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00143
■oiLrrxi hfsc^ie^b as. to -opuia.ti.on, AGRICULTURE, ^-IIPPINj, RESORT,
SEAFOOD CANNING
(l§8g~- l88k~J
Source:	^ajor	V.	T.	Walthall	staying	at	Beauvoir	to	assist
Jefferson Davis in the writing of his memoirs reportedly published in "Biloxi Herald" of Oct. 10, 1885
According to the census of 1830, Biloxi contained l&O inhabitants. This was the permanent or winter population, which is aoubled or more than dout^gdgyk,j^^^	Since	1880 it has fcuch increased, and may
now be fairly estimated at 1.800 or flOOO...
One of the first questions that may occur to the mind of an observant stranger, visiting the place for the first time, is "how do these peoole make a living ?" It is a question not hard to answer, but is generally evaded by saying that they live upon each other.
There is no	to	anY	appreciable	extent
in the surrounding country, and the Bg^-Bav, o^gr which ^her^Ls no*» b&idge and only ong—costly ferry, cuts off communication with the interior.
On the other hand, while there are no saw mills on the oeninsular itself, there are several very large ones in the vicinity of Handsboro, situated at the head of the Bay abou^fi^Te^nTTeT^rsTant.	rocfiTcts
of these mil1s furnishes a laifglPvolUTre of water-borne commerce, all of which is transported through the Back Bay and passes, Biloxi both in the rear and in the front., A conslderr )f schooners, barges, and several tug boats, owned and operated by residents of BiToxi are engaged in this traffic.
Also, Ship ^gland is the only deep water harbor between Pensacola and New Orleans and^many ships come there to load lumber for foreign ports/ciioxi, being the nearest town to Ship Island, is the headquarters for that port, as well as a supply point for the ships w ft" n fli e^t^sTilTfngr e v e n u e derived therefrom.
visTTors, are another source of revenue.
There is also a large trade at certain seasons in fish—which are chiefly shipped to New Orleans—and other products of Ui§—S"&a.
(But the main cause of the increasing population and activity durin the last few years is no doubt to be found in the CANNING INDUSTRY that £ias sprung up.