Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1902-12-31
Pearl and Leaf Rivers
Railroad Will
Be EXTENDED TO THIS CITY
So Says the Manager of the Koad,
and 1t is Believed That
THE GOULDS ARE BEHIND IT.
1t Will Give Them an Outlet to the
Sea and Fine Route.

The Pearl and Leaf Rievrs railroad
will be extended from its present ter
minus at Brownsville, Miss, to
Natchez, with all possible speed, says
the Mobile Register, and then 1t Will
become the carrier through central
Mississippi of the Gould systems west
of the Mississippi river 1t Will
transfer that tremendous tonnage at
Hattiesburg, and in all portability
before the end of the year great por-
tion of the products of Texas, Indian
Territory, Kansas and Nebraska Will
90 through Mobile to the markets
across the gulf and the ocean. The
Mississippi road, it is intended, Will
handle all the foreign tonnage OF all
the Gould lines, and the probability
is that the connecting line at Hatties-
burg for the gulf will be the Mobile,
jackson and Kansas City railway.
Mr.. f. p. Davidson, the general
manager of the Pearl and Leaf Rivers
railroad, and the general superinten-
dent for the J. J. Newman Lumber
Comapny, the largest lumber corpora
tion in Mississippi, in his office at
Hatteisburg yesterday, spoke as fol-
lows to a Register representative:
"Work on the survey of the Pearl
and Leaf Pivers railway extension
is progressing with all speed from
Brownsville, the present terminus OF
the line to Natchez, which is to be
the permanent end. The work of
grading and of construction will then
be pushed with all possible speed.
when the line is finished we shall
handle the greater portion Of the
Gould systems foreign tonnage. We
shall probably handle. this business
through Mobile, making traffic ar
rangements with the Mobile, Jackson
and Kansas City railroad. "
This railroad, starting from Hat
tiesburg,s is being substantially con-
structed. using n 1-2 pound rails
along the entire system. 1t now
reaches Sumrall, Bassfeld andBlounts
Vile, this latter forty-fve miles from
Hattfesburg. The line now runs
through Perry, Marion. Covington
and a portoin of Lawrence counties.
The extension into Natchez will
cross White Sands and Silver creeks,
the latter near Silver City; cross the
Pearl river at Smiths ferry, i'll Law
renee county; thence little to the
north of Brookhaven; thence through
Lincoln, Franklin and Adams coun-
ties to the Mississippi river.
THE road traverses a heavily tim
bered country for long distance, and
then passes into the very fertile agri
cultural section, one where cotton is
king and where the farmer raises all
natures wants. The territory it will
draw from will furnish a tremendous
tonnage, but this will not in any de
gree be what it will get by its connee-
tions.
The Gould interests absolutely con-
troll eleven railroads west of the Mis-
sissippf river. It's only outlet is the
Texas Pacific to New Orleans. Here
it must compete with the Southern
Pacific, and at an unfair rate, it is
said, as the latter comapny charges
the Texas and Pacific company what
it will. So the Goulds have been
looking for an independent outlet to
the sea.
The railroad mergers of recent
date, it appears, mean much. Thus
the Goulds have agreed to build no
railroads east Of the Mississippi river.
But the agreement does not preclude
their doing business with an eastof-
the. river road Thus it is practically
positive that, with the completion Of
the Pearl and Leaf Rivers railroad
to Natchez this enormuos business
will go through Mobile, as it is
iudged certain that Col Merrill will
grant good rates over the Mobile,
Jackson and Kansas City road. The
oriy line in competition is the Gulf
and Ship Island. If that line should
GET the Pearl and Leaf Rivers business
itwill go through Gulfport.
Mr.. Davidson would not make any
statement concerning connections to
the gulf, but he did say he could "see
no reason why the trade will not go
by way of Mobile. >
The traffic from the Gould road
would give the Pearl and Leaf Rivers
company tonnage equal to that OF
any railway entering Mobile, and
that the moment it is in condition tc
transport at.
Imois James, the actor has sued 9