The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1888-03-10
DUCK HILLS DEVELOPMENT
WHAT HAS BEEN DONEiN A YEAR
MEMPHIS MEN
erested-Furnaces TO be Erected.
Advantages
OF The Place, Sale of Lots. Etc.-A Fine
Field For


lnyestments and Substantial Returns.
Memphis Ledger, March Gth.l
Something over year ago the little
town of Duck Hill, Miss, was thrown in
to state OF excitement by the announce
ment that the hills surrounding the town
and for miles in every direction were fl
led with iron ore A representative OF
the Ledger went there aud found th,
people in frenzy of excitement and
the widest speculation in town lots go
ing on. The ore was being hauled to
town by the wagon load, and iron and
coal experts were sent for, who pronoun-
ced the find no myth, but who doubted
the quantity. The matter went on, the
excitement died out, skeptics pronoun-
ced the boom failure, and men " 10
had bought lots on speculation quietl,
walked out behind the stores of the vii
lage and kicked themselves.
Not so however with few who had
confidence, and who believed what they
saw. A company was formed and is
now known as the Mississippi and Ten
nessee Iron and Mineral Company
Mr.. W. D. Bethel, Of Memphis, was
elected president, and Mr.. G. T. Mays,
also of Memphis, was elected secretary.
The company has been quietly working,
making no boasts of what they were do
ing, or what they intended to do. Last
week the company held II meeting in
Memphis, and on last Tuesday Mr., Mays,
the secretary, went to Duck Hill, return
ing on Friday. A representative OF the
Ledger called at this genteman's Office
Yesterday to find out the present and
future of that section OF Mississippi
On the Ledger representative making
his business known, Mr.. Mays said:
"The outlook is at present brighter
than the company had any right or
hoped to expect. The ore sent off has
turned out better, and besides this coal
is being found in abundance. The as
says of the ore has been made by ex-
perts in Chicago, Nashville and Bir-
mingham, and it has been pronounced
rich in iron and minerals. As to the
amount, the hills for miles and miles are
filed with ore."
The Ledger man then asked Mr. Mays
what steps would be taken by the com
pany to develop that section.
"Well," said Mr.. Mays, the company
is now going to work in earnest. The
town is being laid off in lots, by a com
petent surveyor, and on the lst Of May
there will be public sale OF these lots
on guarantee that furnaces will be
erected and running in twelve months
from that date. Correct maps will be
made of these lots, so that they will be
easily located on the day Of the sale"
"Mr. Mays, will there be any OF the
land containing the ore for sale?"
"No, not at present. The company
desires no wild cat speculation in this
matter, and they prefer to work slowly,
and to be sure Of what they are doing.
| The boom year ago did us a vast
amount of harm. 1t made people lose
confidence, and it requires time, and
that will show for itself, to make the
people realize that there is something
besides blow gas in the future
"How about the company who have
these lands?'
"Thev are men who mean business in
every sense OF the word. Mr.. W. ID.
Bethel the president, is well known in
Memphis as man who is not at all
visionary and man not likely to invest
his money in a mythical scheme. An
other mnneyed man is Mr.. d. D. Will
kins of Duck Hill, who is there all the
time and knows that what goes on in
the future will be on solid basis. He
has money invested and has no tear of
the future, There are other men Of
capital in the company who know that
within a very short time furnaces will
be in operation, as well as other indus
tries not to be mentioned at present"
Mr.. Mays did not wish to say any
more at present, so the scribe took his
departure
Duck Hill is situated on the Illinois
Central railroad, 1l3 miles south Of
Memphis. 1t is in a rich valley and is
one OF the prettiost sites for a manuiac-
tory town in the State. The water facil-
tiles are the best in the country. Large
springs bubble up all through the town,
while large stream of water flows about
half mile north. 1t is populated with
the very best people-the merchants are
all good business men; not one OF them
but has unlimited credit. The schools
are good, and church facilities are of the
best. There is no question now but that
the Mississippi and Tennessee Iron and
Mineral Company are going to work
with determination to develop that
section and open to the world the rich
iron fields which they are now satisfied
exist. They have failed so far to make
any outside blow about this country or
their prospects, for fear that it might
prove failure. but after a thorough in
vestigation and the assurance of experts
as to quantity and quality Of the ore
found, they have no hesitancy in letting
it be known what they intend to do, and
in pushing forward in their work. In q
few DAYS advertisements will be out for
bids on furnaces and other works. The
Ledger will keep its readers posted on
this new FL Dorado and watch with iu-
crest it's future developments