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that year. Even at that early date the population, thrift and public spirit, of the place were sufficiently great to insure a successful celebration. The programme on that occasion was full and inspiring, just such as proud American cities and towns delight to hold.
In this formative period of the town's history such men as Simon Farve, Wm. T Lenoir, Francis B. Lenoir, Gen. Geo.
H.	Nixon, Col. P. R. Pray, Issac Graves, Thomas Shields, Samuel White, John Parker, James Murphy, John B. Doby, F. Netto, G. Cassanova, Samuel Russ, Leonard Kimball, C. D. Larned and Willis H. Arnold were the leading spirits. They were men of great force of character, some of them were conspicuous figures in the history of Mississippi. Their names are held in the highest honor, and their descendants occupy proud and influential positions in business, social and religious circles.
At a latter day two men of mark figured in the life of the town, Capt. W. J. Poitevent and Col. J.F.H. Claiborne.
Capt. Poitevent was an enterprising and successful business man. He was the father of Captain John Poitevent, who is well known throughout all business circles as the president of the Poitevent & Farve Lumber Company, and president of the East Lousiana Railroad. He was also the father of the gifted Mrs. E. J. Nicholson.
Col. Claiborne was an author, scholar, and politician, who did valuable service to the coast section and to the state at large. His name is honored in the home of all intelligent Mississipians.
The business of the town at that early period Was widely different from that of the present time.
Pearlington was then a cotton market of considerable importance. It was raised to a small extent in the adjacent country and brought in wagons from a distance.
The principal cotton supply, however, was from the rich and large plantations on and near the Pearl river, more than 100 miles above. This trade was carried on by means of flatboats. The cotton was brought down the river to Pearlington, transferred to schooners and shipped across Lake Ponchartrain to New Orleans. The shipment for some seasons amounted to from 3000 to 5000 bales.	This brought
great prosperity to other lines of business.	A handsome
revenue was also derived from stock raising.	Immense
herds of cattle and flock of sheep were pastured at as nominal expense upon the wide stretches of pine forest, which were covered with the finest grasses. The construction of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad (now the Illinois Central) was the death blow to the cotton trade, for this road did the business that had previously come down Pearl river to Pearlington.
It, however, proved a blessing instead of a curse, for