Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1902-09-17
G. W. ELLIS BXTRNS THE KEYS
And the OLD Soldiers are Turned
Loose on Hattiesburg.
TO STROLL IN OUR SHADY PARKS.
But Please Keep Off the Grass
and Other Good Things.
Mr.. Commandant and Veterans-Ladies
and Gentlemen:

Mr.. Commandant and Veterans-Ladies
and Gentlemen:
Our honorable mayor has for some
reason unknown to me imposed upon
me the duty of delivering the address of
welcome on this occasion. assure you
and the good people of Hattlesburg, that
nothing but conscientiousness of my
inability to meet the requirements of the
occasion prevents me feeling genuine
pleasure in performing the duties as
signed to me.
In behalf of the citizens of Hattiesburg
and Perry county we receive you with
open arms and extend to you gladstone
welcome in our midst We want you
all to feel while here, that you are with
your friends and comrades, and that the
brightest and best that we have are at
your disposal; and when you leave here
for your respective homes we want the
burden OF your song to be. that the peo-
pie of HattiesbuTg have hearts as big as
the state of Texas, and that their hos
pitality is as Eo1ndless as the shores of
time.
Confederate Veterans You have in
vaded our city and we have surrendered.
can see from the expression of his
countenance, that our mayor is ready to
turn the keys Of the city over to you.
You have met as and we are yours.
You may walk with martial tread the
streets and avenues of our city, and
stroll through our beautiful parks-(but
be careful and not walk on the grass);
you may likewise slake your thirst at
the beautiful sparkling fountains which
shoot their silver sprays almost to the
skies. In short, you may invade our
homes and quarter your troops in our
midst, and levy tribute on our cowpens
and chicken roosts, and even smile at
and walk with our lovely young ladies,
provided you do not extend your military
attentions to the limits of Richard P,
Hobson.
We have number of attractions here
that it might be well for you to visit. In
the way of parks, there is Yellow Pine
park and another park in which the
grass and shrubbery are so verdant and
tender that only one young lady is per-
mitted to stroll in this park at time
The committee on entertainment will OF
course point out the various attractions
to you.
Our geological garden is quite an at
traction to some visitors, and have
heard that some of our own citizens find
pleasure and recreation in visiting the
gardens. There are in the gardens 8
number of animals, mostly of the tiger
variety-and some of them are blind
but not all of them.
You have doubtless observed that oul
business houses are not quite as tall 4
some in Chicago, but we are young ye
and you must give us time and we vii
getthere.
Our electric street car system is per
haps the finest in the state Except tina
of Laurel and I would suggest thatyo
get our mayor and some of the candi
dates for city Offices to give you fre
ride over the belt line and on your re
turn you should not fail to visit on
opera house, and the rooms Of the Hai
tieeburg board of trade.
Some ether places of special intere:
fron an architectural point of view al
the bridges which span Leaf river an
Gordon creek.
In fact the people of Hattiesburg clai
that we have the highest mountains, I'll
greenest grass. the brigetest moon, Il
prettiest women, the ugliest men, Il
bluest skies. the loudest thunder and Il
forkedest lightning of any city in Il
country, and in view of all these attra
tions 1t Is not surprising that Hattie
burg was selected as the place I
holding the state encampment Of t
confederate veterans.
Confederate Veterans: We sta
today in yonr presence with uncover
heads. Oar hearts are filed With eterr
gratitude and with patriotic pride /
your brilliant achievennts on the bait
field, and for your undying devotion t