The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-11-14
ADDRESS OF WELCOME.
~ c. c. Hinhtower, 3. s.. NJ r
Hattiesburg, Miss.

tlemen:
Through some mysterious impulse
of the Committee on Arrangements.
was asked about three weeks ago to
deliver the address of welcome to this
distinguished assemblage. have
spent every minute, day and night,
since that time preparing the address,
becoming more shaky all the time, as
many shining lights who were to be
here, until the climax has been reach |
ed while sitting here before You. in a
state of tremulousness and fright in
describable.
You have left your homes. your
cares and your lucrative practice to
attend the fifth annual meeting of the
Association. in Hattiesburg-a more |
healthful place not being on the map, |
as each Hattiesburg physician will
testify.
It is easy to imagine how many Of |
you, who live far away, closed the |
door in the face of a hundred or more
patients, sneaked out of the back
door, took a near cut to the station
and finally secured a comfortable seat
in the smoking car. AS the smoke
curled up in the car. and train rambl-
ed on, your minds rested after the
weary days work and began to wand
er upon things past, present and flu
ture. Your peaceful meditation was
soon interrupted by the conductor
calling for your ticket. It read to
Hattiesburg. Hattiesburg! Where
in the world have | heard of that
place? Probably the only time you
had heard the name before was last
year, when our former President, DIR.
Crawford. mentioned it in Nashville.
You may have used a map to see eX-
actlv where you were going. for fear
You would get lost in these MISSISSIPPI
pi swamps. You found out all right. if
T. you had real late map, and after a
, more or less weary journey you are
) here. We welcome you into our
| midst. and may you never regret your
visit
f Now sight is more convincing than
/. words, so it is unhecoming of the
. speaker to take up your time telling
e you of the magnificence and grandurt
e OF Hattiesburg; but just a few words
/, If you find what he says is not true
o please organize a secret caucus, o.
s something of the kind, or have tria
y at Yazoo City, and proclaim hin
d guiltless.
J. The reason you would have to us
T. real late map to find Hattiesburg /
6 because she is so young. No ma
,r over twenty-five years of age wa
a. born in Hattiesburg. Ten years ag
p her population was four thousand an
Il. her assessments less than a million
10 today her population is fifteen thou
and and her assessments more tina
;. eight millions. Just out of her teen
- she is modest, vigorous, and beaut
= full in all her newness rapidly b
=, coming welded to everlasting pro
perity. She is bounded on the mort
~ east. south and west by neither ri
ged mountains nor barren plains, b
gentle, green-colored slopes and de
ne farming lands spread in every dire
I'D ton. She is watered by many cry
se tai streams, which abound in fish al
ed furnish moisture to the roots of t
b majestic magnolia upon their banl
er- One of these streams, let me say
pc passing, is destined soon to becor
.le- waterway to the Gulf, in which W
mt, plow the heavy laden steamboats,,
ng scare the squirrel, the wild turk
at and the deer from it's banks to Sc
hui another watering place.
es- A few feet below this favored sp
be which dear old Captain Hardy sa
m "let us call Hattiesburg," may be t
We ned a stream which belches forth
cry pure. crystal, life-giving water, for
be ing fountain which flows on forev
m Our skies are almost continue
lis blue. yet a drouth is seldom know
on. All seasons are delightfully."- agreeaf
the The winter is not too cold nor
md summer too hot. The refreshl
asst breezes sweep by through the wal
'ull bright rays of the sun while we
we about our work and play, re1oic
of that we live in such a favored land
ok Her people, true to their envir
led ment, are warm and hospitable. Mi
les up your minds to be received W
TIL open arms-with a few exceptions,