We see by the Memphis paper that the Bloodmobile picked up a hundred and eighty-eight pints of blood for the Armed Forces in its Thursday visit to Ole Miss.
In the list of donors are the names of Bill Koestler and W. F. Foard, both of whom are Greenville boys. The State University seems to be an unfailing supply for the Bloodmobile, for this is the second appearance on the campus since the fall semester began. It was during the first collection that we observed Billy House's name on the list of some eleven hundred students who gave blood.
Earlier in the week, the Bloodmobile journeyed to Tunica, and we noted that Miss Carmen Pearson gave her second pint in as many visits. We also noted the name of C. R. West in the list of donors, and are sure that this was Riley West, of Dundee, who went to Mississippi A&M College at the same time as Old Stuff. Mr. C. R. West gave a pint earlier in the fall so it would seem that she and her husband take turns giving blood for their country. Another familiar name on this recent Tunica County list was that of Kenneth Whittington. He worked here for Armour & Co. back in the early twenties, and his sister, Miss Elizabeth Whittington, won all sorts of state-wide beauty contests while attending M.S.C.W. at Columbus.
Last summer, as we followed the course of the Bloodmobile through North Mississippi, we saw a tremendous bloc of foreign names in the account of the Tate-Panola donations. These, of course, were from the Latvian colony around Sardls and Senatobla, and it looks like the feature writers missed a good chance to put in some licks against Senator Pat McCarran and his anti-immigration racket by not playing up that particular trip of the Bloodmobile.
For a few days ago, in the Joe "In the Past in Memphis column", we read where General Nathan Bedford Forrest had been buried just seventy-five years ago, in Elmwood Cemetery. Presumably, the general's body has since been moved to rest beneath his equestrian statue in Forrest Park. World War II was notable, among other things, for the scant mention it paid to the memory of such military greats as Lee, Jackson, Grant, Napoleon, Marlborough and Wellington. But the commentators and reporters came up with Nathan Bedford Forrest's name nearly every time they put on broadcast or spun a feature story. He was the patron saint of "blitzkrieg" (lightening war), both Nazi and Patton style, and that business of "gittin thar fustest with the mostest" was quoted and re-quoted many, many times.
It was in that same "In the Past", that we read that Gen. Houston, of Texas, was a Memphis visitor, in November 1852. "
The Night Desk" column in the Commercial Appeal is also Interesting, and here we want to thank those friends who clip it, from time to time, and mail it to Old Stuff, and a few days read some contributor's account of how that "brave engineer", Casey Jones, sounded the alarm of the fire which destroyed St. Thomas Hall in Holly Springs. Casey was on his regular run (Jackson, Tenn. to Canton.) over the I. C., and awoke the countryside with his train whistle.
Whoever it was that turned in the story thought the fire occurred in 1899 and wanted more particulars about St. Thomas Hall itself, which was a very fine boys' school. He also hoped to hear from someone who might have been a student there at the time of the fire.
The only alumnus of St. Thomas Hall, whom we know off-hand, is Mr. Will Poindexter, of Morgan City, who is a brother of Mrs. Clive (Miss Daisy) Metcalfe of Greenville, and of Mrs. Tom Henderson (Miss Ada) Baird of Jackson.
But Mr. Poindexter, who soldiered in the Spanish-American War (with Greenville's Arthur Lyell), in 1898, would hardly have returned to prep school to be in on the fire at St. Thomas Hall, in 1899. However, as an old grad, he is bound to love his memories of the place, so it could be that Mr. Will could help out "Night Desk" with some missing lore to St. Thomas Hall.
Birthday greetings, on the morrow, Armistice Day, to Mrs. Dean of Leland. We know that will be a great time for our old friend, as she will be surrounded by her many loved ones, all loving her, and all wishing her many happy returns of the day.
BC.
