The Osceola times., 1877-06-16
THHPRESSA SSASSOCIATION
DIfuh Annual scssiea 81
the ArkaNsas Press Asss-
cjatisn..Ferl kssailh,
Arkansas, June
Z, 1877.
AAdEssS Of the President 0rgani-
zat,0n Changes What We Have
DOnc--Immtgration, Agri-
culture, Education,
Etc, Etc.

---HOe---
After an abscrcc Of over two
weeks, dnring which business, plea
sure aud duty were 80 closely blend
ed, as TO render il difficult TO deter
m,ne whom the ono ended or the
other begun, VIC propose TO sketch
as briefly IA possible, tcw oi the
many places we viewed, and itoms
oi interest We CLEANED during our
Trip 10 the Arkansas PWss Convcn
ton which convened at Fort Smith
on tho 9th INST. Leaving Osceola,
Sunday morning, May tbs 9th,
wa boarded the popular Memphis
mud OSccoIa packet BelIo OF Oscco
ia, and ailcr pleasant and agroea-
BILE trip reached Memphis in due
time. Taking the tram for Colum
bus, KY, VIA Humbolt, Tenn, our
routo lay through q parched and
dusty section, rendering travel BY
rail intensely disagrceabIo; the
dy ing dust being o. dense as TO IN
terfcrc, very materially, with the
functions oi the respiratory organs.
TO nse The expression Of . fellow
passenger, Il was "supremcIy i'm
mcnsc." Reaching Columbus. the
Transfer boat soon put us. train
and all, over and across the river,
and once again wo were upon our
native anil. Alter u short delay at
Belmont for Supper, we arc again
ON the iron gir,led road. Many
places, To ns, full Of lively reminIs
GeDces, recalling the scenes OF '6i,2,
when u boy soldier, wo followed
tho fortunes Of the famous swamp
fox, Gcn'l JEFF. Thompson, were
Boted and recognized a. we thun-
dered along. We will not weary
our rradcps with narration oC The
many hurricd calls We made upon
friends and connections who live
in that part OF Missouri. but will
hasten on. Al Bismarck, tho june
tion OF ha 81. j.. l. u. 4 3 II. II.
wo took tho train for L.tle Rock,
where, ailcr an unavoidable delay
on tho way, Of three days, we ar
rived on The morning Of the 18th Of
Junc, the time appointed Tor tho
brethren Of the press-gaDg TO start
fur Fort Saith IN 0 body. W.
found them asscmblcd in considera
Bile force and almost ready 10 leave.
Hsnd-shaking. congratulations and
'smilcs cams up in their regular
osdcr unti tram t;Hse. AZ C:30 u
M, tho entire delegation, uEder
tho guidance OF that urbaDe. high
tonod and geRtDoma"'y Conductor,
Capt. Bpekaer, were soon eonIorta
bly, scatcd m tho palatiai cars Of
tho Fort Smith & Little Rock rall.
road. Our space will not admlt Of
a description Of the country and
tho many towns and villages thot
bave sprung up like magic all along
this ropte. Evidences OF thrift and
Improvement Are seen on every
hand in the way Of new houses,
new fenRss, psw farms, otc. All
along the route VIC wcrc rc-inforc-
ID BY members OF shc craft from the
various towns on and contiguous 10
this road, principal among which is
Conway, AorrilIion, Russoiv,llc,
Uardanello, ClarkOsville, Alma,
Oxark and Van Rurnn. At tho lat,
ter place. ihere was quito a turn,
put Of people 70 welcome the gang,
s~ong whom VIVA our worthy pres-
idont. Maj. Sparks. OF the Port
Saith HfSsd, who had como thus
tar 10 nsset and conduct us 10 Fort
Smith, where carriages wcrc IN
wssting for tho entire party. Pro-
cs'ied by tho Port Smith Comet
baad, We took our limo of marrh
through tho principal stSoets where
our rs~ption and weleoGe was
nost desnonstraiive, cordial and
Aip4iy. aud will leng be remember.
led ant lgessared as one Of the few
bright lflases ,h@t I,ghteS f,iscarcs
snd gladden. the hsart IOf iLe -
sgs Astspsas edit"r, aitrr wbi.,s 80 !.
were sspcrstsjy d!lsposS snd ,.. We
~ charge ~ 'J'e xsrm,e,,aed ~" ,.;..
cops ~fti,s city. 4siote sc,,o. p
ti.s i'reas As~oc'atiossnd ~. l.
~ NSia, " satjoin barr Of =" T.. = .