Mississippi Rails

The Edward Hines interests of Chicago bought the sawmill plant of the Hinton Brothers Lumber Company, at Lumberton, Lamar County, on November 6, 1917. The purchase also included the entire logging equipment (3 rod locomotives, 1 scrap locomotive, 2 steam loaders, 1 steam skidder, log cars, camp cars, etc.). Originally the Hines operation was known as the "Edward Hines Yellow Pine Company," but the name was changed to "Edward Hines Yellow Pine Trustees" on January 1, 1918. In 1929 the mill at Lumberton cut out and the company moved to Seneca, Oregon.

The Hines sawmills at Lumberton and Kiln were originally served by two short logging railroads, one running south from Lumberton and the other running north from Kiln, for a total of 11 miles.

On June 22, 1916 the Hines people signed a contract with the Gulf & Ship Island Railroad in which the G&SI agreed to build a railroad from its main line near Ten Mile, Mississippi, to a connection with the northern end of the Hines railroad, at Catahoula, Mississippi. The terminus on the G&SI was later changed to Hovey, Mississippi. The G&SI proceeded with construction until December 31, 1917, when its railroad was taken over by the United States Railroad Administration. The USRA then completed the line for a total length of 24.88 miles. Title to this track was transferred from the G&SI to the Hines Trustees on June 23, 1921.

Afterward the Hines company built about 25 miles of track to connect their Lumberton logging road with the line built by the G&SI, at Smith's Wye, thus completing the line from Lumberton to Kiln, a distance of about 52 miles. This line included 15.75 miles of railroad built by the G&SI.

The Hines railroad connected with the New Orleans & Northeastern and the Gulf & Ship Island at Lumberton, and with the logging railroad of the H. Weston Lumber Company at a point a short distance north of Kiln. The Weston logging road connected with the NO&NE at Picayune, Mississippi, and the Louisville & Nashville, at Ansley, Mississippi.

The railroad from Lumberton to Kiln was built primarily to serve the Hines' lumbering operations. After the line was completed the inhabitants of the adjacent area wanted it to become a common carrier so that freight could be hauled for the general public.

On July 6, 1922, the Mississippi Railroad Commission authorized the railroad from Lumberton to Kiln to be operated as a common carrier in intrastate commerce, under the name "Edward Hines Yellow Pine Trustees Railroad."

On July 12, 1922, the Hines company applied to the Intestate Commerce Commission for permission to operate its Lumberton to Kiln railroad in interstate commerce. Permission was granted on November 15, 1922. Afterward the railroad was operated under the trade name "Mississippi Southern Railroad" and throughout its existence was not incorporated.

On March 23, 1923 the Hines company filed an application with the ICC for permission to build an extension of the Mississippi Southern from its southern terminus at Kiln in a southeasterly direction to a connection with the L&N at Bay St. Louis, a distance of 9.97 miles. This extension was desired to obtain a southern connection with a major railroad. Estimated cost of construction was $246,964. Permission was granted by the ICC on May 23, 1923, with the condition that construction of the extension commence by January 1, 1924 and completion be reached by December 31, 1924. The extension was never built. On September 5, 1924 the Hines company applied to the ICC for permission to lease the line of the G&SI extending from Lumberton to Maxie, Mississippi, 16 miles. The lease, dated July 15, 1924, was for a period of 15 years and required the Hines people to maintain the line, to relay it with new 75-lb. rail and to reballast it.

Cost of rehabilitation was estimated at $220,000. Permission was granted by the ICC on December 3, 1924. This lease was the reason the southern extension was never built.

On August 19, 1929 the EHYPT applied to the ICC for permission to abandon the Mississippi Southern in its entirety as of September 1, 1930. The reason given was that the parent company's timber was almost exhausted and the sawmills at Lumberton and Kiln would soon close. Traffic from agriculture had not developed as expected and what little there was on the line was moved by trucks. Passenger traffic had dwindled to such an extent that passenger service was discontinued on April 1, 1929. The line had run in the red during 1925, 1927 and 1928. Permission was granted on December 20, 1929, with the provision that the Mississippi Southern provide service until September 1, 1930.