The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1898-10-27
ATTRIBUTE TO OUR STATE
MIzsisslppi rraatrl Historically and COM
m4ciary in q Most interesting ana
Comprehensive Muuner

try east OF the Mississippi ana soatH ol
tbe Potomac and Ohio rivers Is treated
in q broad. vigorous and interesting
manner The author, Frank Presorey'
has been for months engaged IN the
preparation of the book. IL is q volume
which Is sure to do the south an M
ealculable amount Of good From adj
ynnced sheets we take pleasure IN quot
inc from the chapter devoted to Misss
sippi as follows
itlsnot possible TO better express a general
idea Of the resources OF Mississippi than in tue
language Of MI. Carlisle. This noble common
wealth Is essentially and pre-emlnehliy an
agricritural state. Nature designed and fash
| Toned lt 70 bless and reward The laeoFs Of tpe
buSbapdmen. Its geological formations appear
III svclude h from The PROFITS or the mine and
oparry. hut what the state lacks IN mineral re-
sourers. sometimes transitaey and always In Tue
end exhaustive, is more than couuterhalanced
by a generous. responsive soil, an almost laeai
climate, and productions the value OF winch y
mi rycslled N auy part Of tie Iuton, The hfsI
Europeans who trOl les Sall-thB ADVENTUROUS
and romantic expedition Of Hernandez DeSOto-
found its surface richly carpeted with the ha-
tive grasses, and maize or Indian corn, one Oh
me chief foods OF mankind, 'ot such luAuftaht
oro,rl asf 10 produce three or four ears 70 the
stalk No state IN the Union has been more
Ubqrally endowed by Nature with all the cohol-
lions favorable to agriculture. In one sense ot
the word Mississippi is still a new state WIN rs
immense natural advantages as yet NANNY un-
appropriated. Its great forests OF Naluaolo
woods nave been comparatively h'tle aeple'eu'
many OF It's numerous fine Mill and mohoi'eiut
ing sites await the power Of sNtl aud eapl'eAi
more than hail It's area remains untouehea py
the husbandmaH, while the part already - eulIl-
yafinp may be made TO double It's productive
mower by improved methods OF agriculture
BlC despite the fact that general geologtoal
apppgrapees seem TO DO against q, there are
many WHO hold firmly TO the bslleithat portions
offhp Slsta contain extensive Coal beds, There
are distinct traces OF coal along the edge OF the
hrls bordering tho Yazoo Valley on the east,
especially 10 Holmes county near 8e1ula, Where
tests on an extensive scale are contemplated.
But. as has been well said, Mlssissippican waive
al prstepflons 10 mineral wealth and Stli tax
her rank WITH any State IN the Union 10 ina
terlal advantages.
The area of the state Is 4G,sl0 square miles, Of
80 tgS4 400 acres, being 1853 miles Wide ana 1'
miles long, and with q river frontage along th'
Mfastssipni OF 367 miles. The number OF acres
used as farm lands. as shown by the most an'
tborItatiye statistics Is 1]7,5l2,6iI, 6,sl0,a90 acres
Of which are In actual cultivation. These land
are divided into l4l,3l8 farms, the average slh
OF which Is l23 acres, The population Of thl
state is estimated TO be 100000, having In
y creased from 10t, sos in 1860,
The surface Of the state generally Is nnaalat
ing, with a gradual slope from north to soutf
the yazao Delta Is not Included in this genera
- 40. ,a,,rRt4I sF IHVHI hHffUF
lands and alluylal soft, The highest elevation
tobe found In the state are IN Tippah and Unio
c~eppties IA the northeast, where some Of III
hWs reach an attitude Of 1000 feet the create
elevation in the central portion OF the state
from 3g0t 10 500 feet. while the surface near n
gulf coast Is only from 20 to 80 feet above y
sea level, All tins part Of the state u We
drained by creeks and rivers.
The Yazoo Delta or bottom lands lie In u
Northwestern part Of the State and occupy on
n sFxtb OF the area OF the State. This section III
. numerous naylgable streams, such rs the Ha2o
yaIobusba. TaIIahatchle and Suniiower rlyei
and is dotted with lively and prosperous town
The lands Of this section are among the rlche
In the whole world, aud the region Is rich
timber, among which are twelve varieties Of GA
In addition 10 ash, locust, gum, cypress, map
hickory, wuruwDoI and others.
This remarkable section deserves more ii
a passing notice. " is very near a N-shap
piece Of land, the point Of the V beginning
the mouth OF the YazOO river, about NILE nor
Of Vl3ksburg, and running nearly 70 tne MOI
line oil the State, the YaloO river being Us eaI
crn boundary. The Delta contains 4,50oI
= acres. Il mas a good drainage, as Horn Lal
al the head OF the Delta, Is ia feet above
mouth Of the YazoO, and there Is not sin
swamp in its entire area. Large, nayiga
a streams dow through the Delta. making a y
feet nelwOrk Of waterways, and there
tbfrty.oue OF these that are trayersed by siea
boats OF from ffty 10 one thousand tons burd
49, In addition to these, there are many large bi
GUS. which are used IN floating out timber,
tbsse nre available for two or three months
the ypar The soil Is wholly alluyial, ha1
baen depositet by the oyerflows Of the Miss
sTppi river during the ages past, and now Z
the river has been controlled by leyees so al
n prsvent future oyeTlOws, nearly tho entire reg
ID has become available for settlement aud cult
Isl lion and newcomers are already hlliug
"A country az a rtptd rate.
The Delta produces more cotton han 9
any other one disirictiu the world though
than one. Gtth its area is given 10 thal crop.
While Mississippi may have no mineral
.4C poslts Of value, good building stone Is 70
IN NNfNuE NNIhllNtaaH ~ h"tA NN"e'aF | 1900
- agupdant. and clay IN many sections is
admitted 90 tho making Of brick, tile and pott
[, IpnearIy every part Of the state lowing artri
water can be had at a depth Of from 800 to
feet. TINS Is a great blesslngto the Delta, vi
this pure water has considerably lessened
danger Of malar.al diseases.
the climate 81 the state IS usually mild,
is not subject to extremes Of heat and cold.
summers are long, Dut a temperature Of 81
prpcs Is unusual. The winters are cold
agreeable, but a temperature Of 70 degrees Is
4 unusual even In January.
W Mississippi. because OF It's excellent nat
conditions. ii one Of the healthiest states b
country, ths official statistics showing
white lie death rate in Massachusetts Is
Der 1909. New York, 1885, PENNSYLVANIA
ana Colorado, 1910, Il IS but i2.so 10 Mississ
and this Is inclusive Of the coI0red p0puld
tie average death rate Of which 10 The e