New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-08-24

New Orleans. There are undoubtedly
many others which experiment will demon
strste can be raised to advantage. The
business is now IN its infancy, snd as yet
there seems, to be no settled opinion as to
what can be done and what can not We
look for the time whom this piney woods
country shah rival the fruit growing dis
tricts of New Jersey and Delaware in the
extent and quality of their productions.
We can not refrain from mentioning the
great improvement in the condition Of the
railroad Of late. It is not many years since
the road was In extremely bad condition,
and the time made was very slow. Now
the track 10 in very Eeed condition and tho
trains are generally on time. and running
at an increased rate Of speed. The man
agement seems TO be ia very efficient
hands,
All this. however, has nothing to do with
the Mississippi Valley Company. We shall
introduce that presently. Upon the arrival
Of our reporter at McComb City he saw
very pleasant looking gentleman at the
depot, who looked as though be might
know something about it.
Being INTERCEPTED, this pleasan: look.
ing gentleman modes,ly confessed that
he did, and that he would ex.
plain the subject in due course OF time.
He stated that his name was NJ. b. Hill
yard, aud that he enjoyed the honor Of
being secretary Of the object of our investi.
cations. The REPUBLICAN. man then intro
dueed himself, and commenced to look
around to see what sort OF a place he
was in. 80,
The first thing which struck him was the
fact that everything was new-bran, spank
ing, blinking, binding, shining new, A
new, and elegant shed covered the new
platform Of the new depot. A new stair.
way, forty or fifty feet wide, led up three
| successive plateaus to an elegant new hotel
at the top. From the gallery of the hotel
| he noticed either new houses or houses mot
| yet completed in every direction. The
hotel, which is called the DeSoto House, 10
| An elegant structure, modelled, we are in.
formed. after the Grand Union Hotel at
Saratoga Springs. Standing on quite a
commanding eminence, with large and
handsome pillars running from the ground
| to the third story, it presents q very i'm.
! posing appearance. 1t contains ffty-seven
rooms, and was built 1T cost of $4,000
Our reporter found the fare at this hotel
excellent. Most of the passenger trains
stop at McComb City for meals. And those
accustomed to travelling on the Jackson
railroad will be pleased to know that there
| is, at least. one eating-house on the line
where they can get square meal 4.Is
| The DeSoto House, ~ well a. the depot
buildings and all the dwe!hnghouses IN Nc
Comb City, excepting half dozen, were
erected by the Mississippi Valley Company.
This company was organized for the pur-
pose of dealing in real estate and erecting
dwellings and manufactures, and running
manufactures after they are built The
original tract purchased by the Mississippi
Valley Company of the Jackson Railroad
Company consisted Of $500 acres of land
This tract was covered with fine growth
of pine timber, much of which has been
cut down anu used for building purposes
The face of the country presents q success
| sion of gently undulating hills admirably
adapted as a site for city. The drainage
I could not be excelled. This tract has been
divided into streets and avenues, squares
and parks.
| The oficers of the company are as follows:
! J. ID. Billings, president; w. NJ. Francis,
treasurer; NJ. B. Hillyard, secretary; Henry
9. McComb, Thomas A. Scott. J. Edgar
Thompson, William Shaw. 4. NJ. West,
executive committee.
| It will be seen that these names belong 70
| some of the strongest financiers in the United
| States. To Colonel McComb is due the
| credit Of originating the mode employed in
building up the town named in his honor.
The company commenced work in April,
1872. Up to this date it has constructed for
the Jackson railroad its depot, roundhouse,
blast furnace building, machine shop, car
repair shop, and other buildings of lesser
| Importance. And for its own use, the hotel
which we have already described, an ele.
| CANT brick store at cost Of SIS, 200, two
saw mills, spacious building which is
used as q town hall, church and school,
house and one hundred dwelling houses, at
a cost Of from $1,000 to $4,000 each.
The Valley Company has in its employ
! $50 men, These are divided into different
gangs, according to their expertues, in
their several trades. In building house
! one gang of men i. assigned to the first and
rougher work; second TO another grade of
| work requiring more skill, and third to
the finishing and finer work. Thus each
workman is kept a: his speciality, and the
company has several houses in process Of
erection at one and the same time.
Mr.. J. D. Billings the president Of the
company. is the gentleman who directs and
systematizes this work so admirably. lie
| not only directs, but he does an immense
amount of muscular labor. He is up early
and late attending to the business of his
little domain. Dressed in an old straw hat,
checked shirt. a wei! worn pai- Of pants
and heavy pair of cowhide boots. which
are the terror of evil doers, he is to be seen
constantly fitting from one end of McComo
City to the other. He is a man of very few
words; one whose promises can always be
relied upon. During last winter, when the
pressure for houses in McCOmb was very
great, man with large family, who had
been engaged to work for the company,
was landed from the cars. At that time
there was not vacant house in the town,
nor a spare room at the hotel. Indeed,
there seemed to- be no shelter tor this un-