The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1897-01-02


We congratulate our friend G.. G.
Stockton and wife on the advent into
his family last Tuesday morning of a
bouncing young lady visitor. One of
the unusual features is that the birth
days of both mother and daughter will
fall on the same day. Friend Stockton
was only touching the ground in high
places.
the rock pile. They were of the toughest species
of the genus bum in whose behalf the Press is
SO solcitous, mixed with a few negro crap
shooters. Keep the good work going. Venture
We simply have stated heretofore and
still insist that some distinction should
be made and that every man is not a
thief or professional bum who is out of
work
The John Brown murder case which
has appeared on the docket of the
United States court here at every term
for the past five years has been settled
at last. Three times convicted and as
often sentenced to hang He is to
spend the comparatively short period of
one year and a day in the penitentiary
Fort Smith Times Democrat.
Senator Brice has introduced bill
in the senate providing for an extension
of time for three years for the building
of bridge across the Arkansas river at
Van Buren,. This, it will be re-
membered, is the bridge proposed to be
constructed by the builders of an
electric line of railway between Fort
Smith and Van Buren,, Fort Smith
Times Democrat.
THE PRESS thinks the city ought not to try to
do anything toward securing electric lights
because it has water works. Upon this same
hypothesis one ought not to want more than one
dollar at a time. Venture.
Evidently Bro. Higgs was too full of
- fruit cake-when he indicted the
above. We said nothing as to what the
city should do. We simply stated that
unless the city could show revenue
sufficient to pay for lights no one would
care to invest in a plant--and the past
bears us out.
One of the daintiest calendars we
have seen this season is the one
presented to their customers by the
every wide awake firm of SHIRLEY &
Wood Gro. Co. We also wish to thank
them for a very pretty glass paper
weight. There is hardly any more
useful article in a printing Office for
making permanent impression as a
paper weight dexterously handled by
the fighting editor. Outside of the
paste pot and shears it is almost
indispensable.
There is a state law prohibiting the
sale of intoxicating liquors to minors.
but it does not seem to be observed at
Fort Smith On Christmas day a crowd
of Van Buren, boys went over there and
got drunk and a number Of them have
since been arrested and fined in the
police courts of that city. While we
believe that the parties who sold the
liquor should be prosecuted none of
the boys having the appearance of
being of age-we also hope that this
will be lesson to the boys.
Among other things, the grand jury
of Sebastian county, in recent report,
recommended the enactment of curfew
law for Fort Smith. The report says;
We believe that the enactment of the curfew
many parent who has almost lost control of
his boy by evil associations formed at night,
when they should be in their beds.
Van Buren, has a lot of young boys
who would be much better off if kept
off the streets after dark and an
ordinance of that kind might be the
saving of a number, who are now
rapidly drifting to ruin-if enforcedl
1t is to be hoped that something will
be done toward amending the state con
stitution so as to allow cities Of the first
and second class to issue bonds for
municipal Improvements. Take Van
Buren, for instance: Had the city
power to issue bonds it would be but a
short time before we could have an
electric light plant which could in the
course of time be made self supporting
Had such been the case the city could
be owning the water works system and
getting revenue from it with which to
pay off the bonds and interest. while
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