The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1898-04-23
SUNFLOWER COUNTY.

ounHOWor county, situated lnld-
way between the hills to the east
and the Mississippi river to the
west, may justly be called the
heart of the Yazoo-Delta-that
highly favored region whose fame
has gone abroad as the choicest
farming land in all the great ex-
tent of the Union. The county is
of goodly proportions, being forty
eight miles in length from North
to South, and eighteen miles wide
along its southern boundary, twenty
four miles north of which it mar
rows to twelve miles from east to
west. 1t contains 100000 acres
of ideal farming land, every acre
of which, with the exception of
the beds of its streams, is suscept-
ible of cultivation, and is unim-
peded by hills or rocks from end
to end. The county is the centre
of the richest tract of soil in
America, being bounded on the
West andSouth by the famous cot
ton counties of Washington and
Bolivar, and on the North and
East by Tallahatchie and Lefore,
the five counties forming the best
part of the celebrated Yazoo-
Mississippi Delta. Sunfower
county is especially favored in its
system of streams, being entirely
free from swamp lands, and ira
versed from North to South by
the Sunfiower river, beautiful
water highway, navigable through
out the county. Bear Greek flows
through the south eastern portion
empties into the Yazoo river,
and the Culver river, the central
part from east to west, emp
ties into the Sunfowor river. All
of these streams being navigable,
and in constant use for purposes of
trafc. Porters Bayou, Jones Bayou,
Mound Bayou and Indian Bayou
are important streams, affording
water the year round. The county
scat, Indianola, is beautifully situ-
ated about the centre of the coun-
ty upon Indian Bayou, and is max
ing rapid and remarkable growth,
Its new court house, costing $780,
600, is now in process of erection,
and its stores are handsome and
substantial brick edifces. Upon
the erection of the new court house
the old clerks Office, a fire proof
brick building, was sold to the con
tractor, Mr.. j. j. Harty, who will
remove it to o centra! location
where it will be used as law
library, for the use of the bar.
The most important public indus-
try of Indianola is a 60-ton oil
mill, erected in the last year,
which is furnished with all mod
srn appliances and machinery and
does very extensive and remun-
erative business. Other flourish
ing towns in the county are Heath
man, Baird, and Moorhead, the
last being a manufacturing town
of daily growing Importance, and
containing a saw-mill, a heading
factory and staYe factory. The
ruling spirit of Moorhead is Mr..
Chester II. Pond, who first per-
ceived the advantages offered by
the location and founded the town.
From Moorhead the Yazoo-Delta |
railroad, an enterprise projected
by Mr.. Pond, runs North through |
Sunfower county to Tutwiler, in
Tallahatchie, and South to Lake
Dawson, making it traverse the
entire length of the county. The
road is now being built by MI. W.
A. Shippey, who is under contract
to have 36 miles completed by !
July, Mr., Chester H, Pond be-
ing Vice President and General
Manager.
1st. Along the line of this road
new stations have sprung up, and
Sunfower City, Doddsville, Pentev
cost, Ruleyille, Pitmans Mill and In
wood are already aourishing places.
The main line of the Southern rail
way traverses the county from
East to West,--a distance of "a
miles, while the Y. & NJ. V. road
passes through the Northwest cor
ner. Recently a purchase of 80,
600 acres of wild lands in the
county has been made by Mr.. A.
7. Averill, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
nhnrtore have haan nrn-