The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1911-12-18
(By H. A. CAMP, in the Chicago
Examiner.)

HattieSburg is the metropolis OF
South Mississippi, the most fertile
and productive three crop a year sec
ton of the new South. In appearance
Hattiesburg Is thriving Northern
community. 1t Ia a new city. being
less than fifteen years old and hay
ing an official population OF over H.
900.
1t is on the line of the Queen &
Crescent Railroad, the Gulf & Ship
Island Railroad, the Frisco, the Louis
vile & Nashville and the Mississippi
Central. The Queen & Crescent,
which is part OF the Southern Rail-
road system, leads directly to Cincin-
natl, Washington, New York and 9TH
err Eastern and Northern points. The
Gulf & Ship Island connects directly
with the Illinois Central at Jackson,
making a Neutrality-suspicious. ride from
Hattiesburg to Chicago and at the
same time giving an outlet to the
put vi hullDOll. / ne TlISCO anu lilG
Louisville & Nashville have but re-
Gently purchased the New Orleans,
Mobile & Chicago Railroad, which
brings them directly from all their
Northern connections through Hatties-
burg to the port of Mobile. The Mis-
sissppi Central, which will soon ex-
tend its lines from Hattiesburg to
Pascagoula thus adding another gulf
port, for Hattiesburg already connects
at Natchez with the Missouri Pacific
and other leading railroads running
West and North These five railroads
make Hattiesburg the natural dis
tributing point for South Mississippi
leading to all parts of the country and
to all ports on the gulf.
Prosperity In Every Business.
The prosperity of the community is
business. There are six first-class
department stores in which the prices
prevailing are the same as those in
any Northern city with many times
the population There are a large
number of specially stores in all lines
and two of the largest wholesale and
retail hardware stores, handling all
sorts of farming implements, fencing
and everything that can be bought in
such an institution anywhere can be
had here at the prices prevailing
through the North.
For farmers who come from the
North these dealers have guaranteed
to sell all sorts of farming imple-
ments. including wagons and wire
fencing, or whatever farmers need, at
the wholesale price with the freight
added. Since their goods are shipped
from the manufacturers several car
loads at a time the freight on what
one farmer will buy is not a very
large consideration.
There are no finer residences in any
part of the country than those of Hat
tiesburg. Two of these residences
are now in course of construction,
costing the owners about $4,000 each,
in addition to the value of the land.
The banks are the thermometer OF
the wealth and progress of a COM
munity. Hattiesburg has three splen-
did institutions OF this sort. The
First National Bank of Commerce is
the largest national bank in the State
of Mississippi, having two millions OF
deposits. The Hattiesburg Trust &
Banking Company and the Citizens
Bank divide about equally another
million of deposits. In addition to the
usual banking facilities, the Hatties'
burg Trust Company is one of the
strongest trust companies in the South
and is authorized under its charter to
transact all sorts of trust company
business. The Citizens Bank is a
very strong state institution.
Banks Growth Is Rapid.
Ten years ago the First-National
Bank of Commerce had a deposit OF
100000. Today, as already stated
its deposits reach two millions. The
other two banks within the past yeal
have nearly doubled their deposit &C
counts. Demonstrating his faith il
the development and future growth o.
Hattiesburg and the country surround
ing. Henry L. Doherty a short while
ago became the purchaser of the Hat
tiesburg Traction Company, which in
cludes not only the. street railways
but the electric light and gas plants
He Immediately began the investment
of $250,OOO, which he is now spending
in the development and extension o
the properties. The Doherty Com
pany already owns and operates thir