Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-10-12
RISE OF A TOWNSHIP.
Tumut to Be Capital of Aus
tralian Federation.
SITUATED IN A FERTILE DISTRICT

Highly Cultivated and Well Water
ed, the Land About Tumut Is Little
Subject to Extremes of Climate
with which other Parts of the
Continent Are Familfar--Agricul-
ture the CHIEF Industry.
The commissioners appointed TO re-
port on the question of the federal cap
ital of the Australian commonwealth
seem to have exercised a rare discre-
ton in giving the very strongest rec
ommendation to the claim of Tumut
for the coveted honor, says the London
Standard. The place is, roughly, half
way between Sydney and Melbourne,
the two largest Australian cities which
were both chagrined at losing the SUI
preme right. Melbourne IN possessing
palatial parliamentary buildings which
would have housed the federal legisla
ture admirably-they have already
done so since the establishment of the
commonwealth-felt that ii had a very
tangible claim, while Sydney as the
oldest city and the capital Of the moth
er colony was most tenacious of her
right. The statute finally decided that
New South Wales had the better claim
and enacted that the capital should be
placed within that state, not less than
100 miles from sydney. Tumut is
however 300 miles distant from the
CITY of the beautiful harbor, and the
commissioners have thus given Mel
bourne an advantage Of 200 miles from
the minimum, while favoring it, more
over, by fixing a spot on the straight
line from Sydney to Melbourne.
The United States republic, when es-
tablishing a federal capital, built it on
a swamp in the midst Of the virgin for
est. The new commonwealth has TAX
en- another method Tumut is q little
township OF some 1900 inhabitants in
the center Of fertile and highly cult
waited plain Ii stands high in valley
Ranking the mountains grouped round
Mount Kosciusko, the eliminating
peak of the Australian continent Wen
watered to a degree that is unusual IL
places so far west, the district is little
subject TO the extremes with which the
other parts of the continent are famil-
lar. The Tumut river, fed by the Kos
ciuskan SHOWS and the steady springs
of it's neighbOrhood, does not dwindle
almost to extinction, rs do the rivers
of the Never Never country" farther
west. In drought the latter become
mere chains of water holes-nay, even
disappear altogether under stress of 4
succession of dry seasons. Negetat y
in Tumut does not become dry anu
burned up, and the district is resort
for stock from less favored regions.
Agriculture is the chief industry. and
maize growing receives most of the at
tention of the farmer. The fine quality
that characterizes Tumut maize is the
result of careful cultivation and the eX-
IRENE care taken by the people TO pre-
- the intrusion of disease into their |
crop. The farmers agreed tn
should give up the use of old
Sacks, in which disease germs might
Turk, and they keep strictly to bags
bought straight from the factory. Next
In importance to Indian corn comes to-
bacco. The soil at Tumut has shown
most kindly to the culture. If in |
It's natural state Tumut tobacco would |
prove somewhat overpowering, still, |
blended with American, an excellent |
mixture can be made with the Austria |
ian weed.
Such is the quiet and secluded spot |
N which the federal authorities pro
pose to raise a new city to accommO-
late the machinery of central govern |
nent in Australia. If isolation from
he grosser interests of mere commerce
De sought Tumut Is the ideal, and in
legislator will be provided with the
best atmosphere for stimulating mental
tctivity and at the same time insuring
/ healthy mind in a healthy body. The
ISOLATION is, of course, not irremovable.
short line of some twenty miles-a
distance now served by coach-wou
connect the town with Gundagal, the
nearest railway terminus. The latter
own is not on the main railroad from
sydney TO Melbourne, but is the termi-
nus of branch thirty miles in length
hat joins the main line at Cootamun
Ira. From the latt junction the fed
.ral legislator can go northwest to
Queensland or south to Victoria and
N to South Australia. West Australia,
till unconnected by rail, and the is
and state of Tasmania are out of
ouch with the main arteries of rail-
Dad communication.
1t is curious to note how this little,
Unknown town has in its way a COM
position with regard to the
our state capitals of the east 1t is
quidistant from Sydney and Mel
'ourne and from Adelaide and Bris-
'ane, which are, however. about 400
niles farther off than the two first
mentioned. Then, situated at it Is on a
of the one great Australian
rtery-the Murray river-Tumut, as 1t
Tere, overlooks from the highest spot
he whole Murray basin. district
vhich comprises much more than half
he area of the continent.
The Upton Stocking.
The girl who wishes to show hpr fa- |