Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-30
OLDEST: GULF TOWN
Biloxi Settled by the French
in 1899.
FIRST LOUISIANA CAPITAL
People Have Allowed Opportunity to
Pass Them By. "
COAST LINED WITH COTTAGES
Population Dependent Upon the oys-
ter Industry and the Elk
penditures of Visitors.
RY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Recurd-H Herald.

/
Chicago Record-Herald
BILOXI Miss, March %. 1909.
Biloxi is very cid town, the Oldest in
Mississippi. the oldest on the gulf, and
the third oldest in the United States 1t is
situated half way between Mobile and
New Orleans, upon a peninsula, about ten
miles long and an average Of one mile
wide. formed by Mississippi Sound on
the south and Biloxi river and the
acknowledgements. which is described as a
stream unexcelled for beauty and use
funess" and pronounced Shooty-kay-buff.
This is an Indian name loke Biloxi which
was that of a famous Indian chief who
once ruled over this section of the coun-
try. The bay is formed by the union OF
tie two rivers, about five miles from the
beach and directly back of Beauvoir. the
home of the late Jefferson Davis. which
is now an asylum for aged Confederate
soldiers acknowledgements means broken
pot" although none of the present gener-
alton seem to understand the signlncance
CT it's application to very dlgn1ned ana
steady stream which flows through a
magnificent forest of pine. cypress and
hardwoods, and abounds in trout, perch,
mullet. sheepshead ond other fish which
snap eagerly at q hook.
Both rivers are navigable .or ABOUT
twenty miles or more. and have served
scanty population for generations for
bringing down to Biloxi lumber. turpen-
tine and little wool, which have been
shipped by rail to New Orleans or MO
of water and is admirably adapted for a
harbor. only the people are SO indeient
and Indifferent to their advantages that
it has never been fully utilized.
The opportunities that have passed
Biloxi are too numerous to mention. Only
yesterday / told you how Capt. Jones
wanted to make this town the terminus
of the Gulf and Ship Island railway. but
could not get any encouragement from
the Inhabitants. And that Is not the only
lost chance of prosperity.
But Biloxi Is waking up. There is a
commercial club here now, organized ny
group of the most progressive citizens,
who are trying to awaken the community
be able to succeed. The example of Gulf
port, which Is only few miles away.
may have an effect after a while. because
it is a continual reminder of what might
have been" That Is the song they are
singing here now.
The future Of Biloxi will depend ma
teria1ly upon getting farbor. Ocean
steamers cannot come in here now, and
IL DR.. Folkess the energetic president OF
the Commercial Club. Is to realize his am
bition and secure for this town some OF
the commerce that the Panama canal is
expected to bring to the gulf coast. 1t will
be necessary for Congress to make lib
eral appropriation to dredge a channel
through the Mississippi sound across into
the deep waters of the gulf. A survey
has already been made b. the engineer
corps of the army, and 1t Is simple mat
ter of dredging.
First French Gulf Settlement.
Biloxi was the first settlement OF the
French on the gulf coast. In 1890 dIber-
willie, the brothers of Bienvilie. who
founded New Orleans. established COL
ony here, which was the first capital Of
Louisiana. Souvalle, the first Governor
of Louisiana, made Biloxi his headquar-
tiers and died here. Here, too, lived and
died Henri de Tonti. 1.-The man of the iron
hand and the lion heart, who was with
La Sale when the Mississippi was dis
covered. and he died here also. Both these
intrepid explorers lie side by side in the
old burying ground.
But during her 21O years of existence
the town has made very little progress.
although today the main streets are lined
with substantial business blocks; there
are well-filled stores and good deal
of animation during business hours Like
Pass Christian. the permanent residents
rely upon summer and winter boarders
and the oyster beds in the Mississippi
sound for a living. The number of Wis
itors would be larger II there were better
hotels. because, excepting two small COM
has been only one in the town for gener-
atoms. and that is very Anticipated. There
is a sanitarium on the beach, which has
been patronized by invalids and conva-
lescents. sent here from both the north
and south to breathe the soft, sweet. heal
Ing air. That has been turned into a
hotel recently. and will be enlarged dur
ing the coming summer by the addition
of $50 rooms. fitted up with all modern
luxuries and conveniences. The boarding
houses are innumerable. and they are
filled with people from the north In the
winter and people from the south in
the summer, while four miles and a half
of beautiful cottages and bungalows along
the beach, like those at Pass Christian,
are owned by regular habitues. who have
been coming here year after year ever
since they can remember. The winter
patrons are well-to-dO farmers, merchants
and professional men from the smaner
cities Of the northern central states There
is a large Illinois colony, and several Chi
cago families spend the winter months
here. Cottages can be rented for almost
any price. from $40 month upward. and
the boarding houses charge from 81 a
week upward. There is no style here. no
attempt at display, no rivalry in dress or
Jewels. and the plain people" are mostly
in evidence.
Cottages for Over Four Miles.
The shell road. which runs twenty-five
miles along the beach. begins at Biloxi.
and for four miles and a half there is
continuous line of cottages and bunga
r,ia hot 1e