Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1908-10-21
THE MOBILE & OHIO RAILROAD.


So 6g@ and Stockholders Of that Company is
S$n%54'Y sued under date Of October g. 1903, il
21iEP&~ being the sixtieth annual report OF the
%R s$S CDpps1y an
completed in April 1861. The war between the States
Immediately followed and both Federal and Confederate
armies destroyed its bridges and twisted its rails from
Columbus. Ky, to Mobile. Ala. as they conceived the
exgencies Of the situation required 1t had TO be pract
caly rebuilt after the war.
Its builders secured donation Of public lands from the
Federal Congress- The declared purpose Of the Act ol
Congress donating these public lands to the Mobile &
Ohio Railroad Company was to establish national high
way connecting the Gulf Of Mexico with the great North
west The Mobile & Ohio Railroad has fully met
the expectations OF its original builders AT the Port oil
Mobile on the Gulf Of Mexico it now receives from Cen
ral and South America large volume Of tropical fruits
which il carries to the Northwest and in turn receives
grain and grain products which delivers the Port Of
Mobile to vessels that reach all the principal markets in
South and Central America.
The handling OF bananas is notable example OF this
traffic in tropical fruits. The Company has at Mobile
elaborate terminals forthe berhng Of ban ma boats which
terminals equipped with the most modern fac lites for
the rapid and safe handling Of the fruit business Not
ihsa4dng the delicate nature Of the banana, is con
veyed from ships hold with gr, disp ach Three
electrical conveyors are on the fruit wharf and are
constructed that they will fit the haches Of any ship
Dispatch is essential in handling fruit and by the Of
the cdnveyors carload Of bananas at the terminals Of
this Company can be loaded in less than FIVE minutes Ii
has frequently occurred that the cargo Of banana boat
consisting Of say forty carloads Of fruit has been dis
charged at Noble and transported ST. Louis distance
Of 644 miles in 28 hours About four hours would be
sumed in dschargng the fruit from the boats into cars
and "A hours Tor transporting il st Louis.
This business has grown until the Company moves
about twelve thousand carloads Of bananas per
This Company has traffic arrangements with the Mum
son Steamship Line, operating between Mobile and
Havana and other Cuban ports, and through this
ton the pineapple movement from Cuba has been ostered
by the Mobile & Ohio Railroad Company creates
long haul tonnage tor which have been load
ed South with merchandise. This traffic has grown until
the shipment Of pneapples this amounted to six
hundred carloads movement which began only four
years ago. In addition the cargoes OF sisa from the South
American also creates large item Of
Truck farming around Mobile and along the line Of the
Mobile & Ohio Railroad, far north Tennessee has
been largely developed in the last few years. By
nf earlier seasons on the Gulf the handling Of the product
Of the gardeners Of the Mobile District finished before
that Of the growers farther north has begun thus protrac
ing the movement Of this valuable traffic
This Company line Of railroad runs through very
rich and productive prairie country, commencing at Wah-
ajax Miss and extending to Okoona. Miss, distance
Of about eighty niles This broad territory during the
Civil War grew enough grain to supply the western
artillery and cavalry horses OF the ConEederacy far east
as Atlanta Ii was called the Egypt Of the Confederacy
Ii grows exceptional cotton and corn About three years
ago the farmers this territory began experimenting in
the growing alfalfa and today there is considerable
movement in alfalfa hay
Ii has been the policy Of the management OF the Mobile
& Ohio Railroad Company to encourage all efforts the
part Of the farmers to diversity their crops.
The transporting Of yellow pine lumber prosperous
times when the mills are in full operation represents
about twenty-five per cent Of the business OF this Company
Ii is an established fact that whenever any depression
business occurs lumber is the FIRST to feel it and the last
to recover AS soon as the depression in business
e in the latter port Of November 1907 the movement Of
lumber ceased absolutely Ii is an encouraging sign that
there has been distinct but moi large revival Of this traffic
since July l. 1903.
Thirty years ago the annual movement Of cotton repre-
scented about sevenyve cent Of the business OF this
Company and this continued until eighteen ortwenty years
ago. Such variety of miscellaneous ralhc through and
local has now developed that the cotton business at pre-
sent represents only about three per cent OF the
total tonnage moved During the period referred to- the
success Of the Company was dependent upon large,
cotton crop The dversihcapn Of tonnage sconsequent
" a significant evidence Of established strength.
The resident management has kept in close touch with
the Companys patrons and the people that live along its
entire line The relations that exist between the Com
panys resident management and its patrons and the public
generally are most friendly and cordial The MANAGEMENT
and the public realize that there mutual and reciprocal
interest existing between hem and when allowed to be
nerered with BY either party tresuls in loss OF business
and damage to the interest ot both.
-o->-
The famous chemist Lyell W. Kider explains just what
happened to Lots wife as follows: Well what happen
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