The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-07-03
RAILRoAD DEVELOPMENT.

ilization, aud are indispensable factors
in the work Of developing and pro-
noting the material resources of a
country.
Mississippi is moving along, with
steady progress, on the lines of mate
rial development, and this is largely
due to the fact that the State is well
supplied with railroads, compared to
the condition of things twenty years
ago. And what is more gratifying, is
the fact that more railroads are being
projected and constructed
Only few years ago, comparatively
speaking, there were only few rail
roads in the State. The delta country
had only one railroad traversing its
fertile lands. the road from Memphis
to New Orleans.
The city of Jackson has railroads
entering its limits from seven different
directions, giving ample facilities for
all parts of the State. Another road,
from Jackson to Columbus, is assured
and will be constructed in short
time.
Under the auspices of this railroad
development, values all over the State
are going up. everything is buoyant and
all the indications point to steady
improvement in the future.
Some idea may be had of the in
crease Of values in the State, from the
fact that the hard wood timber lands
of the Yazoo- Mississippi delta, as fine
as any timber lands on the continent,
sold in 1881, for six and three quarters
of a cent per acre. Then the delta
had one railroad, the trunk line from
Memphis and New Orleans. These
lands are now worth in the market
from seven to twelve dollars an acre
This is a phenomenal advancement
of values. and is largely attributable
to the fact that the delta is abundant.
ly supplied with railroads.
With all these railroad facilities
there is no reason why the delta may
not establish factories for the manu-
facture of its timber into the various
articles for use, instead Of shipping its
timber to western manufacturing
points.
With railroad development there
will necessarily come the establish
ment of cotton mills throughout the
State. Mississippi will not remain a
purely agricultural State. Its hard
wood timber of almost every variety
and in the greatest abundance, and Its
immense cotton crops afford the mate
rial for extensive manufacturing es-
Establishments. All of this will come
in the fulness of time.
Happily we have in Mississippi a
State administration that is in cordial
and hearty accord with tie spirit OF
progress and improvement that IS
abroad ia the land The whole spiri,
of the present State executive, and OF
this legislature, is cordial and friendly
to the investment of capital, and The
development of the great industrial
and manufacturing interests of the
State; and the purpose is to advance
the State in the lines of moral, socla
and material progress, by policy OF
fairness and liberality to the railroads
and other large enterprises, that are
necessary factors in the great work OF
promoting the pubic welfare of the
commonwealth.
The fundaa; entail principle is recog
nized by all patriotic and intelligent
citizens in the State, that goyerGent is
organized for the purpose of promot
ing the welfare, happiness and pros
perity Of people. Whatever pro
notes these great objects, or individu
al enterprises, deserve, and should re-
ceive fair and liberal treatment al
the hands Of the government.
Whatever impairs or Injuries the use
cause of improvement, is against the
public interests, while broad and
liberal policy in this respect is the
most comprehensive and potent meth
cd of promoting the public welfare.
These views are taking a strong
hold on the public sentiment Of the
State, which is happy omen for the
future happiness, prosperity and
greatness of Mississippi.-Cl Clarion
Ledger.
What is said i'll the above by the
Clarion Ledger on the value and i'm,
portance of railroads in developing
Mississippi and increasing the value OF
property, has been most forcibly dem
onstrated of late years by the building
of the Aberdeen, Lexington and
Yazoo branches of the |. c., the CON
struction of numerous branches in
the Delta by the Mississippi Valley
Railroad, the building of the Georgia
Pacific across the State, and the com
pletion of the Gulf Il Ship Island
Railroad from the Mississippi Coast to
the State Capital. The price of lands
has been doubled aud quadrupled
along all these lines with the coming
of the steam horse, thrifty towns have
sprung up as if by magic, and new life
and business energy have been impart-
ed where lethargy, stagnation and
hopelessness once held undi>turbed
SWAY over magnificent but unde-
veloped natural resources. Give the
railroads encouragement and fair
treatment and in a few years more
they will make every portion of Mis-
sissippi blossom as the rose.
In every election. from constable to
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