The Forrest City times., 1896-01-31
TEN YEARS AGO TODAY.


 in Forrest City. Ten years ago today we were inducted into the editorial chair of TIE TINES, and assumed the business management for the lamented Thos. J. Hicks, who was then sole owner.
 The years have passed quickly, and a review of the events which have come into our life and been linked with our career, furnishes many pleasant memories, and is the subject of much sober con temptation.
 These ten years spent in Forrest City have been full of joy and gladness-the Bappiest of our life-though not unmin- gled with great sorrow and bereavement; which perhaps is necessary to make us the more fully appreciate the many great blessings of life. The inscrutabte will of God in taking our loved ones. seeming to us untimely. brought us nearer to Him, and taught US lessons in life that we now consider priceless.
 -But for the absent loved ones. and our own failing health, in all other respects we have happy home, loving and patient wife. a trio Of sunny-faced chill dren, and in Mir. Landvoigt father, friend, and indnlgent business partner. These have all been added unto us within -cThe decade of which we write Our loved ones are buried here; our children were Soorn here; our home, cur all, is here Here is our every interest and tie. and here We want to live and die among the true friends who have ever been so kind and steadfast, and of such great comfort in time of need.
 1t is pleasant to think of the days of yore. We remember, and sometimes boast of the fact, that we came to Forrest City in January, 1sS6. without money, and among strangers, and took charge of TIE TIMES, which at that time was a- most without friends or patrons, and its receipts for two months were insufficient to discharge our matured obligations at the boarding house. It took courage. and our efforts were appreciated Since shat good day THE TIMES has prospered.
 
 in point of stability, equal to the Rock of sGibraIter. We have accumulated no Idle surplus. no satisfactory bank ac- count, but We have managed to live well 'and save little. This has been invested right here in St. Francis county. God lhas blessed us beyond our deserts.
 We look back over our work of these years with much qualification. It would loe impossible to estimate what good or evil we have influenced, but if measured by our intentions the good would be of large volume. We have recorded innum ierabie happy marriages: joyous births 'ot children now merging into yoang manhood and womanhood. and the sad be- fEeavements of scores of families occasion ed by the death of loved ones. and other qnisfortunes. We have always had q tender sympathy for these. and ever been ready to comfort in what ever way we fcouid the unfortunate. Our only fear is '.hat we have perhaps left many things andone which in the doing migh. have soeen beneficial to this community. though eve have ever been diligept iu advancing ais interests
 The utteranees Of THE TIMES have ever been in The interest of better rov. fernment, more religion and pure morals. To the best Of it's ability 1t has champion sd men and measures. which. f,om every standpoint it believed was fo. the good of Fhe majority. It has been clean. and tlnbiased by personal interests: free and @nooughi Tn every utterance. and has adhered in every instance to principles galher than men. We have been req sonabiy consistent. and always jealous in enatterS of importance to the welfare If Fhe people. h this respect we have been s.emocratic. We have adhered closely in democratic principles and lahored fajth- gully to maintain the party organization l-fouEht bravely every issue of the demo. cratic party with the isms and idiosyn- .eFasies of her enemies. Under thasa conditions our circulation has been mo- -seribed, and we have not been surprised Fhat t was very largely confined 10 demo- cratic homes. Bitterness was e0genderad fn s political way and eur friends inc enemy refused. and many do even new ra- f4se to support she county paper. be fse2se # ths hard ba;:ttiiss We gave them n