This text was obtained via automated optical character recognition.
It has not been edited and may therefore contain several errors.

---

50
The Progress of the Races
Losing his light arm and hand, he could not write his name legibly, so he had a stamp made, a facsimile of his name, that he stamped his name to the official papers. His son was his assistant postmaster. But he kept a clerk in the office with him at all times. It was remarkable to see Mr. McGuire hoe around the vegetables in his garden with his left hand. Mr. McGuire survived his beloved wife, Mrs. Julia McGuire, his two sons, Mr. Ralph McGuire, Mr. Herbert McGuire, and Mrs. Ella McGuire Knighton, the mother of Miss Bertha Knighton Williams, and the grand-daughter of Mr. McGuire,
and the sole heir to his estate.
August, 1954 Pearlington, Miss.
Railroads and the Fugitive Slaves
Before the Civil War, railroads were not allowed to run below the Mason and Dixon line. They ran down to the line, and turned East and West. Doubtless this was to prevent the slaves from running away from their masters into free states. Yet, they became fugitives by the assistance of an organization known as the Underground Railroad, that spirited them away into free states until a more drastic fugitive slave law was passed by Congress in 1850, that practically established slavery in all the states, finally, they were smuggled into Canada. From 1858 to 1860, the political issues against slavery in the North and West, were so bitter and intense, and the Presidential election of 1860, resulted in secession in the South, Civil War in 1861, and the emancipation of the slaves in 1863.
The emancipation of the slaves was one of the greatest events in American history. The United States has made greater progress since the emancipation of the slaves than she did from Colonial times up to that great event. (It was the writer’s good fortune to visit Jamestown, Va., July 4, 1931. His itinerary was from Washington, D.C. to Richmond, Va. thence to Williamsburg, Va. by rail, thence by taxi to Jamestown. It was a desolate place. The only person I saw there was the Colored taxi driver who worked for a sightseeing company at Williamsburg. A distance of 14 miles from Williamsburg. In the month of August, 1619 a Dutch man-of-war sailed up the James River to the plantations, and offered at auction twenty Africans. They were purchased by the wealthier class of planters, and made slaves for life. It was however, nearly a half-century from this time before the system of Negro slavery became well established in the English colonies. The writer walked nearly a mile on the bank of the James River, in order that his feet might tread on the ground where those Africans landed. He regarded it as one of the most sacred places in American history.) The census of 1950, gives 10 persons at Jamestown, Virginia. But the writer saw none when
he was there in 1931.”
The Negro had friends even in slave time. And since he has become a bonafide citizen of the United States, and a part of the body politic, he has more friends. And in proportion to the way he lives soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, educates, and saves his money, his friends
will increase.
August, 1954 Pearlington, Miss.
The Progress of the Races
51
Mail System
Before the Civil War, a steamboat line ran from Mobile to New Orleans, that carried mail, passengers and freight. These boats ran on schedule time, when one was leaving Mobile, the other would be leaving New Orleans, at the same time. They met at Biloxi, the half house. It is 160 miles by water from Mobile to New Orleans, and Biloxi is half way. These boats stopped at all the large towns on the coast of Mississippi, delivered and received mail and passengers and freight. After the war and reconstruction, the steamboat route was discontinued when the Chattanooga railroad was put through to New Orleans, in 1872. Now the Louisville and Nashville R.R. After the Chattanooga railroad was put through to New Orleans, mail, passengers and freight came on the train. The mail for Pearlington, Gainesville and Hobolochitto, was relayed from Bay Saint Louis, twice a v. i-ek. oil Wednesday and Saturday. Mr. Pinkney Ross, a Colored man, who lived at Bay Saint Louis, rode the mail, and changed horses at Gainesville. This mail system was carried on until a steamboat route was established or. Pearl River, from English Lookout, La. to Pearlington, Logtown, and Gainesville. The steamboat route having been discontinued sometime since, we now have an automobile route, and Mr. Marshall, is the mail carrier.
Adhesive stamps originated in 1840, when Roland Hill, was Pos:master General of England, conceived the uniform penny postage plan. Up to that time it had been the custom to charge for the transportation of package? in proportion to the distance covered. The use of this form of stamp rapidly spread to other countries, and is now universal.
Postmasters at Pearlington
Since Reconstruction in 1870, Pearlington has had ten postmasters, namely, George W. Brown, Judge Joseph Graves, Mrs. Favre, the widow of Nezan Favre, Judge Joseph Graves, Judge Graves, served alternately under President Arthur, and President Benjamin Harrison, Abner McGuire, Etienne William Maxson, Thomas A. Dean, Mrs. Strayhan, Mrs. Emma Dean, the widow of the late Thomas A. Dean, Mrs. Ernestine Davis, and Mrs. Elizabeth Lynch, the incumbent.
Mrs. Lynch has proven to be as capable, and efficient in the discharge of her duty as postmaster, as any of her predecessors, and in one point, she has excelled. Mrs. Lynch has worked up the gross receipts of the office, so that It is now advanced to the Third Class, beginning July 1, 1954. We congratulate Mrs. Lynch for her	faithful and courteous service,	and wish that
she stay in the office as long as she lives.
August, 1954 Pearlington, Miss.
The Gin and Suburb
Before the Civil War, the	Gin was a	part	of Pearlington, but now an
isolated section, inhabited by	some very	good	citizens and	their families.
They are retired business men. They have built up some fine homes. They have artesian wells, automobiles, out-board motor boats. Some have dug