The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1880-08-06
From Col. j. F. Ii. Claiborne.

naval stores, wool, livestock, char
coal, cord-wood aud oranges, con-
stitute the chief source of revenue
In our sea-bcard counties, and hold
out great indueement for capital
AMI enterprise, there are some
small industries that may be profit
ably pursued.
We cannot all be great manutac-
turers like Ulman; or wooI-grow.
ers like Coils. Stewart aud Lewis ;
or exporters OF lumber to remote
countries like Poitevent & Favre i;
or builders of ready made houses
like Care & Co. nor wine-makers
on the scale of Davis, of Harrison,
and Brown, of Hancock; bat there
are some things that men of mod.
crate means may do.
Oyster planting should be exten.
sively practised. There is no bet.
ter propagating ground in the world
than the mud banks at the de-
bouchment of our saltwater bay.
Gus, and the small bays and inlets
holding in deposit the sediment Of
the Mississippi river. Nurseries
like these, properly protected,
would he very prolific, aud yield a
large aud permanent profit. The
oysters all along there grow large,
aud are of unsurpassed flavor.
This would introduce aud support
two branches of business: LIST, the
building of sailing craft for the
transportation of oysters, which
would give employment to your
ship-carpenters. I'd, the canning
and picking of oysters, crabs and
shrimp, which, instead OF being
done on the seaside, is carried on in
New Orleans. This business, which
conld be extended all over the
West, would require many timers
to supply cans and packages.
Crabs aud shrimp may be put up in
brine, and in oil, and shipped any
where.
Your fishing privileges are sadly
neglected. Vast quantities of red.
fish, red-snapper, saltwater trout
and mullet and mullet-roes, mi bit
be picked In kegs and barrels, or
sun-cured (after being rubbed with
salt aud sugar. and put up in boxes
like code-hsh. The best salt fish
that we buy are no better than
these on the breakfast table. All
that have tried them on my table
here, prefer them to any Northern
fish, aud the roes are considered a
great delicacy. Here is a large
harvest waiting for theenterprising.
And this business would bring you
coopers aud box.makers.
doi't see why you should not
make Your own seines, nets, lines
aud ropes. Cottou,answers n good
purpose, and cotton was grown at
PascagouI, when it was French
colony. The first cotton gin ever
built and in operation, in what is
now the State OF Mississippi, was
built by Mr.. Krebs, an Alsatian or
German colonist, whose ancient
homestead. on Pascagoula bay, is
still, | presume, In the hands of his
respected descendants. II was a
roller. gin, and the cotton he cult
waited was the black seed or long
staple, from the island of Bermuda.
Jute make better nets than cotton,
is a cheaper crop, and will grow
finely along the coast. Several
years ago, | saw bali. an acre OF
jute, that had been sown broadcast
on rough, new land, which averag-
ed twelve feet high, and the fibre
was extremely strong. This was
in the forks of Jordan river and
bay Lacroix, and for particulars l
refer vou TO our friend. Cant. Jas.
r. Mitchell. Bay 81. I,ouis. This
iute seeded abuudautlv. and there
Is no reason why It sioul,l not be
introduced on vour hammock lands
nm IN and down the rivers flat low
into Tho sound and manufactories
nut mn to mako bagying. sacks.
cordaaa roma and tw;ne Such as'
tal,l;si,ments can he RIM cheaner
with xon than IN New Orleans. and
van 5sve water and rail tr.nsnar.
tst;on !, vonr doors
4 vs, s;mnIe m.cb;na can he
ma, r;,si ,o s..,,ar,,s shs 1ibre from
M tHa st,lL and have No s,onht vorr
v y