News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1901-03-13
TOWN GREW RAPIDLY
PROSPERITY FOLLOWS OPENING OF
A RAILROAD.

Inc COIplGllOn OF lne GulI ana Oulp
Island railroad to Jackson, Miss, with
in the past few months has opened up
to the merchants of the capital city
vast territory hitherto inaccessible save
by means of the antiquated OK teams
which formed the only transportation
facilities to the interior towns.
Since the completion of the road and
the Inauguration of double daily pas
senger and freight train service new
towns have sprung up, and old towns
have taken on new life to such an ex-
tent that they would scarcely be recog-
nized as the sleepy villages where the
inhabitants would almost stagnate for
want of change. Newcomers rarely
explored that section of Mississippi
then.
The advent of the new road has had
its effect on that part of the state, and
what was once q wilderness is now GER
tain to be a rich country, dotted here
and there with new towns, populated
with industrious people who have in
vested their. capital in farm lands and
sawmills and who will send the prod.
ucts of their investments to the COM
mercial centers.
The trade at the various new towns
on the Gulf and Ship Island road is
phenomenal. 1t has probably broken
all records heretofore achieved by any
new road in any part Of the country.
The drummers have found this terri
tory to be the most lucrative in Missis-
sippi, and the "boys" are working the
towns by the score.
The road traverses a large area Of
the long leGf pine lands. This belt Of
pine timber is said to be the most val
liable in the south and contains in all
about $500 square miles of timber.
Sawmills have already been erected at
many of the principal points, and 9th
ers are in course of construction.
Farm lands are plentiful, and, the ia
cilities for getting the cotton to the
market having been improved by the
construction of the new road, it is safe
to say that the cotton acreage next
year will be increased.
There are numerous towns along this
road from Gulfport to Jackson which
have forged to the front, but the lar
gest and most widely known is Hat
tiesburg, situated at the junction of the
Gulf and Ship Island and New Orleans
and Northeastern roads.
That city now lays claim to a popula-
ton of between 5000 and 5000. In a
few years time this number will be
doubled 1t has the wealth and the
progressive people behind it which are
an assurance that Hattiesburg is going
to gain.
The land on which Hattiesburg is
built was public land in 1881, and 100
acres of it were homesteaded by D. II.
McInnis, and the remainder or the
greater part of it, some 1000 acres,
was entered at the United States land
office by Captain w. H. Hardy. But
Hattiesburg, strictly speaking, is only
about 1G years old, dating the begin
ming Of it's history from the opening Of
the New Orleans and Northeastern
road in November, 1888.
The town was founded by Captain
w. II. Hardy and named for his wife,
Mrs. Hattie L. Hardy, who died in
May, 1895.
For a number of years the little vii
lage struggled along. Those who had
faith in its future were content to re-
main, while others who were not so
sanguine as to the development Of the
town folded their tents and departed
for more promising fields. Those bust
ness men whose intellect was keen
enough to penetrate the future and in
vest their money there are now reaping
their reward, and day by day they
have the pleasure Of seeing their in
vestments grow in value.
On the completion of the Gulf and
Ship Island road there in 1896 the town
began to grow rapidly. On every side
industries sprung into existence, and
the town threw aside it's mantle of in
dolence and invited immigration and
capital to come and share in its new
fortunes.
Banks were organized; mills were
built; waterworks and electric lights
were constructed; a high school build
ing costing $4,000 was erected; brick
stores took the place of frame ones; in
fact the town grew almost by magic
into a city of Importance.
In Hattiesburg one of the largest lum
Der mills In the south is located. The
]. J. Newman Lumber company owns
and operates this mill, which has ca
pacity of 100000 feet per day. 1t has
its electric plant and waterworks, the
latter supplied by two six inch artesian
wells. The company employs about
1920 hands and cuts the timber from
about 35 acres of land per day.
There are also located the 9. w.
Rich Lumber company and the Hat
tiesburg Lumber company, both doing
a lucrative business.
The water for the waterworks Is sup
piled from two artesian wells, which
have sufficient pressure to force a
stream. over a two story building.
The construction of an adequate sew
erage system is one of the possibilities
for the near future, and bonds to the
amount of $4,000 will be issued for
this purpose.
Imnrovprnpnta in tho wav of nau