The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-05-18
RESPONSE OF ". C. wELBORNE. OF THE
EfLLsvIILE NEW SOUTH, To THE
ADDRESS OF WELCOME BY
HON. w. G. YERGER:
Ladies and ,ientlemen /:


HON. W. G. YERGER:
Ladies and tientlemen:
Though sorely feeling my incompe.
tence, it becomes my pleasant duty tO
make some response in behalf of the
Mississippi Press Association to the
earnest and eloquent address of wei,
come to which We have just listened.
! can only wish that | had the ability
and the power of speech to titly re-
fleet our real emotions at the warm
words of welcome so feelingly spoken
by the talented speaker who has just
preceded me.
We appreciate such welcome from
such a people. We indeed feel that
this is no formal courtesy of everyday
life, but real welcome-warm and
true. We thank you for 1t; and ap-
preciate it more than any feeble words
of mine can tell you.
|, for one have looked forward to
your city, the Queen City of the Delta,
with no little anxiety. We came here
with high antieipations, and assure
you our most extravagant hopes have
been more than realized. We have
heard of your magnificent country, the
surrounding Delta, we have heard OF
yourmatchless resources, your exhaust
less soil and magnificent possibilities.
confess it sounded like pretty big
fish story when | first head how cot
ton win grow 10 to Is feet high in the
Delta, having been raised, as was, in
the pine belt, where it has been charg-
ed we have TO fertilize hens nest to
make the eggs hatch. But | find the
half had not been told me. You have
country that is certainly in point of
resources beyond any other under the
sun. Your soil is richer than was the
valley of the Nile IN its palmy days. Ii
is capable, much of it, according to
chemical analysis, of producing thous-
ands, absolutely thousands-just think
of it-maximum crops without artiii-
cial aid.
OF the four and half million acres
Of land in the Delta, probably no less
than three and half is capable of be-
ing brought into high state of culti-
walton, and this under our present
system OF culture-crude as it is
would produce three and one half mil
lion bales of cotton, or half the present
cotton crop of the entire cotton belt
of the United States.
Ouly think of the magnificent posi-
sibilities ofyour country when modern
science and improved methods shall
have multiplied the present average
yield Of your lands by three.
Whenever your country shall have
been thoroughly drained, cleared and
reclaimed, whenever that system of
divcrsiilcation which alone can make
agricultural people prosperous-when-
every every grain, fruit or flower capa-
bic of being grown here shall find its
proper place in your system-then
will you have the richest agricultural
people on earth.
Large portions of Holland, history
tells us, was once mere salt-marsh,
over which frothed and ebbed the
ocean tide. Long since, pressure of
population forced the construction of
huge dams or dikes, away out in what
was then the sea. Huge machinery
working enormous pumps was then
set to work to lift the water from the
Landslide back to the ocean. II was
dried; the surplus water is yet remov-
ed in the same way and that land to-
day in meadow and devoted to dali
ry farming, is worth $1,000 an acre.
Only think of the grand possibilities of
your magnificent country when II shall
be conyerted into the veritable garden
IL is destined to become Think of
the grand cities il will build up, and
the teeming thousands, yea, millions,
of population II will sustain.
AT present your country is the
dumpiug-ground for the surplus negro
population of the whole South. AT
present these negroes are serving q
good purpose. They are opening up
your lands and bringing il into state
of cultivation. What the eventual re-
suit will be of this tremendous majori-
ty of negro population, ] can't say.
But of one thing am sure! | know
enough of the spirit that animates the
people of the Delta to say that the
white people are going to rule the
Delta. 1t is theirs; they only know
how to rule il, and they ought to rule
It.
And what of your prosperous and
progressive city of Greenville situated
in the natural centre of such agricul-
tural country as this We haye often
heard of your city, ofits thrift, of its
progress and its phenomenal growth.
We have heard these things with a
pride inspired by a patriotic love for
our whole State. We have heard how
your city was successfully destroyed
BY war, fire and fl ood, and how each
time your people rose as with single
impulse and builded city broader
and better than before. Yes, we con
graduate you upon your prosperity,
upon your progress, and upon your in
siitutions which are pride to any
city.
But what of its future with millions
of acres of the finest agricultural land
in the world tributary to its This
country is attracting the attention aud
challenging the admiration of the
world. Ii is rapidly coming to the
front and just in the same proportion
as the country develops must your city
grow. But if | may be allowed to
make a suggestion-you know its the
principal business of the newspaper
men. over at home to tell the people
how to run the towns which they re-
ciprocato by telling us how to
run our papers. | would say
Won need more factories. Situated up
on the great worlds highway, the MIS-
sissippi. aud with her numerous rail-
roads, and especially when your pros
pective Georgia Pacific, shall lay Ala
bama coal and iron down at your
doors, your city is as fayorably loca'
ted for manufacturing as any in the
world. | believe factories are now
moving South, and that rapidly and
with accceleration. What a Crane
thing It would be for our country i
our cotton could be manufactured a