The Forrest City times., 1896-02-28
The Land of Sunshine and Flow ers
MOBILE.


Saturday morning, February /, found
; she Western contingent of the National
} EDITORIAL Association at this delightful
e city, and before sunrise the train of
+ sleepers, was besieged by crowd of
. committees. all earnestly DESTROYS of
: making the first impression good one,
! and many of ye scribes had their ''eyes
aopened.n Everybody was male to feel
act home.
AAt 10 O'Clock, headed by a brass
baand. the journalists, their wives and
ssweethearts, accompanied by a half
hundred or more citizens, marched to
ahc Princess theatre, where President
J inge, of the Commercial club, called
; the meeting to order, babe the visitors
welcome, and then introduced Mayor
I Lavrette. who formally delivered the
! Keys of the city over to the pencil
pushers.
The programme of entertainment
was outlined and steamboat ride was
: announced as the first number, des-
cription of which we clip from an ex-
chang, as We reporter was too busy on the
lower deck interviewing Mr.. Anheuser
10 note all the beauties, which he re-
grets to have missed:
"Headed by the band the visitors the
ladies and committees, TO the number
of about three hundred, proceeded to
The steamboat lying at the foot of st.
Francis street. Soon all were on board
and with flags flying and band playing.
amidst the applause of "A thousand or SO
of spectators on the wharf, the boat
headed down stream, passed the coal
ashute, the docks, marine ways, saw
snilis, lighthouse, and SO out into the
bay. Circing around, the boat
moved up Tensas river, Mobile being
viewed from distance. Turning into
Mobile river FIVE miles above the city,
the trip down was made in great sly le.
Never did the city make finer appear
sance. IL seemed like one vast hive of
industry. The whole sky was filed with
"a cloud of smoke rolling from the nu-
lmerous chimneys of the mills, factories
the foundries and the steam vessels.
The river itself WAS thronged with ships,
1lhe latter being decorated from deck to
stopmast with flags of all nations. AS
the Alto steamed by. nearly every YES
nsel dipped its colors, while the tug boats
blew shrill blasts of greeting from their
steam whistles
The trip around was made in about
three hours and was very ENJOYABLE
During the cruise luncheon was served
consisting of sandwiches, oysters on the
alalf-shell and plenty of beer, cigars.
setc, This little collation. was, very much
enjoyed.
On returning to the city the crowd
visited different parts of this beautiful
and thriving metropolis of Alabama,
Sle street car company extending the
courtesy OF free rides for all
The writer remembers Old Mobile in
sthe Cos. and could not help marking
comparisons with New Mobile of to-
day In those early days the little town
lay sleeping at the mouth of the rlyer,
and nothing seemed to arouse her in
siaDltants. An oyster sloop, or perhaps
"A two-master, came to her piers. occa-
ssionally, when the water was high
asaiough to float them, She fancied her.
self secure in the big tradeh she then
giad. Soon New Orleans began to reach
out for that trade and secured il by her
railroads and deep water. Mobile prop
erty became drug ON the market, and
business was at a stand stiIl Almost
ADo late, lac people awoke [ their dan
gef and New Mobile " WAS born i'm a
DIX. Her port is now filed with YES.
aeis of all nationalities and sizes. and
aler shipments reach the world around
lie largest ships can enter her port.
rad her iateri0r waterways are great
avenues OF trade. Mobiles spir. led
citizens will not stop here-seco I'd to
New I0ra is theu aim.
Ii Was WITH regret Sunday
morning the Association Dia adieu
~. Ae- 'ebiIe. and started