Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1902-03-06
GuLFPoRT, MISSISSIPPI.


The Gulf & ship Island Railroad. sx-
tenied and compIeted to Jackson.
Miss. within the Iast five years. with
branches to Columbia. on the Pearl
river. and TO Laurel. has. as il well
known. opened up vast amount OF
serritnry-land Gvergruwn with vfrxin
loug Leaf pine. land waiting only for
the pi0w ami human agency Co make
e blossom with cotton and grain. The
whole line OF road. some go miles.
taems with activity is frfnged with
saw and Dlaning mills. with tlrrpen-
tine and rusin stills. with eertilizer
tActortes and cotton mills, and with
AZ fine Il class af towns As can be
found on any Southern ruad. tuwus
progressive. Substantial and parmar
nent- This has resulted in producing
an immense volume Of business muv-
ng To the interior. but It has done
more than that 1t has opened IN
possibilities for export trade which
need only the opportunity in order to
become valuable and important. In
order to accumpiish this hitter fen
ture, port WIS needed, which SHOULD
oe Of such size and so complete that
I would afford every facility for IN
bound AZ well ls export trade. The
coast 0f Mississippi and the Islands
which LIE some ten miles of shore
furnish n natural harnur- The own
eEs or the G.. x :. l.. r. e., with char
aceerist1c energy. and the expenditure
OF at least S2.100,00d. present and in
eonremplatlnn- have mapped cut and
mote than half eumpIered a magnifi-
cent channel and an extensive wharf.
docks and anchorage basin The chan
nei Is rotay open TO a width Of I60
reet and a depth Of twenty feet. The
immense deck extends out into the
sound ulore than n mile and Is fur
n1shed with a Ioading crane. spur
trucks. humber ramps and every pos
slble facility far the expeditions ham
ding OF clrgues. At this date sntps
ara loading and unloading without de-
lay and without difficulty. Vessels
drawing efghtcsn feet OF water leave
Gulfpdrt IN tow Of powerful tugs and
pass easily to the gulf When com
pleted the channel viii be 800 feet in
width. with a depth Of not less than
twenty feet at any point and il is said
that experience IN recent storms has
rully demonstrated the fIrt that thu
channel viii remain open notwfth-
standing the hardest blows that ii
VIII not I'LL In with the action Of the
waves or Gf the tide. The work has
passed beyond the experimental stage
and the volume OF business which viii
be handled within the next two years
depends only on the speed with which
the present work IS carried 0ur With
three powerful dredxRs at work night
i1d day, with their in1eut OF
eIgs. narges and lighters. and with a
large torce busy On the pier and
shore improvements there Is no reas
sou - aozzeS she completion Of the
entire work rs PINNED.
Saturat1T at such a port as this
there must be a town and people. and
much business. Guffport. which five
yenrs ago was practically i wilderness.
s. to-day thriving town Of some 2.900
people, we'll provided with retail
stores covering every line Of business;
with churches. public schools. aIecoric
Lights. good streets and all the evil
ienees Of prosperity and civilization.
It has an efficient Mayer and Board
OF Aldermen to control RS municipal
fhairs,- a progressive, Business Leagre
Co look after its business interests. and
Is an orderly. weIl-conducted and pro-
Eressfve place. The general Offices af
the g.. L g. l. R. r are located there.
lnd IL is also on the main line Of the
Louisville q Nashville RaiTruad- Prop
srtv Is considered a safe AMI desiras
bic investment and is being eagerIy
purchased In fact the demand for
houses far exceeds the visible or con
rraeted supply.
houses, GuIfport -ts- supplied with sew
sral manufacturing plants. and viii
naturally welcome more. The 0ppur-
nrnities are splendid for a sash and
blind factory. faundries. carriage fac
tories. and others af kindred nature
There are ar present in operation an
ice factnry. a wellequipped canning
tletory. saw and planning mills, rail-
ruad shops. IN electric light and
power house. with more to follow
Four hotels care tsr the transient pub
lte. while two hanks-the First Ma
icuaI and the Bank Of Commerce
-alfe care Of the financial needs Of the
section
Cities ara not made In a day. fr
axes time energy. money and faith
10 buiIf them. Bur the eitizsns Of
Sulfport and OF large area In the
South have watched and assisted IN
the development Of the G. 4 5. l. R.
e., OF the channel to the sea. the deep
water harbor. and Of the town. Much
is predicted for all OF these things.
md an inspection leads only to the
conviction that the hopes are being
realized daily There is no boom; no
brag or blusters simply steady inn
prcvement, solid work, good money
being expended every minute. backed
by brains and energy with results Wis
thle to the eye OF whnmsoever will
visit the port to see The Legislature
IL Mississippi recently visited Gulf
port as a body. and came away com
Einced that all which had been said
WIS true. We have vet TO hear OF any
one who has visited and carefully
lnaked over the town and the harbor
who has failed to- be impressed with
The possibilities OF the work. as well
~ with the actuahtiss. It means
much To- very large section IL Is
not purely Il local enterprise, depend
ing for it's success en- the products
1f a HmftHd area. or upon the fancy
1f a limired number OF peopLe. IT
means an outlet TO the sea for the
whole State Of Mississippi. for the
vast interior north Of that State. It
means the operation Of the only COM
ncdious and completes seaport on the
-uazr between Mobile and New Or.
leans, the port Of entry Cor all cIimes
And as such it's evolution and IT'S sub
seggnsur use will be matter Of con-
zratulatian To many, and viii result
N greatly increasing nor only the
wealth OF individuals. bur the wealth.
II the State of Mississippi as we'll
No ehancs rsr Easnamxl
For n moment the father regarded
he suffer- thaughtfulIy.
-rf refuse my consent" he said at
asst. Il suppose you viii eiope"
We have no such Intention" ~
turned the sIitnr frankly