The Forrest City times., 1891-09-25
THE TOWN wELryEIN

material side of it. When we look around us we see cities and towns iengthehinG their cords, strengt hening their stakes. straining every nerve, tibre and muscle in improving what they fsave airdreaching out after more. aud making Opportunities where tlsere are none in view. Does not aH this teach us that if we do not bestir our selves We will be left behind in the race of progressg Our, rivals are build jug new railroads, establishing new in- dnstrles, availing themselves of mod
 ern conveDiences and dping every thing in their power to bring them selves to the attpntion of tlae world.
 They prepare immense banquets and invite strangers as well as friends to gather around their festal boards, and the tidings of their hospitality and greatness are spread abroad. Their newspapers are gwen .a hearty sup port, their columns being laden with the advertisements of their business men and subscribed for by those who appreciate home enterprise, and the messages conveyed by these flying rolls' are read in the ends of the earth, while the senders are wrapped im the arms of morpheus. Their peo- pie are united and are bending their energies together in working for a common good. Every weak and strug- giing enterprise is the subject of a common care. and the chambers of commerce. :. business associations and trades unions are guarding their com mercaal interests with argus-eyed watchfulncss. Savings banks and building and loan. associations to en- courage ffugality among the poU aitl assist them i1 getting homes of their uw b, are eprlnging up as flowers in and equally as cheering. sMie praises of their towns are upon every tongue of their ambitious popu- lation, and the angel of conteltment and unity hovers OCT them in joyous bel,edictiun. The mountains of diff c,llty ;irW being leveled and the crook ed paths of disuuion are being made straight.
 Can Forrest City claim as much? Are we putting. forth our best efforts toward the advancement of our ma- terial iinterestsy Are our people united 1? t Is the newspaper given the patronage that it deserves in working for the town? Are we build ing railroads to the doors of our country friends in contiguous counties and making it to their advantage to market their products with susy Are NC diversifying our lnanufactorieS and ceasing to trust our fortunes tO the hckleness Of one ndistry2 Do we in. vestigate and plan for the future as we shouldY Is the good of the town the burden of our best efforts !? and is its prosperity linked with our aspirations? If all these inquiries could be answered in ths affirmative, how much better our condition would be. Forrest City would then easily di- vide honors with the foremost towns in Arkansas. Hut why shouldn't it bc so? There is no good reason why We shouldn't keep time to the music Of progress if we woultl only try. "A negative reply to the foregoing list of questions easily explains the cause of the backward position WE occupy to- day. Let our intelligent citizens re- fleet upon these things.
 The people of Forrest City have not had enough confidence in their craft to push 1t out into deep water, but have stayed too near the shore. Our rivals, with nothing more than sape- rior confidence. have launched out in- to the deep and let down their nets for q draugih, and were amply .ser,id for their labor. ~ 'Ft F@ ete-s
 There is a woful lack of cooperation among our people. Until our people cunbined their small amounts aud swPlled up 2 grand total. we had no bank. though 1t had been earnestly de- sired for many years. The capital invested in that enterprise, has not iu- jured any other business ii, town, and 1t is owned by merchants. farmers and other business men. many of whom operate on small capital. Neither one nor half d dozen men could have started the hank or hotel, but seventy five eaSily raised the required amount and the result is that we have two Of the most successful enterprises in the state. What cooperation did in these instances 1t will do in other lines. If We want railroads, colleges. cotton factories, foundries, machine shops and other enterprises, we can get them in the same way that we got our bank and hotel, viz. by O-Operation. X thousand dollars Is not much, but when increased by other thousands 1t can do wonders in establishing in- WNOS0 ssLtubCu will bring money from other parts of the world. besides increasing the popu- lation and wealth of our town. Co., operation is the hope of Forrest City, industrially, aud the sooner 1t is recog- nized the 'bettsrpt will be for ;dl con cerned.
 The newspaper should be given a more liberal patronage by Forrest City's business men. If self-iuterest does not prompt it, gratitude should, for there is not an interest which affects the public welfare that tue press is, not expected to champion It. Speaking for rHE TINES, we can say that it wants the patronage of no one who does not want to patronize it, as it's friends (wlloa are lcgion) will not let it suffer. It is one of the best paying pieces ef newspaper gproperty ln the state. .@lfv patronages IS witheld f0r political reasons (which is true in few cases), VIC urge such narrow minded individuals to bestow their favors upon others, since the good name of the town will suffer # it's business men do not advertise, Our advertising spssce can be hxd on reasonable termss but our principles are not for s;tlc. lt is to the interest ot businesss men to ad- vertise iu Tux TINES, but 1t they can not be persuaded to do so. the respon. ability of creating an unfAv0rablo iM- prcsSl0n will not rest upon upon uS. lf advertising vas unprOlitable, wOalid the merchants of neiehh0ring towns waste their money in Elling tho neMs- paper columns ? There are thToe 1rms in one line of business, three ih ali-