October 31, 1902
MISSISSIPPI DAY: The State board of education has issued a manifesto fixing December 10 as “Mississippi Day,” and announced an official program for the celebration of the event. “Believing that one of the most important functions of the public school is to inculcate a thorough local patriotism and to stimulate a genuine State pride, the State board of education has fixed the 10th day of December, the anniversary of the admission of the State into the Federated Union, as Mississippi Day to be celebrated by such suitable exercises as the teachers may consider appropriate to the commemoration of that important event and the most prominent epochs in the history of the state. Speeches, recitations, and songs calculated to acquaint the children with a knowledge of the State’s splendid resources and to perpetuate the memory of the general material progress of the State; the patriotism, trials, and sufferings of her people, their triumphs and reverses. Especial attention, in the judgment of this board, should be given to the motives which actuated the heroism and sacrifices of the last generation in order that in the young and growing generation the integrity and truth of history may be preserved, and at they may gather therefrom the inspiration and lofty principles which taught the civilized world its greatest lessons as to the real moral strength and intellectual power of modern times?
THE I. C. Railroad: Effective Nov. 2, 1902, there will be inaugurated by the Illinois Central R. R. Co., a new line from Chicago to Minneapolis and St. Paul via Rockford, Freeport, Dubuque, Waterloo and Albert Lea, over which fine passenger service will be maintained, consisting of a fast vestibule night train, the “limited” handsomely equipped with through sleeping car, through buffet-library car, through reclining chair car, dining car service enroute.
WANTS A RAILROAD: A railroad from Starkville to Grenada is the most desirable and most to be sought for just at this time. If we remember right, that some time in the past the line was advocated and perhaps a survey was undertaken. This would be a connecting line between the Plant system of the southeast and the Central west and would place us upon a through line from the southeast to the southwest. Would open up a west section intervening. There is no reason why Starkville surrounded with her fine grass and other agricultural land, with her progressive citizenship, her wide awake merchants, her great educational advantages should not become the leading city of east Mississippi, and the road would do more than anything else, above good roads to accomplish it. Why do not our leading citizens get together and with statistics and data present it to the consideration of the officials of these two systems, and try to induce them to undertake it.
