The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-07-10

include any portion of the Missouri
river. If the Mississippi be regard
ed as a feeder for the gulf commerce
the mileage should be 2S,691 hailes.
This leaves only 2,719 miles of nav
igable streams to affect the CONNER
cial prospects of the remaining two
thirds of the United States.
"The vast Appalachian range, the
greatest mountain range in the United
States lying within the region of
plentiful rainfall, is producing at pres
ent Embarrassed, every moment OF
every day 100000 horsepower. The
day is coming when, through conserv-
alton impulses, this water will be
used to drive the wheels of industry
and of transportation throughout the
south, thus Indefinitely extending the
life of power buried now in the coal
fields of the south.
Iron Ore Estimate.
IF you look at the estimates regard
ing the iron ore life of the United
States you will see that the southern
Appalachian region is expected to en-
dure hundred years after the Lake
Superior region is stripped and ex-
hausted. Yet, with all the advantages
belonging to the southern extremity
of the Appalachians, advantages so
great that Birmingham sets the price
for pig iron, yet at present only about
10 per cent. of the pig iron of the
United States is made in the south.
Then look at the size and energy
of Birmingham-the Birmingham dis
trict, Chattanooga and other cities in
Tennessee and in Alabama, dependent
upon iron ore, then realize that their
marvellous growth to present dimen.
sions has come through the creation
of merely 10 per cent. of the pig iron
of the United States. Then let your
imagination run riot and picture to
yourself what will be the develop
ment of those portions of the country
when instead of 10 per cent. they are
80 per cent. of the pig iron
of the United States and largely CIV
ing that iron its final form.
The Coast Line.
"The southern states as a whole
possess more general accessibility to
coast line and therefore to the COM
merce of the world than either of the
other thirds of the United States. A
string and pin wheel will enable YOU
to prove this. You men who think
On commercial subjects do not need
that | should detail to you the advan-
tages that rests with portion of the
country that can by statistical and
proof declare that Il
has more coast line, more navigable
streams, more water power, more
minerals conveniently arranged, more
range, more forests,
more cheap land, more accessibility
20 ports than any third of the union.
"The meaning of this summing up
If southern opportunities is this. and
hone but the blind will fail to see It.
That there is to come time in the
history of the United States, as a
whole, must have the support and de-
relopment of the houthern states. 1t
means that our nation will never
each its full greatness. 1t means
MS. also. that as sure as the sun |
hall rise tomorrow there is to come
. period of commercial development |
n the south compared with which the
,ast growth has been but the totter-
ng footsteps of an infant. These
ire no words of boasting or of bonn
past, but they are serious words
BASED upon the incontrovertible evl-
lence of the south's resources ana
What those resources must lead to.