The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1904-01-13
A Trip to the Coast.
By ". 6. SUMMERS.

Brister | started from Bogue
Chitto on the /. G. railroad. on
December 23rd, 1908, for Gulf
port, via New Orleans, with
heads set on observing closely.
But nothing attractive met our
gaze until we reached the truck
farm region and saw those truck
ers preparing their farms and
cnltiyating their young plants,
which reminded us that we were
nearing new crop season, when
we would set to for more cotton.
The train landed us in New Or
leans about II a. m. We waited
patiently about 10 minutes for a
street car headed for the L. & N.
depot and arrived there just in
time, by nimble steps, to catch on
to the second section of the regu-
lar passenger for Gulfport. This
road is decidedly one of the finest
railroads in the South, as well as
one Of the busiest roads, running
sixteen passenger trains to and
fro every twenty-four hours. So
we $ p e d along steadily and
with speed, observing as we went
the vast expanse of prairie coun-
try; and Ben soon discovered that
we had struck water at Bay St.
Louis. They crowded us with
fresh fish and oysters fried hot.
We soon saw that we had reach
ed the pine timber, growing tall,
with small trunks; and there was
palmetto growing out there in
the pine timber, but no farms I'M
til in the vicinity of Long Beach,
where we saw some truckers.
Very much to our pleasure and
surprise it was soon all out for
Gulfport; but just before arriving
there the conductor tried to put
a small girl in our care who was
going to Jacksonville, Fla, via
Nashville, Tenn. We were sure
that some of her folks had travel
ed difficult paths before her, but
told the fellow that we did not
leave home to go so far, and must
be excused. At Gulfport we met
our old friend, M. L. Ryals, who
showed us around to the new
"Bowling Alley building, where
our boy, Floyd. was working
with the carpenters crew; and
after a brief stroll over the town
we went to the home of Floyd W.
Summers and met his good wife,
who did all the nice, kind acts
possible to make our 10 days.
stay pleasant and enjoyable, SO
much so that the time went by
all too soon, and we were sad at
parting,
While in Gulfport we enjoyed
many attractive scenes and made
new acquaintance and met old
friends. On Thursday we visited
some important business places
and business men, to-wit: The
Mississippi Land and Abstract
Agency, First National Bank and
the Great Southern Hotel; walk
ed on the pier, visited the great
oyster and shrimp factory and
took notice of the vast number of
large vessels landed there from
foreign shores. Christmas day
was rainy, and we remained with
Floyd and Leota (our dear ones)
and enjoyed nicely prepared
and sumptuous,dinner with them.
Saturday was rather cold, but we
walked a mile on the beach and
saw many curiosities, went again
on the great pier, which extends
over mile into the Mississippi
sound, to the pavilion at the end
of the pier. This is a splendidly
finished, two-story building, 125
x120 feet. We took special no
tice of the many large vessels,
twenty-one in number, there in
port, and went aboard of a large
English steamer, only five months
old, ssThe Portland Caidiff. 2 1t
carried "a feet draft, 1000 horse
power. The kind Englishmen
showed us through every nook
and corner and explained to US
their chart-compass and other
inventions, to our satisfaction.
The 129 saw mills touched by
the G.. & S. /. railroad, from
Gulfport to jackson are shipping
immense cargoes of lumber to
foreign countries, but time and
space forbid our attempting a full
description of this great enter
prise, and the vast Importance it
is to property owners in the mag
nificnnt e0miuu town af (Inlf