Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-05
ON THE GULF COAST
What May Be Called the
American Riviera.
s ETTLED BY. FRENCH
VILLAGES STRETCHING FROM MO-,
BILE TO NEW ORLEANS.
No Better Fishing to Be Found Any
where-Great Growth of the Oyster
Industry-Canning and Packing.
BY VIM. E. CURTIS.

BY VIM E. CURTIS
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star and
the Chicago cord-Herald.
MOBILE, March q, 1905.
Along the shore of the Bay of Mobile is
the famous Shell road, extending ten or
twelve miles upon the crest of the bluff
under an arbOr of magnolias. This road
is to be extended thirty-five miles for car
riages and automobiles and when completed
will be one of the most notable driveways
of the world. The road Is made of crushed
oyster shells upon a bed of clay, and it is
as smooth and hard as asphaltum. The
great part of the oyster. shells from the
fisheries and canneries along the gulf are
used for roadmaking purposes and make
excellent material. They can be bought
for So carload
Climate Like the Riviera's.
While the gulf coast lacks the rugged
background furnished by the Alps along
the River, and the Cornichf road of
Europe is embelished with cliffs and peaks,
castles and villas, and wonderful gardens,
the Riviera of America as we may call the
coast of Alabama and Mississippi has it's
own quiet pisturesqueness and one of these
days will be much freQuented and ad-
mired as the resorts along the Mediterran-
can coast of France. The climate of the
two places is similar. Southern people
have known of the attractions of the gulf
coast for centuries. Northern people are
just beginning to discover them and are
buying land and erecting winter homes
here. Hotels are springing UP to accom-
modate transient guests; fishing and shoot
ing clubs are being located in secluded
places within reach of the game; and with
in few years this will be a populous as
well as popular resort for northern peo-
pie during the winter and spring months.
There is no more interesting strip of
country than that lying along the gulf be-
tween Mobile and New Orleans. 1t is rich
in history and romance as we'll as in ma
terial attractions, and still bears the i'm
press of the life and struggles of its first
inhab itantS.
French Settlement.
In 1889 a French expedition under Iber-
Vile landed this coast and founded a
colony at Biloxi, the first stake driven by
the French in their American possessions
Until Ills it was the capital of Louisiana
territory, that vast empire extending to
the British possessions on the north and
to the unknown MOUNTAIN regions to the
westward To these pioneers the wilder
ness of pines promised nothing; the soil
offered little inducement to the husband
man; the timber was an impediment to
their movements and of no value; and time
and time again they were on the verge of
StdTNdlloll, III spite OF the 1act That the
waters around them abounded with oysters
shrtmps, crabs, fish and fowl, while the
woods were full of turkeys and other game
birds. They did not pursue the animals of
the forests, possibly because the savage
Indians made it unsafe for white man to
venture beyond the settlements. But why
they did not catch the fish and discover
the other food possibilities around them
Is difficult to understand.
Although Biloxi ceased to be the capital
OF Louisiana territory In IT'S the greater
part of its inhabitants remained and their
descendants are living there unto this day
II Is quaint old town and furnishes a
striking contrast between the old ciyiliza-
ton and the new. Houses that were built
after the French fashions in the early part
OF the eighteenth century stand beside
modern Villas and mansions, and rest under
the shadow of fine new churches and impos-
ing business blocks. The winter population
is much larger than that of summer but
the people tell you there:is very little differ
ence In temperature the year round and
that in midsummer the thermometer is al
ways several degrees lower than in New
Orleans or Mobile and the cities of the
interior as far north as the Ohio river.
From Mobile to New Orleans.
Other towns have gradually sprung up
along the coast during the last two CEN
turtles, until it is now lined with villages,
hotels and watering places all the way
from Mobile to New Orleans In some re-
spects the towns are all alike and they
offer similar attractions From Scranton
westward they front on Mississippi sound,
which Is a salt water lake about ten miles
wide and eighty miles long. protected from
the storms OF the gulf by line of islands,
which makes safe boa ting, bathing and
fishing. -
Gulf port is a shipping and railroad CEN
ter with fine hotel, Scranton is lumber
town with big oyster and shrimp Gamer
les and fish markets; Mississippi City is
the center of the fruit orchards; Ocean
Springs, Pass Christian, Bay St Louis and
other towns are given up to rest and pleas
ure While none of the hotels are as elab
crate or as expensive as those in Florida
they are comfortable, the service is good
and the rates are moderate The winter
patronage consists of well-to-do people
from the north, and the summer patronage
comes from the southern ctieS-people who
care more for comfort than for style and
who prefer fishing and boating to social
gayeties. Villas may be rented for the
winter at nearly all of the towns, at rates
as low as S25 and $50 a month, but in sum-
mer they are usually occupied by theft
owners from New Orleans and other south
ern cities. There are some famous old res.
licences along the coast. Beauvoir the for
mer home of Jefferson Davis, is near BIZ
loxi. Baldwin Lodge, the summer home of
a wealthy Louisiana gentleman, annually
entertains some of the most famous finan-
ciers and public men of the country. Ocean
Springs wase the former winter home of
Boss" Tweed. and from there he fed to
Spain after his Indictment,
The permanent population Is very cos
mopolitan. even more so than New Or
leans; French and Spanish names appear
over the doors OF mary of the shops; most
of the streets are narrow, shaded with live
oaks and magnolias, and the architecture
reminds you of Martinique and other
French colonies.
Ship Island. is twelve4 miles across the
sound from Biloxi. 1t was used as prison
during the civil war. 1t has safe and
commodious harbor, with twenty-three feet
of water at low tide. The government
quarantine station is at the eastern end of
the island and old Fort Massachusetts, at
the west end. An enormous amount of
lumber is nghtered across to Ship Island
from the mainland and there loaded upon
European steamers
There is no fishing anywhere else better
than can be had along this coast A great
variety of game fish, Including the tarpon
may be caught at all times OF the year;
and during the winter months the bays and
bayous are alive with water fowl and the
forests with quail and turkeys. Every now
and then hunter brings in the carcass of
bear or deer or other big game.
The OYSTER Industry