Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-08-14
SMITHS SAY.
The Opinion Of Fort worsh'A Mayor Upon
Topics ofstats Interest.
specIel corresgondcnce Of the News.l

zeal, reckless and careful, enterprising
to fault, and possessed ofali the vim,
vitality and vanity 1t can safely carry.
1t is truly Western IN characteristics,
and might be mistaken AT any time for
a city of the better class In Colorado,
Nevada or California. The Fort Is the
rival of Dallas for the trade of North
Texas. and n lively scrimmage Is con-
tinually in progress between the two
towns. Dallas has the prestige of age
and imaginary respectability, while
Fort Worth has the vigor of youth,
an abiding confidence in her
self and Il Observation-Disclosures at
titude In regard to immaterial things.
Fort Worth lets on herself all the
time, and invariably calls the turn.
She has more downright pluck, go
aheadativeness and enterprise than
any city with the same number of
people In the United States. Three
years ago Fort Worth was u stra ggling
village on he'prairie, that occasional
ly gained notoriety from the wild
freaks of the cowboys, who quite fire.
quentIy run things to suit them
selves for period. But she had men
of brain. Drawn and enterprise in her
midst--men capable Of creating cities
and states and ruling them, and able
to carve out a fortune for themselves
while they benefited the community
The present chief magistrate of Fort
Worth Is representative of the town.
Every one in North Texas either
knows or knows of Peter Smith. He
is full of brain as an egg is of meat
His enterprise Is b0undless and his
judgment unexcelled Anything that
will benefit Fort Worth in particular
or Texas in general, can command his
support, and his support is always
backed by plethoric purse. Peter
Smith came to Texas from his native
state OF Kentucky thirty years ago.
He settled in Tarrant county and has
resided there since. He Is u lawyer by
profession, a philosophical, enterptis-
ing citizen by practice, a charitable,
kindly man by impulse, kind neigh
Dor, true friend, and the best husband
and father on the continent of Ameri-
ca. His wealth is estimated at 800 900
and he made every cent of it himself,
and never made a dollar dishonorably
or dishonesty. He has been mayor of
Fort Worth for nearly two years, and
his public life Is characteristic of his
private life, both being fraught with
industry, care, perseverance, energy
and comprehensive intelligence.
Believing that Colonel Smith rep
resented the most intelligent public
sentiment in Texas, Nc,0s cores
ponden. called on him to-Gay and So
licited an interview on matters and
things Of interest to the people of the
state He was found at his newly
erect mansion on Fourth street, per-
haps the most extensive and elegant
private residence in Texas. Himself
and family We're crowded $50 the
WALL With characteristic hospital
ity, he had given every room in his
house to the delegates to the Lodge
Knights of Honor, in session in the
city. When the NeDS man called,
Mrs. Smith was in the act of deliver
ing a good natured lecture to her lord
1t seems the colonel hadn't n coat in
the house fit to wear to dinner.
Mrs. Smith explained. The Colonel
always left the house in the morning
with his coat on, but invariably re-
turned without it. He habitually re-
moved the garment and laid it one
side wherever he CHANGED to be when
it became uncomfortable. Sometimes
he had five or. six coats scattered
around town, but not single one in
the house, and the coored man found
it necessary to go around the city, visit
the Colonei's usual haunts and inquire
if he left coat there. Governor Ire
land was dining with him to-day and
he had'n IA coat In the house. Dinner
was delayed few minutes and the
colored man dispatched to look up his
masters coats. He soon returned with
four, aud things rolled along as usual.
After dinner the NeWs man and Col
onel Smith worked their way to 9
quiet corner of the piazza, where the
Interview proceeded rs follows:
Colonel, what do you think of deel
water in Galveston hurbor?"
'Why, ] think, as every man in thu
state should think, that deep water il
Galveston bay is n matter OF vital i'm
portance to the commerce of the state
The city of Galveston should be II,
more interested in that than the peopl,
of Fort Worth, Dallas and the othe
towns of the INTERIOR
THE mayor proceeded to give his
views at length upon the advantage
to the entire state of deep water n
Galveston. They are too well known
here To require eproduction.-ED
cAHEIIE.l
" r. X y
Colonel, what do you think of tn
extension of the Santa Fe, and from
what point do you think it should b
extended?'
81 think it would he policy on tn
part OF the manager of the road to eX
tend at once. Fort Worth is the mos
natural point from which to extend
a road from this city to the Indian
Territory and Kansas would open II
an immense empire of virgin countr
that, in few years, would produc
wheat and corn enough to feed ha
the country. This would make 1t
through competing line, and place
OH an impregnable basis
CHOW would the extension of tn
road affect Galveston? p
ut would make Galveston-alway
Of course, presuming that she has dee
water-one of the greatest ports of til
country. Ii would be the natural on
let for the products of that immens
territory lying between the Mississippi
river and the Rocky mountains"
do you think there will be ar
difficulty in getting the right,of-wa
through the territory"
~ don't anticipate any. 1t woul
NJ ai. nj han