The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-07-12

10 the people of the south and partlcu-
larry to those who have interests in the
tier of states bordering the Gulf OF
Mexico. 1t was to the effect that the
secretary Of the interior had decided
that The forfeiture of certain lands
formerly awarded to the Gulf and Ship
Island Railway company of Missds-
sippi, was an illegal proceeding, and
that, n consequence, the order had
gone forth Immediately restoring all
land holdings which that corporation
had heretofore possessed.
BY this decision nearly 100000 acres
of the best timber lands in the south,
ranging in value at from 50 TO $50 AN
acre, have been restored to their
rightful owners: and (which is OF far
greater import to American commercial
intests) The early completion Of a
north and south trunk line railway.
and the upbuilding of a big city, and
the opening of the only natural har-
Dor on the north coast of the gulf, are
now practically assured.
Few enterprises in the wonderful in
dustrial history Of AmeTica-a. history
filed with as much romance. though it
be Of 4 homeiter brand. as any deed
ever sung by jongleur or troubadour-
have had 50 interesting a story as this
one, Joined. as it is, with that of its
creator and promoter; and few enter
prlses have been destined to greater
ends.
1t has now been about fifteen years
since Colonel Jones s. Hamilton OF
Jackson, MiSs.-then, as now, one of
the richest men in the south-with
number of associates, among them GER
tain weli-known capitalists of Chicago
and New York, incorporated the Gulf
and Ship Island Railway company.
The scheme was regarded with great
favor by the powers that be at the
national capital, and from both the
United States government and the
state Of Mississippi certain valuable
land grants and other concessions were
obtained almost for the asking The
object of the company was the opening
of a large national harbOr-almOst as
large as that OF New York-at a point
on the Mississippi gulf coast about
sixty miles west Of Mobile; the build
ing Of docks. warehouses and other ad-
junctS Of q shipping and receiving
port: and the founding Of a city which
the projectors fondly hoped would some
Gay oUtrival Mobile, and make New
Orleans commercial greatness an echo
Of history. Connecting this port with
the railway system of America was to
be a. trunk line of something over 400
miles in length, running diagonally
across the state of Mississippi to Mem
phis, Tenn. there to connect with the
twelve rail lines entering Memphis.
from all points of the compass; and
also 70 touch the Mississippi and Ohio
rivers routes to the great markets of
the north and northwest.
Along the southern end of the pro-
posed railway-Which ran through a
section Of the Bayou state heretofore
lnpregnable to the timber dealer-lay
thousands upon thousands of acres of
virgin forest, absolutely untouched by
the wOodman's axe. The timber was
pine. and Of the very finest and most
marketable quality. but having been
unreachable heretofore because Of its
distance from any railway line and the
impassability. at rearly all seasons of
the year. Of the SCAMP roads which lie
between the timber fields and adjacent
shipping points. Besides pine. a re-
narkably fine supply Of cypress and
other woods was to be developed: the
country was to be settled with colonies
from the north and west; and all the
usual things which follow the reclama-
ton Of a waste land were to ensue in
this case
All this was planned. be it under
stood, and we'll planned. Land had
been bought all along the surveyed
line, twenty miles of track had been
laid, some Of the rolling stock pur-
chased. and the city Of Gulfport laid
of and already inhabited by a half
thousand people.
Then came the evil day: and the
chances Of living men ever Witnessing
the completion Of the great ENTERPRISE
seemed small indeed. It happened
thUswise:
Jones S Hamilton. father of the
scheme. was at that time not only the
weadtnlest man in Mississippi, and
owner Of Bellehaven," the most besu-
tiful estate on the banks of Pearl
river-where beautiful estates are as
plentiful as green leaves in spring-but
he was also lessee of the state penteen-
uary, chairman OF the executive com
miStee Of the Mississippi Democracy.
header Of the Observation-Disclosures. and
a State senator, as we'll He was the
acknowledged Warwick of his state
and was generally regarded as the
most hkely candidate for the gubeqna-
torial chair
The fates smiled kindly. indeed. unon
Colonel Jones s. Hamilton. and all the
future seemed strewn with roses so
Tar as he was concerned. when one |
day, in the year 1855, John II. Martin.
q youth Of % years of age, went 20 /
} Jackson. and. With the financial and of
ms friend. Colonel Hamilton, bought |
the New MississiDpian-a Democratic !
weekly with prohibition tendencies. |
AT the same time, RodeTick Dhu Gam !
breil, another young man about Mer- /
TN aEe, and a close friend of the j
edctor Of the New Mississippian. like
wise removed his cares and penases to |
the caDiFal from the little village of /
Clinton. and started the weekly Sword
and Shield as the official organ Of tbe |
Mississippi Prohibitionists. John Mar /
tin was recognized. for all his lack of |
years, as the most forcible newspaper |
writer in this section, and his friend
Gambrell was close second. To-
gether these boys began an attack on
Colonel Hamilton. the leader of the on
poslflon, which for Virulence and auda- |
city has rarely had an equal in the
annals Of American journa listEc war
fare Not an issue of either paper
came from the press that was not filed
with denunciations of Hamilton and
ms record. He was held up to scorn
as the boss Of state politics. the cor
lupter Of legislatures. and the bjarl,
beast OF all people who desired honest
At first, Hamilton felt himself above
the onSlaughts of two such spriag,ol1s
as Martin and GaJnbrell. and so ex-
pressed himself. But after the warfare
NAG oeen Kept up for several months.
the editor of the New Orleans Times
democrat wrote an editorial denounc-
ng the Mississippi Prohi Ditto aists. and
the Injustice of the attack on reputable
citizens. No names were mentioned in
this article. but il pointed so plainly 10
The case OF Martin and Gamhren VS..
Hamilton that there was no rllistaking
is meaning. No sooner had the editor
al come 10 the notice of young Gam
oreil-who was an expert pistol shot
-9l'all he posted his friend Martin off to
<eW Orleans hao,,a,. = -,