The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-11-24

Term ~ tne mOutu
A Retrospective View Of Our
Saw Mill Business.
Editor Democrat-Star.
History, which primarily means ian
account Of facts necessarily should
be truthful, or else 1t is not history.
However different we would like to
have had these facts result, q careful
looking back, shows that the saw
mill business of our county has been
a failure.
The saw mill business In this coun-
ty began in or about the year 1885,
when MILL was built on West Pasca-
goula, near Gauticr's present mill
site. The builders, ] think, were
Tctar 4 Co. In looking back we
must remember that before saw mills
began the destruction Of timber, our
noble pine forests began at the waters
edge OF all our creeks, bayOus, lakes,
rivers, and even on The very banks OF
the Gulf OF Mexico.
Those valuable forests a generous
Providence nad been placing here for
centuries. In looking back VIC see
the work Of two generations, one gen.
GRAFTON up to the great "war between
the States" and one since. 1t is now
patent to all that there is not enough
timber left for the work Of the third
generation. This is not simply the
view or opinion OF a pcssimist, but
incxorable truth which requires
only time to become facts and
history.
The mill built by Tetar & Co., was
the first steam saw mill, but In thu
year 1880, Stark & DamcrOn built ar
upright water mill on Cedar Creel
near old Americus. This mill wa.
also grist mill, and old citizens nos
living south of Randall's Ferry re
member going up there to get thcil
corn ground into meal. In or about
the year 1884 Bazile Krebs, father Of
our friend II. M. Krebs, and Valen
tine Delmas, father Of our friend A
II. Dclmas, and other old citizen.
each sent a slave up Pascagoula rive
in periogues to Cedar Creek to get
lumber, and some Of that lumber l!
yet in the house Of Mrs. Frederic, just
south of l.. & N. II. II. bridge.
Stark & Dameron sold to james
Davis and in a few years this mill lait
down our saw mills Il precedent b.
failing and going to nothing.
The next to build mill were Tcta
& Co., who built the Rotary Steam
Saw Mill on West Pascagoula nea
Gautier's present mill. This mil
failed and for years stood still, AM
finally the machinery was put into
steam boat.
Beardslcc & Bradford built a mil
about 1896 on the lake near w. Den
, ny's late residence. They sold T.
David Files. RObt. Files, a son O
David, built mill where W. Dem
s. Co.'S mill, known as "Sol's Mill,
: now stands. Files sold to W. Den
ny s. Co. A man by name of ID. J
!, Files bnilt mill where the old W
Gritfin 4 Co.'s mill now stands, an
= he named 1t Moss Point, from whlc
{ We get the name Of our town. II
8 bought this mill site from the Cum
: best family. He sold to Sheldon
Arnold. Arnold was killed by thi
mill and finally VIM. Gritin 4 q
]. bought It.
e In about lsl5 D. vermilllon built
: mill at the mouth Of East Pascagoul
!, ! at what is known now as the Hcnr
5 place. He sold 1t to Malcomb NJ,
Rae, who let 1t 20 down. Plummt
}. Williams \ Co., built mill In ab0u
= 1865, where Mead's mill now stand
: In about 1910 Gen. J. s. Dces, q dl
!, tant kindsman Of mine, built watt
h mill on Jacks0n's Greek.
d In 1851 Duval, son-in-law OF ol
;, man Rhodes, built q mill where Mr.
= Ada McInnis now lives. It exploded
killing some Of the men and bad
:. scalding the engineer, Louis Gof, 4
!. ther Of Sam Goff, lately killed In Il
, O'Leary mill. Just before or just u
u ter the war man by name Of Aver
= = had q mill at Farragut Point on We,
: J Pascagoula. He failed, and tho M
's chlnery was bought by tho Louislar
h Shing:e Co., and this company MI
. failed.
Soon after Reardslee b Bradfor
y built their mill old "Grandfathel
" !. Tom Rhodes built q mill where I'll
s. O'Loary mill now stands. His SOL
h and grandsons spent lives OF labore
= = In saw mills. 10 far 40 ! can lear
" !" the descendants OF all these mi
h uilders and owners arc now poor.
70 It Is very probable that ! have NJ
~ ~ II ~,anv - tha an - u>.tf1s ., =