The Hattiesburg news., 1916-12-06


vanished statement of our real con.
ditions, industrially and agriculturally
speaking, here in Southeast Missis.
sippi.
My attitude in this particular has
been acknowledged as one founded
upon sound logic, by the experiences
of other sections, where the men of
acknowledged ability have been en-
ployed to bring in settlers for vast
areas uninhabited. 1t is not saving
too much that the folly Of following
other methods, in the earnest eager.
ness Of lines sparsely settled, in bring.
ing in people has had much to do with
the unprecedented mileage of rail-
roads going into the hands of receiv.
ers within the last couple of years.
And this is said with no intention Of
undue criticism.
When we speak of Southeast Mis-.
sissippi, we allude to the great long
leaf yellow pine belt of Mississippi
1t is hard to write about such a great
section as this, because for one. rea-
son it is hard to work ones self into
the belieg that there are any persons
in the Union that you could tell any
thing about such wondrous section.
-
that they didn't already know. Of
course, everyone knows that this sec
tion under discussion, primarily is
one teeming with sawmills and pro-
ducing the largest percentage of the
worlds long-leaf yellow pine-the tim
Der that the world demands. 1t is do
ing this still with it's large sawmills,
and with the largest standing area OF
long-leaf yellow pine of any state in
the Union-estimate at Z S5 years
cutting.
Within the past is years this sec.
tion has first come into the notice of
people interested in other than the
sawmill industry. During the past
20 years no section with similar area
has come anywhere near the one un.
der discussion, in point of building the
same railroad mileage. Other sections
with similar proportion Of population
to the square mile may boast of a
greater percentage of immigration,
but none can compare with an equally
steady growth of both successful set
tiers and newly-estabiished enterprises
as is really the case in this circum.
scribed area.
AS has already been mentioned,
there are sections, in these United
States, similarly sparsely settled. that
have enjoyed more rapid influx of
new population for time, but without
exception, such sections are now ad-
mitting that they are reaping the re-
suit of their sowing.
Despite the fact that we still enjoy
the undisputed credit of saving and
shipping the greatest quantity of pine
timber In any area of similar extent
in the world, the government statis-
tics rightfully accredit us with grow
ing more cotton per acre than the
world-famed and fertile Delta. For
three years Jones county has enjoyed
the distinction of possessing the boy
who has produced the record yield of
corn for the United States, and every
other variety of farm products yields
here to the extent of casting just envy
in the eyes of other and older estab-
lished agricultural sections.
It would be impossible to detail the
industrial and agricultural develop
ment of this section. feel that in
keeping with our past record of seem
ing to give publicity to real facts and
figures few scattering cases Of our
developments will suffice.
1t has long been admitted that there
is no well-defned dividing line between
industrial and agricultural develop
ment. Ours is peculiarly an agricul-
tural state, SS per cent Of our popula-
tion being engaged in pursuits of an
agricultural nature.
Land as Wealth Producer.
Our greatest problem has been one
Of converting the "cut-over" lands Of
this section into wealth-ppoducing
homes for the agriculturist. We have
been doing this, and in this line of
work lies our greatest development.
@To be specific, P. M keller, Of Mo-
selle, has been a pioneer in this line
OF work. He began opening up his
cut-over holdings, being sawmill
man, during the. panic Of 1907, and
in this work he furnished employment
for his labor that efhbled them to
tide over hard period, while many
other mill men were letting their la
Dor drift about the country and fur
nish Improbable tonnage for the
numerous empty cars, floating home
ward at that time, and as result he
has today the most extensive indiyid
ual unit Of thoroughly developed cut
o,ya,. lands in South Mississinni If moi