West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-03-22

viz Shh VI tht pier duu were ali
taken aboard large vessel and had
delightful sail Of several miles on
the Gulf. We enjoyed our visit to
these beautiful and healthful summer
resorts very much. The air and water
here was pure and the town is only
little over two years old is new
and modern in every respect
and we are sure il would
be delightful place to spend the
summer. 1t is right in the midst of
fine forest. Only few miles
from Gulf Port is beautiful and his
toric Beauvoir, the home of the
South's greatest hero, Jefferson
Davis. He resided here during his
last days, when he started out on a
business trip and was taken sick on
the steamer with la grippe and it
was thought best TO take him to New
Orleans where he could receive
medical treatment, and in a few
days the grand old man passed
away, but it is said he longed to
return to his old home, il only to
die; but fate decreed it otherwise.
Here Mr.. Davis wrote his book,
frhe Rise and Fall of the Con-
federacy" and his study where he
did his work is kept as he left il.
Mrs. Davis has never occupied
Beauvolr, since her husbands ceath.
Gulfport is situated on the largest,
deepest and best natural harbor on
the Mexican Gulf A great many
industries are located there, with
more to follow. 1t bids fair to
rival all the other Southern harbors
in few years. From Gulfport to
Hattiesburg we travelled over the
Gulf and Ship Island Railroad,
distance of 10 miles to the north
ward. A few miles inland the road
pierces virgin forest of the finest
long leaf yellow pine timber, which
extends in an almost solid body for
sixty miles of the line, and in an
unbroken depth from each side of
the right of way. We were delayed
on our way to Hattiesburg few
hours by the engine to our train
giving out and they had to send for
another one. We were stranded
right in the pine forest, but our
Pullman Conductor. who was al
ways looking out for the comfort of
his people, got out and beat up the
brush until he scared up three
colored fellows. with mandolin,
guitar and banjo. They played
and sang all the latest "coon
songs" of the south for our amuse-
ment, and in order to add to the
fun the Conductor drafted Mrs.
Ovens, Of Chicago, one of the
Oldest )adies in the Association, to
assist him in genuine old fash
toned colored cake walk. They
succeeded in tramping down a good
deal of brush to the delight of the
crowd. Our engine came and we
were not long in making the run
from Hattiesburg. There you see
plenty of yankee enterprise. The
town was founded in 1882 by Capt.
Hardy and named for his wife Mrs.
Hattie l.. Hardy, who died in MAY,
1895. A magnificent picture of
this lady adornes the chapel of the
Academy of Hattiesburg. They |
have a population of 5000 and |
many fine churches of all denomi- |
nations and some elegant and pala-
t'al homes. The city is situated
on very beautiful river called by |
the aboriginees "Eastabuchee. :" but
to-day it is called Leaf River. The |
country is high and undulating,
sandy soil, with clear streams of
pure water. The city is supplied
by artesian wells 800 feet deep and
wherever they have pure water in
the south they have health.
We visited the J. J. Newman
Lumber Company's Mill here, which
is, perhaps, the best equipped mill
in the south. 1t has a capacity of
1000 feet of lumber per day. 1t
was admired very much by our
western friends, who were overioyed
at sight of so much fine lumber,
but il was no sight to us after tray
cling around over West Virginia so
much, and inspecting the big lum-
Der mills Of Davis and Camden. on
Gauley and others. Their timber
is all the long.leaf yellow pine, and
this company employs about 1900
hands and cuts the timber from az
acres Of land per day. We were
served with grand, old time Bar
becued Dinner, the first one we ever
attended. Business was suspended
and all tff citizens and even the