The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1899-05-26
Lets Get Up a Hump and Get
There First.

Editor Democrat Star.
A pebble in the stream ascant
Has turned the course Of many river;
n dew drop on the baby plant
Has bent the giant oak forever.
Nothing in nature is more subject
10 early influences than embryo cities
Cities are made or lost like battles
Forrest said the result Of a battle de
pended on the man 'that got thai
fust with the most men," This ma,
apply to "a village aspiring cityhood
Scranton, for instance, has the posi-
bilities of a city, but she may lose hel
chance by failing "to get thar fust.'
The move to make a road along the
bank of the river from Scranton t.
Pascagoula is n good thing, but is il
the thing to do? Have the enterpris.
ing minds who project it fully con.
ceived what is possible and what will
be a winner, Il properly laid out? AT
this time, 1t is not shell road that is
wanted. Shell roads do not buill
cities, but cities build Shell roads.
First of all, Scranton wants TO be the
connecting link on great route from
the Mississippi Valley to Asia. That
route is to be through the Gulf Of
Mexico and across the Isthmus. But
do not fool yourselves: there are 9th
er points than Scranton along the
gulf coast that can claim advantages.
You may think no other point can
equal you in natural advantages, but
however great these may be you can't
rest on NATURAL ADVANTAGES.
Get thar fust with the most men"
ana make your natural advantages
help. Fire your biggest gun first and
let that gun he big enough to para
lyze all opposition.
What should be Scranton's first gun?
Get Il practical railroad engineer, tell
him to go to Dog river and find the
most advantageous point for a bridge
for all railroads that want to cross.
From that point. stake out
a route as near the river bank
as you find practicable from the
bridge to the mouth of Pasca-
goula river, not less than four hun.
dred feet wide and dedicate il to all
railroads that may want to come.
Give no one railroad an advantage
over any other. except such advantage
as the one that gets there drst will get
in locating tracks.
Publish this to the railroad world.
Publish the possibilities which Pas
cagoula and Dog river offer as the
hest harbor and wharf on the Gulf.
When you have done this you will
have fired the shell that will shake
the competitors of Scranton from
New Orleans to Mobile. You NAV
say 1t costs too much cost. !. 1t will
not cost a cent. If the right Of way
should take part Of your tract or lot
OF ground what is left is increased ten
or hundred fold, No one who has a
tenth OF his ground left after giving
the right Of way Will be injured.
Should all of one mans lot be taken
compensate him by contributions from
those most benefited, United and
linselllSl action is what is needed 1t
is possible to rival Mobile and New
Orleans with new and independent
city on the coast.
The Chicago and Gulf road i, now
looking for terminal
The Illinois Central in a few months
could branch from Jackson to Scran-
ton as a terminal.
The charters for trunk line from
Kansas City to the gulf are written
FOR each State through which it
passes.
The Louisville & Nashville r. r.
must only lay few sidings to make
Scranton its great terminal on the
coast. Scranton is big candidate for
election, but she must not fail to vote
for herself. ARTESIAN