The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1944-08-04
Letters To The
Editor

IChronicle-Star and Advertiser,
Dear Sir:
When l see the immense posi-
bilities of Pascagoula and see the
seeming passiveness with which
the people of Pascagoula and
jackson county look upon these
Xthings, | am persuaded that we
are all like other people who
Ihave a superabundance OF things.
IT looks like a universal habit,
that when people have a super
abundance of anything. there is
a lack of appreciation of its
value" 1t was said when the
world famous diamond mines of
Africa were discovered that the
discoveries found natives using
diamonds for weights in their
sling shots. Someone reports See
ing natives using silver for tires
on carriage wheels. How much
of this is true / am unable to
say. But one thing / do know,
once the land from here to an
east-west line near Jackson was
covered with a wealth of the fin
est long leaf yellow pine tim
Der to be found anywhere. We
did not have any appreciation of
its value. We sold it for a song.
I have looked into the possibili-
ties of every Gulf Coast city
from Lake Charles to Tampa. |
see a greater future for Pasca-
goula than any other Gulf Coast
city, Your harbor, dock and
factory-site facilities are far
above hat of any other coast
city. You have water facilities
far better than can be found any
where else. You are nearer deep
water than any other coastal
city except Pensacola; then you
have a self-cleaning current
with no counter cross-current.
Once a channel is established ii
would require a very nominal
maintenance. You are protected
from tropical storms by a reef
of islands. You have an inner
barber sufficient for a large fleet.
You have ample room for five
miles of double docks. If these
channels and revetments had to
be constructed mechanically it
would cost between II and 10
billion dollars: In other words,
God has placed at your disposal
and for the benefit of the world
at least is billion dollars worth
of the finest port and harbor ia
cilities to be found anywhere on
the whole Gulf Coast. The dia-
monds, as long as they were I'M
cut, and unpublished we're just plain
rocks in value. The oil beneath
the surface, unrefined, is worth
less so far as commercial values
r concerned. The standing
timber had to be cut, dried and
dressed before it blessed the
world. So these natural facilities
must be developed. Channel
deepened and widened, dock
and warehouses built in order
for them to bring success to this
section and carry the blessings
of our produce to the world.
There are many things that
can and must be done if Pasca-
goula and this area is ever to as
sumo its rightful place as a
southern metropolis. These can
be done.
There is no reason why Pas
ragoula should not have a reha-
Utilization center second to none.
We all know that there will be
thousands of our boys come back
with wounds that will unfit them
for their former jobs. Many of
them. who are not wounded,
will be unwilling to 60 back to
their foPner line of work. They
must be rehabilitated to such an
extent that they can take their
fightful place in a worldwide
program with dignity.
We need more factories, hotels,
etc, many things that we need
are in our reach if we will only
take advantage of our opportuni-
ties now and be ready for a post
war program.
! It was a wise man who coined
the phrase "the gods help those
who help themselves"
Next week: Some startling
facts about our advantages, over
other places as a port and harbor.
"Uncle Henry"