The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-08-04
FORT SMITH. ARK.

1 A viait to Fort Smith. Ark, vii surprise the stranger from the nortl or eAst who has heard of it ouly as tn,
 place of numerous hangings, or who looking at the last census report, i'm, agines 1t . small government post or tho boundary line Of the Indian Ter. ritory. Such it was ten years ago but the soldiers have been moved fur. ther weat, and ip place of the trading, post there stands live, modern, push. ing city oi eighteen thousand people who believe In . bright future and struggle to realize 1t,
 A glance at the map will show the first salient feature in Fort smiths favor in its location--about the middle of the Indian Territory line, three hundred miles south of Kansas City and an equal distance north of Dallas. This location gives 1t q largo scope of tributary country in which there is no town of importance for one hum dred and slxty-hve miles In any di. rcction. The developments cs this TO- zion (which has practically not even begun) by two systems of railroads, has been the cause of Fort Smiths rapid growth. With tho opening to settlement of the Indian Territory, which is not very remote probabil- ity, the claim Is made that Fort Smiths development into large city must be rapid. 1t certainly has good geographical position in reference to and large trade with that section, Tho United States court, having juris. diction over the Indians, is located at Fort Smith, and under it's authority have all of tho seventy. seven hang ings there taken place. lt Is worthy of passing comment that In the spot where moro executions havo been made than in any other place in the country not one citizen ot the state has yet been hanged.
 Besides its position As a dlstribut- ing point Fort Smith has peculiar ad. vantsges for manufacturing. The town and most of the county in which 1t Is situated, arc underlaid with m. usually thick deposits ot semi. .anthra. cite coal, which Is furnished to manu- factnrers in Fort Smith at the low price of one dollar per ton. This cosl Ia being extensively shipped to Kansas and Missouri, owing to Its superiority over the native coais of those states for steam and house purposes, It contains no sulphur, burns without smoke, and Is said to have greater per cent, of fixed carbon than any other western coal.
 With this cheap fuel and an abund. ance of timber, metals and other raw materials, Fort Smith needs only the completion Of one or two moro rail. roads to give is all tho facilities for cheap manufacturing. IL is signih. cant of the profit in this line of indus. try that the enterprises now there are all enlsrging their plants, and that the number of concerns has doubled with. In the past year.
 The feature that will first impress the visitor to Fort Smith, is that it bears the air of a northern town. This Is due to the fact that It's remarkable growth of six hundred per cent. in seven years was largely of northern people who have given their stamp Co It's streets, buildings, business, and in measure 10 Its politics; Its mayor, half of the city council and its leading newspaper being Republican. There is nothing of frontierism about inc town; law and order prevail every where, and It's street car lines, electric lights, residences and public buildings, give IL the appearance of a city of much larger size. Among its public buildings, the school houses arc esps. cially worthy Of mention. There gre four large, handsome buildings and s fifth constructing, which sccommo- date twenty-five hundred pupils. These buildings are the product Of s million dollar school fund, which the city has realized from the sale of land given 1t by the fe'eral government, only the interest of which fund l. available, 1t being wisely provided that the principal should be held As a permanent trust.
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