The Van Buren press., 1897-10-23

1sFt sErGEE tlto rNESaEles HuxnoWE :
10 ne oasF masses q northern an1
eastern states n Arkansas l. ve1rs
/ ago there were o1ly 1z34 rnanutatrur-
ing establishments. employing s. a'lta Psz- =
sons, while seven years later they had
increased 70 : 4a9. employing lf.1'aA
The capital investei il tss5 was s.. .ail'1. =
800; IN lsSl & Vas st6 1,a3 1,1sl Today !; :
probably si9, 90, coo. Though snail aon-
pared with the East quantity q raw ma
ieEial lying within the limits ot the state
kzrn products and re8l estate are
always lower where manufactures do
not exist. while interest On money :
higher. These facts were pressed upon
the attention Of The people Of Arkansas
many years z-o Bitter experience cor
Elneed them that i : impossible % bar
manufactured articles 0f other states
paving high uriees for .denl with low
priced agricultural products snd Al
the sane time prosper in the sane ratio
as the states which furnish the manu-
featured goods. The fact that cost OF
production impoyerishes the aETlcul-
tarist N the proportion in which il en-
riches the manufacturers has SET the
psople OF Arkansas as well IS those Of
other southern states, % Studying the
problem Of how - utilize the raw
material and a. the same tine enhance
the value ot lands Farms and farm
lands IN Arkansas are worth s 70 SIS
an acre. while the same quality % land
f- .as= .tsHs
worth So 70 $50 Bat a greater diSpar-
ity exists II mineral lands Tske for
example those Of Pennsylvania. rang
ing in value from $500 . $1,000 an acre.
while n Arkansas they can be bought
for s2-50 10 SIS 81 acre An increase Of
railroads and manufactures will place
the lands of Arkansas 81 3 parity with
those Of Pennsylvania. or Al least
greatly reduce the disparity. and cause
an increase in mining activity. Cnlm-
portsnt ss the manufactures OF Arkzu-
sas may seem 10 people Of the east
where the hum q machinery 5 never
ending. . glance over the field shows
great aggregate OF
Capital Invested IN Manufactures.
notably in cities and large towns.
Boards Of trade and business mems
leagues. composed Of public spirited
men VINO gre special attention - mat
tiers pertaining % Improvement Of loeal
conditions, have been instrumental IN
attracting men with capital 10 estsb-
lish mills and factories The people Of
Fort Smith have displayed cesseless se-
tivity in this respect and their efforts
have been crowned with success. while
other cities have no, expended time and
money IN vain in the same line Ot effort.
There are now in operation n Fort
Smith 81 manufacturing plants, with
aggregate capital OF sI,03s,o00. The
total output from these in 1855 amount
ed TO 81. .5TS 30. They employ over 500
men, with a monthly payroll amount
ing to $4,000. Nearly all these estao-
lishments include IN the list of stock
holders local capitalists, showing that
the citizens are eager TO invest IN such
enterprises and have unbOuuded comb
derce in the city's future. Li.gle Rock,
too. has planning mills, barrel stave
factories. foundries, machine shops,
cotton gin and elevator shops. cotton
congresses. oil mills. etc, in addition
to lumber mills, supplying the home
market with many kinds OF manufaet-
ured goods, besides sending many pro
ducts both north and south. Other
cities and towns throughout the state
have manufacturing plants and in ali
parts efforts are being made to increase
the number. but as vet the field IS COM
paratively unoecupied, when the unex-
eelled advantages are cor 6 dered. Fuel
is cheap. water abundant, timbers and
mineralsin endless variety and exhaust
less quantity are available to different
kinds Of manufactures, with facilities
for transportation fair, and prospect
Of more railroads being added to those
now in operation. Local capital and
state influence, supported by popular
demand for more roads have melted
spirit of railroad building which will
not subside until hundreds Of miles are
built. At present there are many lines
projected, besides old lines are to be
extended which lack but few links, as
il were. to connect them with systems
having important terminals Farm
territory alone invites, If it does not
indeed neeessitate, the extension Of old
lines aud also the projection of new
ones through the undeveloped mineral
fields Of Arkansas But the mines must
be opened. The United States pro-
duces more minerals than any other
nation. In fact. the bulk of the worlds
supply-oue half Of the copper, one
third Of the iron. coal and zine, besides
q large per cent of other metals, and
the industry is steadily developing.
The mines are an important factor IN
the states undeveloped assets and no
doubt as potent an attraction TO rail-
roads as any other element. With
mines open. manufactures viii become
a necessity. Mines and manufactures
are eorrelatives. the one producing,
while the other utilities raw materials
Arkansas loses millions of dollars
every year by suffering available ma
terial to waste, or rather slumber un-
touched. A thousand substances, rang
ing from iron and lead to precious ores,
which manufactures could transform
into useful products, are unused and
worthless, while the people Of the state
nav the skilled laborers Of other states
high prices for manufactured articles
and incur heavy expense for transpOr-
tation. The important consideration
is railroads to tap these isolated fields
Of coal. iron. zinc and silver, affording
an inlet 10 capital and an outlet to
supplies Of minerals Railroads are
assured. The peonle Of Arkansas have
decided that railroad building is a