Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 February 1902 — FROM MISSISSIPPI. [ARTICLE]

FROM MISSISSIPPI.

Crystal Springs, Miss., Jan. 23. Editor Democrat:— Thinking perhaps a few lines from the sunny south would be interesting to some of the readers of the The Democrat, I will jot down some of the things we see and hear down here. Wo arrived at Jackson, Miss., on the 10th inst. and from there took a trip down the Gulf <fc Ship Island Railroad to Mt. Olive, Miss., a distance from Jackson of about fifty miles. This is a new road and the stations along the line are new, and are mainly noted for the production of fat pine lumber. Mt. Olive has more new buildings than any town of its size I ever saw’, in fact it is all new, and for the most part yet unpainted. Here the Mt. Olive Planing Mill Co., has an extensive plant. My eldest son being bookeeper and secretary in this plant, I had an opportunity of seeing the plant work by day and by night. The plant is lighted by nearly a hundred electric lights, and presents a busy appearance. Millions of feet of pine lumber is dressed up here and shipped to parts north and west. We took a drive down through the piney woods, passing many saw mills which have side- 1 tracks along the G. & S. I. Ry., for loading lumber, much of which goes to the Mt. Olive planing mill to be finished. Business is dope at these stations for all the conntry extending from twenty to thirty miles on each side, as they do not have railroads every few 7 miles as we do. I found Mr. Lacy, the president of the planing mill company at Mt Olive, a thorough business man and a hustler but who unfortunately on account of sickness of his wife, was absent at New Orleans most of the time of our visit Truly, along the line of the Gulf Ship Island Road there is a busy air while the timber lasts at least, and I predict a bright future along this line in I the way of agriculture after the ; piney woods have succumbed to j the woodman’s blade, and any one contemplating locating in this clime I would say look over this region and see the prospects for the future of this. From Mt. Olive we went back to Jackson, thence down the Illi- j nois Central to Crystal Springs, j This comes as near being the gar- ! den spot of the United States as i any place I have ever been. There j are thousands of acres planted yearly to vegetables. A drive today over many miles of country around this beautiful little city, showed us that the spring work had already begun in earnest. Plows are going in all directions, and cold frames have the plants 1 which are most hardy, large enough to transplant; tons of fertilizer are already scattered over the fields and it is not unusual, I am told, that as high as twenty or thirty dollars worth of these fertilizers are put upon each acre. Then the land is expected to produce two full crops in one season, first a crop of vegetables, then a crop of cotton. At this place the ilepot and vegetable sheds roach an entire block, and the cotton and cotton seed warehouse across another block, and the ice houses another half block. This will give an idea of the business done at this place. R. W. Biggs, formerly from Jasper county, is agent here. The weather since we have been south has been fine- no nicer if it had been made to order. Part cool and bracing; a few nights just below freezing point; the days bright and clear. If we could combine Jasper couuty soil with Mississippi climate wo would truly have a paradise. The next place we expect to visit is Brookhaven, a city of 5,000 where we will visit for a short time with our youngest son, who is the agent at that place. The legislature of Mississippi is now i in session at Jackson and I understand the Governor has recommended state prohibition. Truly this is commendable and I hope it tnny have no opposition, yet I suppose it will. I long to see the day when every law upon our statutes, all over this fair land. I north and south, shall mean a * protection to our homes, a joy to every heart, clean and righteous, and prohibition is a great step in • this direction. Hoping that our northland may be spared a cold, blustering winter and that all may be thankful for ; every good gift, we are Yours obediently, Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Helmick.