Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-03-19
HATTiESBURG WAKING up.
BUSINESS MEN MEET.

Special to the Birmingham News.
Hattiesburg, Miss, March TO-
There has been great awakening In
this city during the past week. The
people have just begun to realize the
fact that they have good city, a
good country surrounding 1t and the
finest opportunities of any section of
the state.
A few days ago the Hattiesburg
board OF trade concluded that it
would be a fine idea to give a
smoker" and invite the secretary
of the New Orleans Progressive
Union, Col. H. HI. Mayo, to 1T and
also Tom Richardson of the same
city. They were to make the board
of trade talk. They did so and it
has had good effect. They told
many things for HattIesburg's bene-
fit that it's citizens did not know be-
fore and put the whole town to
thinking. They said that other peo-
pie had heard of Hattiesburg; had
heard that this was q fine long leaf
pine section; that we were i'm
mensely rich in that respect, but as
poor as snakes in all other respects
so far, as the general public outside
of the state knew. 1t was, they de-
clared, our fault, because heretofore
this place had had no organization
to advertise it's resources, it's posi-
bIlities, the fertility of the lands and
their adaptability to the production
of fruits, early vegetables, sugar
cane and everything else in that inc.
They also said that while Hatties-
burg had here the largest saw mill
plant in the South, cutting, dressing
and shipping thousands of feet of
lumber every day, we did not even
have sash and blind factory and
that much OF the lumber was shipped
back in the finished product and sold
to the local merchants who supplied
the people in the country towns with
these same finished goods that could
be and should be manufactured here
and thus save freight and the charg-
es of the middle man.
COOPERATION URGED.
They urged cooperation with the
four railroads running out of this city
as the roads were anxious to cooper
ate with the citizens and raise vege-
tables and fruits and place them on
the Chicago market within thirty
six hours after leaving the platforms
here. They showed how this could
be done by such cooperation and
the great benefits that would be de-
rived therefrom.
The speeches were timely, well de-
llvered and so interesting that the
real "smoker" was forgotten and
every cigar was rs cold as wedge
long before the speakers were
through.
RAILROAD FACILITIES.
If any one will take the trouble to
examine the map he will see how
favorably Hattlesburg is located. 1t
is no miles from New Orleans,
eighty-six from Meridian, seventy
from the deep water harbor at Gulf
port, ninety miles from the cap
itol of the state, where there is rail
road connection with every part of
the West and. the Northwest, and
about the same distance from Mobile
where there is another deep water
harbor, the roads running to each
place forming the spokes, while
Hattiesburg is the hub. Then there
Is another road completed fifty miles
west, which will eventually go to
Natchez, thence to the great west
giving two routes TO that yet unde.
veloped country.
GREAT POSSIBILITIES.
The people here realize the fact
that they have something worth
nursing. Up to two years ago not
much improvements had been MAJ de
True, hundreds of dwellings had
gone up, but, not much money wa
pulled out of the old jeans pants TO
other buildings. The local capitalist
were not certain, they were not posi-
tive, they were not entirely SATISFIED
y with the assurance that there wer
any staying qualities about Hattiss
burg's boom, and SO they were care
4 full, and tied strong strings to all tn
money they put out. But the utmos
confidence is felt and assured, ant
4 within the past elghtor ten month
SOC, 900 has been invested In bushes
houses, excluding the thousand
that have been put into dwelling
and manufacturing industries. TIL
half has not been told. The rea
boom is just opening, for prospector
and capitalists are coming IN b
# every train on every road runnin
"a into the city.