The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-03
Jones. Perry, COvin&GOn and other
Counties.

Major e. g. Val: :
DEAR SIR--In this fast age every locality
Is anxious to know. where the balance OF
mankind Is, what they are doing and how
J 1ney 90 II and especially to know if it pays.
rms ldea has prompted me to say a few
things for your journal about what / know
OF southeast Mississippi. Having r. sided
In the county of Jones from 1912 TO 1868 I
profess to know something of its soil. eli
mate, productions. heal I'll. resources. etc
In the first place the country is moderately
undulatlug, with no very high hills or i'm
penetrabIe swamps. The soil is generally
OF a sindy texture, enough to be pleasant
to cultivate. Produces corn. cotton rice
oats sweet and Irish potatoes, sugar cane
in fact all field crops, and rewards the farm
er for his labOrs.
GARDEN VEGETABLES
of every description flourish. Peaches. figs
and scuppernong, are in their native eIe-
meht IN this county. Apples do well.
THERE ARE SEVERAL STREAMS
running through the county of sufficient
width and depth to float the pine timber, of
which it surpasses in quantity and quality
any portion of the Southern States. 1t will
average in lumber, board measure, per acre
1000 feet. This is now becoming one of the
great industries of south beast MississiDpi
from June to November. At this season of
the year, the teams support themselves on
the native grass, and do the work of the
hauling OF the timber.
WILD TIMBERED LAND
ranges in price from fifty cents to one dollar
per acre. owing to proximity to the creek
for rafting. Along the margin of creeks
there is extensive bottoms of fertile soil
timbered. with white oak, hickory, ash.
beech. gum, elm, and magnolia, with a thick
underground
THE HILLS AND VALLEYS,
are covered with tall yellow long long leaf
pine trees, no uudergowth but grass. This
grass sustain large herds of cattle and sheep
summer and winter. 1t is demonstrated
that sheep husbandry pays with careless
management sixty per ceht. on the capital
invested.
The creeks abound with fish, the woods
with deer. turkeys, fox. raccOon. opOssum
and skunk. some wild cats. The bear
wolves and panther, have long since been
eXterminated.
POPULATION.
Except the margin of the creeks, the
countA is sparsely populated, neighbohoods
convenient for schools and churches. The
population plain and unassuming, none
wealthy but self-sustaining and independ-
ent aud hospitable to fault.
THE CLIMATE Is MILD.
Winters warm and short, rarely ever
SHOWS, and never lies on the ground more
than twenty four hours. Corn planting on
all uplands about the first of March. Wheat
rye and oats in October and November and
harvested in May and June. a great many
bold freestOnc water springs and water OF
the common kind is generally had by dig
ging to the depth of twenty TO thirty feet
Scarcely any rock of any kind, ali building
material is wood and brick.
The streams afford ample water for extern
sve manufacturing establishments.
The health of the county will compare
favorably with any portion of the South.
Chills, some seasons, prevail.
FUTURE PROSPECTS.
The survey for the New Orleans. or North
eastern and Chattanooga Railroad runs dag
Onally from northeast to southwest in Jones
county, and is regarded as a railroad neces-
sty, and at. no very distant day will be
built. Also the late charter for the Ship Is
land, Ripley and Kentucky Railroad on an
air line will center this county, running
north and south. These two lines crossing
near the center of this county would make
it the Atlanta of Southeast Mississippi.
The foregoing description of the county
of Jones will apply to Perry, the western
part OF Wayne, the eastern part of COving
ton, northeastern part of Marion. all o.
Greene. and the northern parts OF Harrison
and Jackson; and | suppose the county of
Hancock might be added.
j. f. WELBoRN.
,SbUbutd, Hiss, Mdg %, 1878.