The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1913-03-14

iCStCu lCIIltUIyy duu uut VI lIiS
clutch Of a drastic but needed U. s..
quarantine law. This was an area
fully three times as large as the
entire state Of Mississippi. The
work was done at an expense II,
\ Uncle Sam Of fully one million rounl
4 dollars.
Upon this area there lived the
owners of the lands cleared Of ticks,
and Of fully 4,44O,OO0 head Of
horned cattle which were completely
cleared Of cattle ticks. Ard now
these very cattle began at once to
improve in health and strength, and
by their growth in size and weight,
BY putting on Of flesh, by their
better appearance, by their better
demand in market, by their freedom
from quarantine, and by their higher
price these very cattle rose in value
from S58, 8,119, 600 to $50, OBS, ,72O. or
a clear net gain to the cattle owners
from the cattle alone Of $21 1865, $50;
or more than a Kings ransom or
more than twenty times the cost of
complete tick eradication.
But. in addition to the cattle
cleared Of ticks and immensely
increased in value, it must be
remembered that the 100, 900, 900
acres were by the fact of being
freed from the cattle nuisance greatly
increased in value. Even as much
as three to five dollars per acre. But
three to five dollars enhancement in
the value Of land for 100000, 900
acres is an enhancement of from
$500, 900, 900 to $500, coo, 900. Can
the story be true' Well, let us be
most modest. Let US agree that the
enhancement in value was only one
dollar per acre, as result Of tick
eradication. This is away within
the truth. But let il pass. Still,
Mr.. Editor, an advance in value of
only one dollar per acre would be on
100, 10000 acres exactly 500, 900,
900. Or more than dozen Kings
ransoms. But all this has come also
to the cattle owners, and Uncle Sam
paid out tone million dollars to obtain
it. To ask the question after such
results Does tick eradication pay'"
verges on close to arrant abstlrdity.
Yes tick eradication has paid and
paid enormously. 1t will as surely
pay in Jackson County Mississippi.
Now the price Of land in Jackson
County, and in every county in
Mississippi, is now most wretchedly
and most ridculously low. They
are not today one fifth the cash
value that lands are worth no better
in quality in Ohio, or Kentucky, or
Illinois or Missouri. The mere
present cause is the prevalence of
the cattle ticks, and the almost ruin
of the cattle industry.
Jackson County needs today a
great increase Of its live stock of all
kinds, and vastly better breeds, of
horses, of mules, of cattle, and of
sheepand swine. The county needs
herds of giant Short-horns, Holsteins
of fat and sleek Polled Angus, of
white faced Herefords, of blooded
and valuable Jerseys and Guernseys
to take the place and forever displace
the runtS and stunts dwarfed tick
Infected scrubs which now OCCUPY
and disg ace the farms and pastures
of Jackson County. Now all the
above good things Jackson County
can have if her people only will. and
will hard enough, and will altogether.
Jackson County wants better cat
file, and live stock of all kinds. She
wants better roads, and better busi-
ness, better schools, better houses,
better homes. She can have them
all if her people will. Lands, and
all kinds Of property, will rise with
demand. A great prosperity is sure
to come if the people will only let it.
The great Panama Canal is about
to open wide its gigantic gates to the
commerce of the whole world. 1t is
the greatest material work of man.
1t has cost Uncle Sam already about
$500, 900, 900. 1t will spread wave
of prosperity over all the Gulf States.
Jackson County is in the very CEN
ter of this region to be SO greatly
blessed. Let Jackson County arise
and join the glad procession. But
this great prosperity will not come