Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-09-13
FORT SMITH.
Health of the .Place--GOycrnA Alent
Property to be Soid-Tennesneans

Heaith OIL the sElAce--GOyorn ARenl
Property TO be SOld-Tennes.seans
in Arkansas.
To the Editors of the Union and American:
Fort SMITH, ARK, Aug. 81, IS71.-
l came over to this town FROM Van Buren,
day before yesterday, the distance by land
being only five miles, and by the river
about twelve. From representations
made to me concerning the health of For
Smith, had been induced to regard it a,
very sickly place; so much SO Uiat j
hesitsted whether to visit the town at all.
But having often heard of it, eyera from
my early boyhood, felt no little inclina-
ton to come and see for myself, notwith-
standing might, according to reports. be
shaking before l could get s.way. am.
however, agreeably disappo lnted. not only
in the size and sppearanc e of the town,
but also In regard to its health. find it
healthy place, the pb ysicians and drug.
gists tessityiDg to this effect. see old
gentlemen, who have. lived here for thirty
years, who are. IN fine health, and who
say they regard FrJrt Smith as a healthy
location, quite az, much so as any point
west of the Mississippi.
Inc place where Fort Smith stands was
settled in ! 521, and called Belle View. A
fort Was Iermanently established here, in
1857, ~ Gen. Bonneville, with the
seventh United States infantry, on what
is call ID the Government Reserve, and
namer Fort Smith. Ii was then on the
extrt me frontier, at the head of naviga-
tor on the Arkansas, and was for long
TINE an important post. In the same
fear the land adjoining the Reserve on the
( northeast was laid out as a town and
called Fort Smith also. At the close of
the late war the town had population of
1,7e0; now it claims to have 5, 600. On
every hand the signs of improvement may
be seen. There are now being erected
nst less than from eighty to one hundred
new buD Iings, some of them brick and
stone, tNo and three stories high.
There are seven railroads., on paper,
radiating from Fort Smith, placing the
city when they shall have been finished,
in connection with all the Mississippi
Valley and Texas, as well as the Atlantic
and Pacific States. The Government
property here, consisting of over three
hundred acres of land, lying southwest of
and between the city and river Poteau,
upon which Uncle Sam has spent hun
dreds of thousands of dollars in buildings,
stone walls, fences, quarters, stables,
etc., is soon to be disposed of, the garri-
son of Fort Smith having been discon-
tinued by act of Congress. A new court
house for Sebastian county is now being
erected in this city. 1t is to be built of
brick, two and q half stories high, and to
cost $75, 900.
Since ] came into this State, l have seen
a number of families, and heard of many
more, returning from Texas. They say
''eyery thing is burned up there" aud
that they were more or less sick, while in
the Lone Star State. l am told, that it is
no rare occurrence TO see here wagons
going to and from Texas a. the same
time. No country pleases every one. 1
find many Tennesseeans here, as every
where in Arkansas. Some of them are
well pleased, others not so. Generally,
however, they have located and deter
mined to stay here.
Lsnds in this (Sebsstian) county range
in prices from s. to $50 per acre. An
average price for improved lands through
out the county is about $12 per acre.
Would advise Tennesseeans wishing
TO move West TO come here9 Not until
they have come and looked at the country.
Distance lends enchantment to the view.
l never have found any country to be as
nice, on coming TO see it, as had i'm
agined it to be. Therefore, / would ad.
wise every man wishing to come out West,
to come and see and select, before NOV
ing bis family. There are certainly many
advantages here, over the other States, in
favor of the man of small means. He
can procure land much cheaper, and per-
haps on better terms. 1t is a new coun-
try, and the population is not so dense;
hence there is wider field for the ener-
getic, go ahead man. But, on the other
hand, he may, or may not be sick, ac-
cordiDg as he makes location, and takes
care of himself after he is located. Let
every one come and judge for himself.
OBSERVER.