Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-19
Ma
OF SPLENDN

lWenty -oue lO tWenty-tnree Ieet we
took one out in May drawing twenty
three feet and we took out another
nearly as deep with 3.150,000 feet of
lumber.
This harbor in this short period,
however marvellous it may appear, has
done the greatest amount OF business
of any harbor in the United States of
the same age. The third year after
the first vessel sailed out, we exported
more lumber from Gulfport harbor
than any harbor in the United States
east of the Rocky Mountains, and since
1903 we have exported 1,O16,943, 900
feet of lumber besides large quantities
of naval stores and other products In
addition there has come through the
harbor in the way of imports large
amount of phosphate, pyrities of iron,
naval stores, creosote oil, mahogany
and other commodities. AS time rolled
on and storm and misfortunes would
overtake our dredging, we still were
encouraged by giving them railroad
and the only harbor on the sea coast,
knowing that it would liberate the
state in her export and import business
and that she would be building UP a
city Of her own instead of contributing
to cities in her sister states.
Every move we have made we had
in mind the improvement of the State
and her people. knowing full well that
if we would accomplish this great OBJ
ject, we would enhance the value of
our fellow man. We did not desire
or intend to take the profits from the
State without leaving IA great benefit
for future generations, and for proof
of this we will refer you to the Great
Southern Hotel. the Hotel IIattiesburg
the offices, banks and other buildings
in this city and the beautiful and COM
Portable depots along the road And
in order to carry forward this great
work and desire, we organized end
built the electric road taking in BIZ
loxi, Gulfport and extending towards
Pass Christian and including all of the
little towns between. The road is
built most substantially with the very
best of material, creosote ties, cars,
beautif full power plant and car sheds.
Our object was to build up the coast,
and where the land was only worth
SO to IS front foot. today it is worth
from $25 to $50 a ti.as foct. with many
beautiful homes built since the -oed
began operation; and the people today
can mingle with each other and feel
that they are living in city as well
as the country, for it will only be a
few years when it will be solid city
twenty-five miles long. For further
proof that we did not wish that the
bona fide land holder, who has lived
mere most Of his life and paid taxes
for years, should be induced to sell
his property at sacrifice, we decided
late in the afternoon that we would go
ahead with the work and the next
morning it was announced in all the
papers, and the people could read and
see for themselves that there would
be an electric read built. and they all
knew what wonderful value that would
add to their property; and the men
who invested their money in the cleo
tric railroad did not, to the best of
my knowledge, t',y single lot until
all the people knew of the intention
to build the road
1t has been said and published that
1t was shame for the government to
money for Gnlfport har-
bor as it was an individual investment
md not for the benefit of the public,
and the city of Gulfport could not
prosper under such circumstances, and
hat the government should not in
vest money in the Gulfport harbor for
hose reasons. To further show you
low wrong this was, how contrary to
our hopes, desires and purposes, we
gave the right of way over our own
private property and to the west side
,f the anchor basin and pier to the
irst bona fide railroad that offered to
,ome to Gulfport. This was done to
larry forward our original desires and
,lans to build up Gulfport and to make
t great city and to help build UP the
,reat harbor and the southern part of |
'ur State AS further evidence of
he fact that our investments here
we're permanent and that our purposes
we're to build for time and for the
'ood Of the ptire country, we may
e pardoned sd saving that we real
zed the fact, oa discovered the fact,
Q be that the crude cross tie was liza.
lie to decay, was uncertain, was Of
hort duration and in order to meet
hese Conditions and to mt the rail-