Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 158, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 July 1917 — The Mississippi Side of It. [ARTICLE]

The Mississippi Side of It.

The citizens of Hattiesburg look at |he selection of their city in a different light than Senator Watson, as the following editorial from the Hattiesburg News will show: “This cantonment matter is such a big thing, we will have to take several tries at it. Most of us no doubt have been looking at it through narrow glasses; with lenses that converge td one center —the city of Hattiesburg. But it is a sight bigger thing than that. It, i§ as big a thing for South Mississippi as it is for Hattiesburg. IB will give to all this section of the state that most needed of all things—wide publicity. “There is a great prejudice against Mississippi. Not a mean prejudice, but a mistaken prejudice. General Wood, traveled and able and fair man that he is, was prejudiced against this section before he came to see it. He said so. He thought the land was low and flat and swampy; that the air fairly buzzed with the song of the pesky mosquito. He had no thought of locating a camp anywhere near here when he came. But he saw, and was conquered; and like wise men often do, he changed his mind, and like a brave man, he made the amende honorable by putting Hattiesburg on the map. “Now if General Wood could be so mistaken, we can readily understand how “the common herd” could, be mistaken, and how that general mistake should grow into a prejudice hurtful to this part of the state. “The boys whb will be leaving Kentucky and Indiana soon, and their parents are doubtless imbued with that same mistake. They think they are coming into a swarm of mosquitoes and a malaria-ridden district; a low, level, swampy country. They will be agreeably surprised when they get here. When they get out to Camp Crawford, and pitch their tents on an elevation that will give thehi a view as beautiful as any they have ever seen outside the matchless blue grass region of old Kentucky; and when they meet a breeze, an almost constant, steady breeze from the Gulf to fan their cheeks; and drink the purest, clearest water they ever tasted in their lives, from flowing artesian wells, they will write back home a new and almost unbelievable story to their fond and anxious parents, and the stories they tell will find their way into the newspapers, and thousands and tens of thousands of people wilt have their eyes opened as tO what South Mississippi actually it.

“And they will come and see and be conquered, just as General Wood was. And they will find our people as hospitable as our climate is inviting. And the smell of the pine forest mixed with that of the magnolia, will be sweet to -them. And they will find as many satsuma oranges growing here as there are apples in Indiana, and every little way they may rest themselves under the enveloping shade of a soft-shell pecan tree. “We have been trying to tell the world this these many years, but they thought we had land to sell or something to boost, and they would not listen. But they know their own sons have nothing to sell, and when the message tomes back home from them, all of Kentucky and Indiana

and the Middle West will sit up and take notice; and the next thing you know some of them will be coming down here to see for themselves; and when they come they will stay and live among us and help to develop this section of great resources; because we sure have got the goods. “Think of the publicity thirty thousand letters a week will give to this section. Think of the amount of prejudice and misinformation their plain unvarnished tales will dispel. “That’s just one of the things this cantonment means and one of the things it will do for all of South Mississippi. And Hattiesburg is glad that its effect and good results will reach out so far; because, even from a selfish standpoint, whatever helps South Mississippi helps Hattiesburg. “Come on boys, lots of Kentuckians and not a few Indianians already down here, and a hearty, royal, southern welcome awaits you.”