NEWS FROM LONG AGO AUGUST 3, 1900 FROM THE ACKERMAN RECORD, VOL. 2, NUMBER 20 (Continued) BYWY AGAIN: The editor-in-chief made a trip to the famed Bywy country last Wednesday evening and while en route took occasion to look carefully into the crop situation. We confess that we were most agreeably surprised at the prospect, the outlook being about twice as good for a crop as we had been led to believe it was. Ordinarily we are not pessimistic, but believe in the doctrine that there is a destiny which shapes our ends rough hew them as we will. But we had heard so much of waste and destruction among the crops that we had about come to the conclusion that if all were true that had been told, that the people were unquestionably in the middle of a fix. At the same time we had faith in the good sense of the people – we believed that they could solve the problem. Bob Taylor says and we don’t know where he got it, that as a rule he considers a man a fool; when its cool he wants it hot, when its hot he wants it cool, always wanting what is not. It is a wise provision of providence that one clear, bright day acts as a sponge to wipe out the effects of a week of rain and gloom. That for a long time we have had excessive rains and that there has been a foul growth of grass all know. We know too that the corn crop average is below the average yearly yield, but the farmers will hedge against the misfortune of a short corn crop by raising lots of stock peas and harvesting lots of hay. We do not know the condition as to much territory but we are prepared to say that if all sections of Choctaw are up to the standard of the territory we traversed necessary to take us some distance beyond Bywy – we crossed it on the Ackerman and Mathiston road – then there will not be a famine in this shortly. We saw some as good corn as we have ever seen in any year. We saw some sorry. And we have never seen a bin of corn in any year of anywhere but that had nubbins in it. The cotton crop looks well generally and with a good price, which is now promised, we will have good times yet. It was our good fortune to be fed, sheltered and looked after by our friend of long standing, J. F. (Babe) Watson, during our stay on Bywy. Since our last visit to Mr. Watson’s home, he has built a nice, neat and commodious house. After getting out of the hills that environ that section of the country, we are reminded of the change made in emerging from the Kentucky mountains and entering upon the Blue Grass region. That section of Choctaw lies as beautifully as any within its limits. (Article continued next week)
