The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1897-12-24
About PaseagouiarHarbor.

Editor Democrat.Star. fTs"'
Amongst other things referred to i,
Mr.. Dees' lettcr from Washington in your
last issue, he calls attention 10 the mucl
talked Of and much exp&sited deep waite,
harbor on the Mississippi coast, and SUI.
gssts that the citiseus Of tlis part of thu
State get together and agree Oh some one
particular place in order to facilitate the
efforts Of our Representatives in Congress,
in securing government aid to that end
There is much to be said on this sub
jcct, pro aud con, I'LL of which | shall not
attempt to include In this cOmmunica
ton. l desire just new to call attestiou
to some facts, which seem not to be
gcperally known, or recognized by the
people of the State and our Represents.
tives in Congress. When one gets a
little distance away fium tue coast, in the
interior of the State people seem to know
nothing Of the coast except Ship Island
We Of this part OF the coast have made
no noise, no clanor and no pretentions,
and yet the fact is, that n%ine-tenths of
the export business from the Mississippi
Sound in the last twenty-five years has
been dune from Pascagdula (and by
P~asca3oula, | mean Moss Point, Scranton
and ~Pascagoula proper).
A large part of this business in later
years has gone through Ship Island,
thirty miles from the mouth of our river,
all for lack of u few thousand dollars
only, to give us two fest more OF water
Oh Horn Island bar, Which is only nine
miles from the mouth OF tho river.
Pascagonla river is the natural ontlet
for the larger part of The pine belt Of Mis-.
sissippi and pine lumber will be the Ouly
article Of export from this coast tor i.
long time to come. Streams ira versiny
and permeating the counties of Jackson,
Harrison, Green, Wayne. Jones', Perry,
C%oyington aud q part vt Marion converge
and centre in the Pascagoula liver. The
combined length Of these streams down
which timber and logs ARE floated when
swollen by the rains Is more than fit scn
hundred miles, leaving only Hancock,
Pearl and ~ part of Harrison counties
tributary 10 %Puscasonla.
1t can thus. be readily seen why Pascal
sOula has doue the export business Of
the coast, and under any aud all clrcum-
STA noes, she will continhe to do the
part of it.
We bave a right to ask and expect the
assistance of The government in improv-
ing ~ harbor, u business il esta blisL-
ed aud has been for years. We have no
dreams u commercial supremacy, no jeal-
oIsics, no ambitions, no riva4riss, all we
want is the best facilities for doing what
we have in hand. A few thousand dol
lars judiciously expended ,ou orr harbor
VIII enable M 10 do all our business ut
without having to 10 thirty miles
away to Ship Island, He
We have nothing against that place,
nor against any interest, Or supposed in.
tcrcsL Of that part of our coast, We
have no desire to spoil the '.iridescent
OF making Ship Island a great
commercial seaport, backei by ~ little
railroad commencing at Gulfport, u
mere geographic ldca," w the late ] Judge
many years ago laeOnically char
acterized its nearest neighbor, Mississippi
City. and running through the pine
to Hattiesburg without any pros.
poet or hope of its extension beyond that
point, und yet Il great deas might be said
TO spoil that beautiful dream. This hope,
bis dream OF building . great CONNER
cial seaport at Ship Island seoms to have
50 distracted the minds ssud attentions
81 our congressman that they canuot do.
eide what they ought 10 do.
Wake up, gentlemen, inform yourselves
to the actual condition OF things in
his part OF the State, aud You need not
u moment about what ought to
done. Secure q few thousand dollars
rom the government to- complete our
improvements, aud then you may
your entire energies to the build
luon, Mr.. Editor. ~ NATIVE.
Moss Point, Miss Doc. 81, 1Sg7.