife
screamed aTid was hardly awakened
when struck.
Upstairs, Robert Yarbrough and
wife, son-in-law and daughter of the
couple, slept, and as the screams rang
out Mr. Yarbrough rushed down stairs
to find the bloody axe leaing against
the wall of the sleeping chamber.
Judge Price mortally wounded on the
bed Mrs. Price prone and unconcious
in the hall and the slayers gone.
Phone Wires Cut
Efforts to communicate with police
officials, physicians and hospital over
the telephone proved unavailing, the
son-in-law and daughter being unable
to raise central. Accordingly alarm
was given in other manner and a
squad of officers rushed to the scene
accompanied by physicians and a few
friends and citizens who happened to
be out late at night. As daylight
came investigation proved that before
entering the home the miscreants had
cleverly cut the telephone wires so
that there could' be no alarm given in
that manner.
Robbery Not Motive
That robbery was not the motive
was made evident by police discover
ies of a pair of trousers of Judge
Price, a filled purse and two revolv
ers and the further fact that so far
as invesetigation revealed nothing
had been stolen from the house.
Search is Commenced
Immediately after the report of the
tragedy spread, little knots of citizens
and officers commenced to gather at
the Price home and the sherriff im
mediately phoned for Gant’s blood
hounds to take up the trail.
The hounds came as soon as rail
and steam could bring them and when
they were brought to the house were
surrounded by a crowd, which at the
curt commands of serious officers
stood back while the keen nosed ca
nines that have solved so many mys
teries sniffed the ground.
With a bay they were off on one
trail and followed it over a circuit
ous route until it was lost on the pub
lic highway. Here, reasoned officers
and others, is where an automobile
was waiting.
To make safety doubly sure the
hounds were returned to the home
where they took up another trail end
followed it to the Southern railroad,
it is believed bp many that one of the
murderers after leaving the Price
home went to the Southern tracks
while the other went to the waitipg
automobile.
• The bloodhounds are still held in
Meridian, though it is hardly proba
ble that they will be used again.
A coroner’s jury was empanelled
late this afternoon to make an inves
tigation of the tragedy and heard
some testimony, but tonight recessed
until tomorrow morning.
Mr*. Price Coherent
All day today Mr®. Price, after
passing through her terrible ordeal
when her husband’s head was literally
hacked to pieces, was incoherent, but
tonight rallied and was able to maj^e
a coherent statement in which she re
lated waking when the light was
thrown in her face, screaming as she
saw the intruders and seeing Judge
Price sit up in bed. She did not see
the faces of the men but saw outlines
of two forms. ,
After the discovery of the tragedy
and the flight of the murderers,
Tudge Price lived two hours but never
regained consciousness, his head hav
ing been hacked in a dozen places.
Any one of the blows would have
proven fatal.
Wa* Prominent Man
Judge Price was a prominent man.
had practiced law in this city, and
for some time was clerk of the Fed
eral Court and United States Commis
sioner. He resigned these posts some
lays ago and Peter Stubblefield of
Fazoo City was named in his stead.
While Judge Price was not without
anemies, no one here can conceive of
»ny one having sufficient grudge
igainst him to desire to perpetrate
such a crime, pronounced by police,
easily the worst in Meridian’s history.
Tonight while serious, yet excited
nen are discussing the affair the the
>ry has bpen more than once advanc
jd that it Is possible some moonshin
srs he had held to the Federal grand
ury were still smarting and took this
neans of disposing of the man they
•egarded as at least partially respon
sible for their troubles.
on WELL NEWS
FROM MISSISSIPPI
I--—-=r—*
— su
WINONA WELL
It is reported that the Preston Oil
Company have struck oil in their well
at Winona. The Preston people have
the well closely guarded and are not
giving out any information whatever.
However, the company has unloaded
a large lot of steel cab’e and on Wed
nesday a car load of cable tools ar
rived and Thursday the company was
busy transporting the new machinery
and a car load of casing to the drilling
site. Oil men say this is significant.
The*Winona Times savs the well is
down about 3800, that the bit stopped
on a rock and that above this rock
an oil showing was had. That it is
the intention of the company to test
out this showing as sObn as necessary
equipment arrives, and if it doesn’t
prove to be of commercial quantity,
the drilling will proceed through the
rock.
The next ten days should tell
whether this well will fce a producer
or not.
HOUSTON WELL
The Harley Development no. have
ordered a rig and derrick timbers to
be shipped to Thelma, 9 mile3 north
of Hcuston, where they intend to put
down a well. The drill-site location
is in the S. E. 1-4 of Sec. 8, Twp. 13,
I R- 3, E. on the Will Flaherty !ands.
Contract let for a 3000 test, will be
gin the erection of the derrick about
Feb. 1st. Several Geologists of note
have passed on this especial part of
Chickasaw County.^ The drill she is
on an arrow line, 14 miles southwest
of the College Well at Okolona, that
has a showing of high grade oil. at
520 feet.
Mr. G. W. Murray, a noted geolo
gist, states that he has spent several
months making a survey of Mississip
pi and south Alabama, and that be
found the evidence of both oil and
gases at this point more satisfactory
than in any other district he inspect
ed.
Mr. Murray has a national ,*epuNa
tion as a petroleum geologist, was the
first to discover oil in Illinois «nd Ok
'ahoma, Midway fields in California,
Crichton, Red River Pool, La., I,a
trobe, S. A., Winchester, Ky., Des
demonia, and North Buvkhurnett,
Texas. In speaking of oil in North
Mississippi Mr. Murray says: “To say
that Mississippi has oil would only be
speaking the divine laws of nature;
if Chickasaw county has no petro’eum
sands of commercial value then the
divine laws of nature are not to he
reckoned with. We have faith enough
that we are going to give it a trial.”
WAS CHARLESTON WELL
A FAIR TEST?
Interested parties keep isking the
question, “ Do you believe the oil
well (Newton No. 1) at Paynes near
Charleston was a fair test?”
So many asked us the question that
we began to seek information from
among well-informed oil men, and the
majority of them are inclined to be
lieve the test good as far as they went
with the drill. The Charleston Oil &
Gas Company gave out the statement
that drilling stopped at 3200 feet be
cause of lack of funds. The well was
filled with heavy mud and plug?ed at
the top. It is reported that the Com
pany is making an endeavor to get
the farmers to waive rentals due on
the leased lands and if successful then
an effort will be made to drill the
ho’e deeper. Geologists claim that
the Tuscaloosa sands should be en
countered at a depth of about 4000
feet—This is the sands which oil men
are banking on to supply oil in this
part of Mississippi.
—" » ■■
WHAT WILL HAPPEN AT
WATER VALLEY REAL SOON
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Jan. 17.—
Fof the past two or three days Little
Rock hotels have been crowded with
oil prospectors from Texas, Louisi
ana, Oklahoma, and other states on
their way to the El Dorado oil fields.
The Rock Island and Iron Mountain
trains, leaving Little Rock at mid
night, are crowded to capacity diily.
Parties returning from El Dorado
state that it is almost impossible to
secure sleeping quarters, but the cit
izens pf the town are doing every
thing in their power to make viaitois
as comfortable as possible.
V
To Cure a Cold la One Day
Take LAXATIVE BROMO QUININE (Tsbtau.) It
S3?