The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-08-02
Letters to the Editor
Outing on Gulf Coast

To the Editor of The Age-Heraid:
 recent vacation spent at Mlssissippi City. on the gulf coast, prompts me to tell of nv observations and experiences for the benefit of your readers. And ,;,o Walter Harper the condition of the farmer along the route always ap- appeals to me, and right here wish to say that the famous 'Black Belt must look to it's laurels, or South Alabama and South Mississippi will soon rob 1t Of it's glory as the best farming section of the south.
 Tn the "Black Belt" the negro, and the constant planting of cottons have to great extent destroyed the productive ness of the soil, while diversified farm ing and white labor are rapidly bringing the fiat, cut-over pine lands of the coast counties to the front as an ideal farm ing section.
 From Brewton, Ala, southward, the land is almost perfectly level, ana me crops of corn, sugar cane, potatoes anu some cotton were to be seen. But mil- lions of acres of fine land is still wait inc for development But I will have
 
 letter.
 We left the train at the famous seq shore camp grounds, and we were warri- ly greeted by a large number Of hungry mosquitoes. How any one can possipiy stay under that pavilion with all that host of mosquitoes seeking for gore, l cannot understand They do not buzz Tn ctril- instantly and get right down to business Old residents told me that the southwest wind blew them over from the Louisiana marshes and a strong southwest wind was pioW- inc at the time of our arrival. However, the wind changed after two days and the mosouitoes troubled us no more.
 We took the electric car at camp ground, and for seven miles we rode along as pretty stretch of beach as any one could wish to see. This car line IS 20 miles long, connecting the towns or Biloxi, Camp Ground, Beauvoir, Mlssis- sippi City, Gulfport, Long Beach ana Pass Christian. It runs along the sandy beach the entire distance. and is one Of the best equipped car lines in the south'
 The fare is 21a cents per mile-reg- ular railroad rates, except at night when you can get round trip ticket TOT 9 cents good the entire length of the line. More cars are run at night than in the day time, as the company finds 1t pays to offer inducements to people to take a pleasure ride at night Our local company might profit by their example.
 Many hotels, boaNiing houses and fine residences line the beach from Biloxi to Pass Christian and many visitors are always in evidence. Motor boats and sail boats are in constant demand, and the owners reap a rich harvest from the peo- ple who want to go on a fishing trip. My own experience fishing was not such as to encourage any one to spend too much time at the sport. I caught three sting rays. two shovel nose sharks, four man. eating sharks and a number of other un- desirables from the great deep. Our best success was with least net.' when large numbers of mulet were taken, few trout, sheepshead. and founders, also. ''Floundering' is a favorite5 pastime when the tide goes out in the early part of the night The founder fans out a little hole in the sandy bottom, con ceals himself in it and waits for his prey. The "flounderer' with wire basket hung on A pole and blazing torch in the basket marches along in the shallow re- cedng water, holding the torch near the water, and when he sees the little "hole" in the sand he thrusts a spear in and if the fish happens to be of con- siderable size, quite a lot of "floundering" takes place. Many hundreds of lights can be seen along the beach when the tide is right. saw many ladies "wad- ing about looking for the festive floun- der
 practically everybody on the coast owns a least net" This is an umbrella shaped affair about eight feet in diameter with lead all around the outer edges and large cord fastened in the middle. The fisherman finds 'school'' of mullet, gives the net delft throw, and all the fish caught under the net are his meat" My brother, T. Brady, of Mississippi City, recently caught IA mullet at one ''throw;' at another time 296 at three throws The least net Is usually used for mullet,