The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1915-10-06
fcause of the Florida resorts of Nation.
al reputation.
To Attract Tourists.


Atlanta is, and we can rest assured
that Atlanta will do all in her power
TO divert tourists her way; so that
the establishment of the road through
Alabama would divert tourists from
New Orleans rather than attract them
to 1t, and that would work against the
ambition that belongs to all of us to
make New Orleans the winter capital
of America. ~
Now suppose the road runs through
Mississippi and follows the original
trail, as we want it to run. New Or.
leans vii be the one great city to
which these tourists will be attracted.
Still leaving Nashville it will be prac.
tically impossible for them to turn off
he great road we propose to build,
and go somewhere else. 1t will make
New Orleans the objective point of all
the automobiles which come South;
SO that from every standpoint-histori.
cal, sentimental and commercial-the
original trail is the only logical tran
for New Orleans to favor"
Mr.. Foote was followed by H. c.
Yawn, of Lumberton, who delivered
an eloquent appeal for the historic
train.
This is the way the people of the
country will want to come. They will
want to come through the mountains;
they will want to see the cotton fields:
they will want to travel through the
piney woods; they will want to follow
Jacksons path, the original trail is the
only trail that ought to be considered"
he declared.
Following Mr.. Foote'S address, Wal
ter Parker, Secretary of the New Or
leans Association of Commerce, was
called on. Mr.. Parker explained that
he could not, of course, commit the
association as favoring either route,
but declared that he was convinced be-
yond a doubt that the original route
was the only feasible route to be Sc.
lected.
James M. Thompson, publisher of
the New Orleans Item, followed Mr..
Parker.
Il didn't come here to declare my
self in favor of either route" said Mr..
Thompson, "but l do want a road, and
1t is evident to me that Mississippi is
ready to build the road. l am graft
ned at the great interest you have
manifest; l appreciate the progressive
spirit of Mississippi. l have travelled
along the route you men come from
often and l know that you are really
energetic, and l am just about per-
suaded to favor the Mississippi route.
1t seems to me from a commercial
standpoint that it is certainly the log
ical route.'
Harry Howard, vice president of the
Whitney-Central National Bank and
one of the New Orleans leading CAPT.
talists, was the next speaker and much
to the surprise of the assembly, came
out squarely in favor of the Missis-
sippi route. Mr.. Howerd owns large
interests in Biloxi and along the Mis-.
sissippi coast, but he said that al
though from personal standpoint he
would like to see the road pass
through his home town, re realized
that no road along the coast is a prac-
tical proposition and that he was in
favor of following the original trail.
P. M. Miner, president of the Lou
isiana Good Roads Association and
member of the executive committee of
the Jackson Highway Association, told
the delegates he could not be expected
to even form an opinion until the full
report from both routes was heard, |
but that he appreciated the interest
the Mississippians have showed in the
project.
The other two members of the Lou. |
isiana executive committee who were
present were Crawford H. Ellis and T. |
c. Campbell. The late Joseph Schwartz |
was the fourth member of the commit.
tee.
Among the Mississippians present J
at the meeting we're: FRANC G. Wis
ner, P. A. Rogers. H. N. Rogers, T.
M. Yates, Laurel; Cliff c. Williams, E.
s. Bostick. Walter Breach, Thomas
Lyle, Sam Meyer, Edward Kimbrough,
M. r. Adams and l.. Threefoot, Merid-
ian; M. G. McNair, Lauderdale; Elliot
Yates. Macon; w. H. Patton, Shubuta;
J. w. Wilson, Quitman; James Hand,
Purvis; R. w. Hinton, A. s. Hinton, /
Lumberton, and w. c. Bennett, Pur-
Wis.
Before adjourning the MISSISSIPPI.
plans by a rising vote thanked the
Louisiana delegation for its cordial re.
ception and patient hearing of their