The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1907-05-16
Capt. G.. A. Johnston's Address
Before the Bankers Convention

Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
When requested to make reply to
the address of welcome to Gulfport,
[ reached for my map TO locate the
place and find out how best to get
there. Looking it over, my search
of course began at Columb bus, and l
drifted down the placid windings of
the beautiful Tombigbee,' until Mo-
bile was found at its mouth, still sit
ting, and sitting still, waiting for
the up-country people to have the
river made nayigable, and come to
Mardi Gras. There was Meridian,
waiting for no man, but noted as the
great lay-over place." whose people
apparently lived without eating-at
least thare was nothing for the way
farer. There was Room No. 40" in
which fifty might repose, provided
they furnish their own cover. Look
ing west was Jackson, the site OF the
States capitol and the penitentiary,
noted as the winter home of the
States great, and the perennial abld-
ing place of her criminals. Vicks-
burg stood out in red (the star foot
note said) notorious for gamblers
and bad LIQUOR. Nowhere was Gulf
port to be found. One of our young
old one of the sixties, that GulfpOrt
was a young city. He gave me a new
map and, pointing out Gulfport, ex-
planned that from it's front there was
a railroad that leads to Columbus
and New York, on the west rail
road that leads to New Orleans and
the Panama Canal, on the east still
another that leads, as the lawyer
would say, to the aforementioned
Mobile; and another Che smiled out)
lin the air" that will lead to West
Point. Just back of Gu1fport may be
found the Gulf of Mexico. He said
Gulfport was noted for its harbor and
the hospitality of its people.
Yes, Gulfport is one of the young,
modern cities of "our South,' the
kind called magic. When first dis
covered, it's leading citizen was load
ed with red pepper goulash, and red
olent of garlic, though but few
years ago; today it is hustling,
busy city, of thousands, and of right:
the port of Mississippi for her COM
merce with the world. [ saw pict-
ure entitled Everybody Works but
Father; it can find no welcome
here, as everyone seems to work, in
Guiding father. Indeed, they tell me
the father of Gulfport leads in that
respect, in all good work. No eight
hour law bounds his energies; like
might bank" he is always ready
for business No obstacle deters him
when he has made up his mind and
got his head set" He seems to
think nothing too good for Gulfport,
nothing unattainable. Finding the
waters of the bay too shallow for
the ships, he pulled out it's bottom,
and-made the government pay for
the same.
The people here caught the infec-
ton from him, and they all work,
all for Gulfport. This first won my
regard, and now it's one reason why
love the place. 1t is cosmopolitan
liberty, conformable to reason and
decency, in the great desert of our
hide-bound State. There are churches
galore, but no city ordinance compels
To afT told tho Hchin o.
is fine (confidentially, little supe-
rior to the preaching), and that while
the latter is quite up to the mark,
the fishing is not neglected on Sum
days. Spiritual exhilaration is an
American habit, that goes with the
use of the weed that soothes, and
here both may be INDUCED in. In
fact, it was at Gulfport the famous
American drink was first invented,
called 1.-The same" / live in the re
stricted" district of Mississippi, where
personal liberty of conscience and
action is SO hedged in by laws and
ordinances that many of our most
enterprising citizens spend much time
on the county farm It's the pro
tectiye' principle elaborated. Up
North they protect the infant indus
tries; we go them one better, and
protect the people. Again, in the
North, every man Of any pretension
owns and operates an automobile; !;
be a citizen of old Noxubee as long