The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-12-25

Capt. Hardy. President Of the Gulf aud
Ship Island Railroad. yesterday. who has
Just returned from the Sea coast, where he
had been to inaigurate ths surveys OF the
road.
From him we learn that Mr.. s.. d.
Brown, Of Mobile, is the chief engineer,
and Mr.. J.. v. Welsh, OF this city, is as
sistant. They began their Inc i've miles
north of Mississippi City and are running
northward. Tho terminus of the reed has
not yet been fixed. Under the charter It
may DE fixed at any point on the sea coast
and Whichever point offers by way OF ter
miual localities aud is equally accessible
to Ship island harbor, will be adopted.
He says the people of Mississippi City
received him kindly, although they have
SO long had their hopes deferred that they
havn't much faith in it.
Capt. Hardy has no doubt of his ability
to build the road and says it will be the
best paying road in the State. With the
Florida Canal and the Eads Ship Railway
completed, Ship Island harbOr, which is
equal to, IT not superior to the hail boz at
Norfolk, will be sought by the
of tho world. He predicts that the day
Is coming when II will ship moro cotton,
grain and lumber than New Orleans.
The West can, and will be sspplisd with
tropical fruits, woods. dye stuAs, etc.,
because of TIE superior facilities afford
ed by the harbor in loading to and from
the cars into the ships.
Then it will be great cOaling station
as coal will be d, livered there by the Lou
isville and Nashville and By the New Or
leans and Northeastern.
We asked him how the building of the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad would Of
feet Meridian. lie said it would greatly
benefit her. III fact her system of rail
1t would give Meridian another line to
Mobile, aud also another to New Orleans,
and another to Jackson, and west to Tex.
rs 1t wOuld give Meridian access to the
finest harbor ON the gulf coast at a dis
lance of only $50 miles. Her cotton com
pressed here aud sold for export could be
delivered aboard ship in ten hours. Think
Of that. He says it is a shame that Mis-
sissippi has SO long neglected the devel'
Opmeut of this splendid hRrbOr. Then he
got Uut q map and chart Of the harbOr,
and ~ he pointed out its advantages his
enthusiasm dubbed over, aud he SAID
"Sir, I'll build this road and then I'll lay
siege to Congless for an appropriation for
the perfection of the harbor, and I'll get
1t, too, and Mississippi will become the
greatest and richest State in the South,
except, perhaps, Texas. Meridian Mercury.
W. are not surprised at Captain
Hardy Is enthusiasm, aud it he will
come TO TIE Port of PaScagOula he
will fnd that our people have con
siderable faith in it. This is largely
OWING TO the fact that We believe
that We have terminal facilities
which, when fully appreciated. Will
induce capital 10 invest. A letter
has been written aud mailed to
Hardy, which was signed
bN u laIgr uumOrr of our leading
business men inviting him To come
to see MS. Ii he will do 80, We pro.
pose 10 demonstrate 10 him clearly,
that We have terminal facilities su.
10 any be has . rt seen or will
see Oh the Mississippi coast. We
will show him the Eearest aud most
practicable route 10 Ship Island,
the best barber on the coast hich
IS naturally deepening every year,
and other ,hlngs too numerous to
mention. We can show him that
we are given eighteen feet OF
wafer by an old chart we really
ntaIPr twenty feet.
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