The Mena star. (Mena, Ark.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-05
ARKANSAS AS A HOME.
1aster Workman Sovereign Writes
of Her Resources.

the graVltatlon OF pOpulatlOn toWdrus
the already overcrowded cities, and
urged the industrial masses to seek in
dependent homes in sparsely populated
communities, where the benign ant
hand of nature holds out portion of
the necessaries of life to the new set
tier.
Many have sought relief from de-
pressed conditions by procuring small
homes away from the Gensely compact
centers of population and are far bet
ter off by so doing But the increase
of urban population is out of proper
ton to the rural. Beginning with
1890 it required ninety years to rear
ia cities IN this country each having a
population above 5000; but during the
decade from 1880 to 1890, 1876 cities of
that class were added to the list. The
eleventh census shows that of the H.,
AGO, 600 increase in population from 80
to 80 more than three fourths of it
was in the cities, while many states
showed a marked decrease in rural
population. Working people go to the
large cities for positions aud there en-
ter into sharp competition with the
fellow workmen for the opportunity
10 work for low wages and earn a mis-
cradle living, never thinking that there
still remains in this country thousands
of acres of fertile lands at low prices
which need only the touch of industry
to make them yield the necessaries
and comforts of life and to which they
should have turned their attention in
stead of adding to the misery of them
selves and others by drawing on the
overcrowded labor centers for support.
Among other things, this country
needs more general diffusion of pop
ulation, and having found new and
promising field in which sober and in
dustrious men with small means may
acquire desirable homes, | deem it
duty / owe to humanity to urge all
who can do so to avail themselves of
these opportunities before it is too
late.
Having just concluded tour of
ern Arkansas, / am convinced that
there still remains golden opportuni-
ties for men of limited means The
region refer to is located among the
green glades and grassy dells of the
Ozark mountains, where pure cold
springs and clear laughing brooks boil
imparting life and strength to all who
partale of their health giving quail
ties.
1t is a country possessed of a greater
variety of natural resources and sus-
ceptable of greater diversity of in
dustries than any country it was ever
my pleasure to visit and | have trs.v-
eled through every state in the Ameri.
can union. The richness of its soil and
the variety and exuberance of it's
productions make it possible to sus-
tain family with less labor and fewer
acres than any other part of America
i do not mean acres in the valley with
non productive mountains on either
side, for in the country referred to,
the mountains vie with the valleys in
productiveness. Small grain, corn,
clover and vegetables grow as luxur-
iantly on the mountain tops as in the
valleys and the most productive apple
and peach orchards found anywhere in
the world grow on the sides and tops
of the mountains. In fact, it is the
richest fruit producing country in
America a country where no fewer
than fifty bushels of apples have been
picked from single tree. country
where most all kinds of tree, vine
and shrub fruits, adapted to the lati-
tude in which it is located, grow in
vast quantities and endles variety; a
country where the streams are well
supplied with fish and the forests with
game where walnuts, hickory nuts
aud pecan nuts grow in great quanti-
ties and where persimmons. plums,
blackserries, blueberrles, huclxleber-
ries, pawpaws, three varieties of
grapes and many other kinds of wild
fruits and berries grow abundantly on
the mountain sides.
The climate is mild, the air is pure
and the high altitude and entire alb
sence of swamns or sfarnant nonls