The Forrest City times., 1897-09-10
Here's to Arkansas.

Ist, and is really q modest and m exaggerated statement of facts which every progressive residen ,f the grand old state will verif, ipon his honor:
 ARKANSAS.
 If the State of Arkansas were walled in, or if some convulsion of nature should suddenly separate her from the rest of the world and pre- vent for all time to come com munication with other parts of the earth's surface, her people would be disconnected tempo rarily, but they could live and thrive, be happy and prosper ous. While possessing less of the illimitable sweeps of terri tory and boundless area of Texas, California and some other of the sister common wealths, she has moro of the elements of em- pire, moro variegated re- sources than perhaps any other state in the union. There is no blessing vouch- safed any other state that she does not possess. Her noun tains are rugged, frownirg, craggy, but they contain the coal of Alabama, the onyx of Mexico, the iron of Pennsyl. vania, the marble of Maine, the valuable clays and miner als of the world. Her cotton lands equal the Mississippi delta, her wheat lands vie with the Dakota prairies, her fruit lands excel New Jersey, her timber lands are greater than those of Michigan. She com petes with Texas in cattle, with Illinois in corn and hogs, with any and all states in the elements of greatness. Ar kansas is Tn her infancy. With an area of 33.518, 800 acres and with 2S,490,9S0 acres of arabic land, only 10.24O, ,00Q' acres, or less than one-third, are in cultivation, leaving l8.- 250,9S0 acres awaiting the husbandman. More than B. 900 miles of navigable rivers pierce her in various dircc- tons, natures own highways of commerce. Of railroads she has 2,343 miles in operation. In this respect she is behind, as will be seen by reference to the excellent map which ac. companies this number of the Commercial-Appeal. On the south and east railroads have entered, but in the vast do- main throughout the central north from Little Rock tier after tier of counties are awaiting the advent of the iron horse, and practically the same condition exists in the middle west from Little Rock. This condition of affairs will not long continue. A number of railroads arc projected and will be built without state aid of with it, with private capital or with state capital. The de- velopmental processes that are at work, the ambitious energy of her people and the atten- tion which the state is attract ing must sooner or later bring every portion of it in touch with every other part and with the outside world. There is no state in the union that can boast greater variety of natural resoures. Her rivers are tecming with fish, her for ests are alive with game, her mountains are filled with rich ores, her valleys fertile IS the valley of the Nile, her prairies are carpeted with rich grasses, and her timber resources are practically inexhaustible. On every hand is found the raw material, and a few years will see it utilized by manufactur. ing enterprises. Every city, town and community has its schools and churches, its courts and civic bodies. A high state of civilization exists-a higher state of civilization is inevitable. To the poet and artist the wild grandeur and magnificent splendors of the Ozarks will always furnish themes and inspirations. The wonders of her springs. and health resorts, modern Spas and Baden Badens, will ever be regarded as chief among the blessings given by provi- dence to mankind. The Com mercial Appeal in this issue presents its readers with a gen.