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The Progress of the Races
were the first colored men to own a vessel on Pearl River; they owned the barge Vina. Captain Anatole McKan came next with the schooner Modeste. He and his two sons, Stanford and Nicholas McKan ran this schooner. It was equal of any sailors on the lakes. Captain McKan and his wife, Malinda McKan, owned the schooners Mamie A. D., Daisy Woods, and Lena M. H. These schooners ran chiefly in rosin, turpentine and freight. Captain Stanford McKan bought the schooner Mamie A. D., from his father, and owned the schooners Ella K., and J. W. Bryant also.
Captain Lewis Slade and John Richardson first owned the schooner Minnie Otis. Captain Slade next bought the schooner Hortense from Albert White and Andrew Little. For his stock in the East Louisiana Railroad when that road was sold, the Poitevent & Favre Lumber Company gave him the schooner Alice McGuigin in payment for his shai'e, after which he bought the schooner Ella C. Andrews from the same company. Captain Slade owned some valuable real estate at Pearlington, Pass Christian and New Orleans. His worth chiefly consists in personal property, and he probably carries the best bank account of any colored man in Hancock County.
Captain Eli Peters owned more schooners than any colored man on Pearl River. He owned the schooners Daisy Woods, Geo. W. Lester, Victoria, Calla. Angeline and C. A. Fish. Captain Matthew Mundy bought the schooner Victoria from Captain Peters. Captain Jerry Mundy owned a little barge that he ran in wood from West Pearl River.
Fraternal Orders
The Union Light was the first fraternal order organized at Pearlington. This society owned a hall at the Mile Branch and a tract of land known as Red Oak corner, about four miles from Pearlington on the Devil Swamp. The Sons of Solomon and Daughters of Moses were next. These societies were short-lived, but while they did live they did a lot of good. Next came Corinthian Lodge No. 144, the banner lodge of South Mississippi. The orders of Tabernacle, Court Patrons of Husbandry Temple No. 5, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, and True Reformers, and Helping Hand followed respectively.
Nearly all of these orders owned their halls and took care of the sick and buried the dead in a commendable way. The ruling spirit from time to time in these splendid institutions were Alexander Peterson and George Thomas in the Union Light Association; Richard G. Burrell, Aaron Smith, Albert Harris, Etienne W. Maxson, Joseph Winston, and Malachi Cade, in the Masons, Corinthian Lodge No. 144, respectively; Wiley Daniels in the Odd Fellows and True Reformers; William Howard, in the Order of Tabernacle; Etienne W. Maxson, Richard Knox and Moses N. Peters in Love and Union Temple No. 5, Court Patrons of Husbandry; William McGee, in the Sailors Benevolent Society; and William Mitchell, in the Helping Hand.
There were also branches of these orders represented by the women, namely, the Eastern Star, Aline Winston, Worthy Matron; Household of Ruth, Eliza Rogers, Past Most Noble Governess; Nenia Royal, Most Noble Governess. Ida Young, Adaline Limier and Emily R. Jordan, in the Court of Calanthe.
Frances L. Knox was the first General Degree Commissioner of the Court Patrons of Husbandry, domiciled at New Orleans, from the State of Missis-
The Progress of the Races
31
sippi. She held this office two or three terms. Elnora Holmes was next, and Mamie J. Peters was the last up to 1917, when this office was discontinued.
Political Progress
Judge Joseph Graves was the first colored man to hold a political office on Pearl River. He was first appointed Harbor Master at Ship Island, Miss., (luring Reconstruction days. He was the first colored postmaster at Pearlington, and served alternately under Presidents Arthur and Benjamin Harrison. He was justice of the peace for the First Supervisor’s District of Hancock County, a number of years, and he filled these offices with credit to himself and to the community in which he lived.
Edward W. Rouse was appointed postmaster at Logtown, under President Harrison. Failing to give the bond he did not serve.
Etienne William Maxson was first appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue at New Orleans, by Col. H. C. Powers, Collector of Internal Revenue under the Sugar Bounty Act of 1891 and 1892, and weighed sugar for the United States Government in Saint John the Baptist Parish, at Terre Haute, Reserve, Cornlaud and Ora Brothers plantations. He was next appointed Commissioner of Election of Hancock County, and State of Mississippi, by Governor John M. Stone, and served from August, 1892, to August, 1894, inclusive. For his services rendered as Manager and Commissioner of Elections representing the Republican Party, and in county and State conventions, as a delegate, he was appointed postmaster at Pearlington, Miss., December 0, 1898, and served from January 3, 1899, to May 31, 1916, inclusive. He served longer than any postmaster on Pearl River, covering a period of seventeen years and five months.
During his tenure of office he improved the postal service on that steamboat route. From two mails a day he improved the service to four mails a day. In a short while he fitted out his office with lock and call boxes, and the business of the office was increased so that the gross receipts exceeded that of any other predecessor. The New Orleans Item said that he delivered the smallest letter that ever passed through the mails. This letter was smaller than a two cent stamp. It was just the length of a two cent stamp, but not as wide. The stamp covered the face of the letter and lapped over on the back, which contained the address. This diminutive letter was addressed to Mrs. Angie Tartavoulle, and was specially delivered by Matthew Winston, the assistant postmaster. It is gratifying to note that all of the sureties on his official bond from time to time were colored men and women, until the United States Government passed a law permitting surety companies to stand postmasters’ bond, then he used a surety company in Baltimore, Md. The assistant postmasters in this office serving in successive order were as follows:	Eucharist	Thompson, Matthew Winston, Rosa May Jordan,
Ruby Baxter, Harriet Elizabeth Maxson, Albertine Alexander, and Eucharist Peters. Oliver C. Maxson was the special delivery and newspaper boy. While Pearlington was not a letter-carrier office yet, there was a mail carrier in the person of Henry Holmes, a colored man, who was employed by the business men and private citizens of the place. These business men and private citizens filed orders with the postmaster giving Holmes power to receive any valuable mail for them, such as registered letters, and even to cash money orders.