The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-05-28
PLAN EVOLVED BY
CAPTAIN ]. 7. JONES
Louisiana Metropolis Is Aroused Over
Probable interference With The
Shipping Which Has Passed
Through That Port.

SDeCtQt 70 IHe NetOSs
New Orleans, May 2S.-"A through
line of steamers to Bremen, Antwerp,
Rotterdam, the Hague and Hamburg,
from Gulfport, Miss, will be inau-
gurated early in September, and the
information that New Orleans is to
have another competitor in the for
eign shipping trade caused something
of stir yesterday in local steamship
circles, where the matter was gener-
ally discussed.
Not only will regular steamers run
to the great European seaports from
Gulfport, but Mobile will also be in
cluded as a second home to Gulfport for
the vessels, and the whole project has
been evolved and set on foot by J. T.
Jones, the we'll known Mississippi
capitalist.
Captain Jones is head of the plan,
but he has other men of means, both
| of Mississippi and Mobile, interested
with him, and they expect to make the
venture a success from the start, and
take much of the trade now enjoyed
by the big lines out of New Orleans
at was stated yesterday in local
steamship circles that the Jones Com
pany would offer the same rates on
through bills from Chicago and Mem
( phis to Hamburg and the other North
European ports as now obtain from
New Orleans to the important con
tinental cities, and hope by this
means to early cut in on the business
enjoyed by the ocean lines running tc
this port.
"The company does not intend fol
the present to purchase ships or built
new vessels, but is now negotiating tt
charter a number of ocean carriers
The first ship will be chartered today
under an agreement which will pu
her in Gulfport ready to make her in
itial voyage in the new service earl!
in September. Other ships will b.
chartered speedily, and the compan!
intends to start operations with
large enough fleet to make regula
sailings between Gulfport and Mobil
and the continental ports, and t.
handle all the business that can b.
obtained.
"The promoters have been working
on the project for some time, but hav
kept their operations very secret
) They have made frequent visits t
New Orleans looking over the situs
ton, and the facts of the arrangement
having become known served as tn
principal topic of discussion in all tn
ship offices around the Cotton E7
change yesterday.
"While local steamship agents, e'
pecially those whose ships reach th
ports that the new line will ente
were much interested in the JON
proposition, few were of the opi41o
that Gulfport could ever successful
compete with New Orleans. In a
first place Gulfport's harbor has p
twenty-five feet of water at the poQ
and vessels of only medium tooN9<
are able to land at her docks ~ 4
ceive and discharge freight. pI
of larger draft than this lie afs9l
some distance out in the guf md 7
ceive their freight by lighter1 q
d ers for such distance, hovex9Es =
+ neither a speedy nor cheap rS{9ns
Il ment.
e "The Jones Company, with ~ ne
It line, hopes to get the bul q ~ MI
> sissippi cotton crop, and much q Il
4 cotton crop of the neighhoE1nG Stat
o that at present goe1 EURO
4 through either New or
vannah. If the PIG pves