The Van Buren press., 1903-05-23
MONTICELLO.
The Queen of South Arkansas-Her
People Well-to-do, Enterprls-
ing and HospitabIe-FaCt
Cleaned During the Re-
cent Convention of
Ye Editors.

"'Travel brightens the mind is a
true and trite saying and the writer has
only recently felt its effects, when he
visited n section Of the state never be.
fore seen by him, and which impressed
it thoroughly on his mind that Arkan-
sas Is q large state and that the north
western portion Of it does not comprise
it all nor contain all the resources, nor
people worth getting acquainted with
1t was with some misgiving that the
writer recently started for Monticello
TO attend the 3lst annual meeting Of the
Arkansas Press Association, MOntiCel-
10, u glance on the map showed, is in
the southeastern part of the state, and
that portion of the state is intimately
associated in the minds Of the inhabit
nnts of the western section with swamps,
negroes, malaria, mosquitoes and qui-
nine Therefore the misgivings of the
writer
As usual our efficient corresponding
secretary r. Jobe-had "cited
the railroad for the occasion and they
had done the handsome thing, A all
night $ trip over the l.. r. & f, S,
road which, a8 everybody who has re-
Gently travelled it knows is under course
Of reconstruction, would not resemble
the resting on downY beds Of ease :
but for this its officials cannot be blamed
and the final result will repay for the
temporary Inconvenience,
Little Rock was made the starting
point for the "qnill pushers from the
northern part Of the state and the Mo,
Pacific officials had done the handsome
thing by setting aside special car for
them fright here we will say that com.
pany always does the handsome thing
by the editors, who only too often do
not show the proper appreciation,
This car WAS filed and an overflow
meeting had TO be held in an adjoining
car.
The trip from Little Rock 10 Pine
Bluff and thence to Dermott led as
most Of our readers know, through the
richest agricultural section Of the state
Bnt still, there was nothing 10 change
our feeling OF apprehension regarding
our destination, and the frequent
swamps passed along the roadside only
caused us 20 tighten our grip on the qui-
nine bottle and wish for u life prcseryer
and mosquito bar What struck Ms
most forcibly on this trip VIVA the large
tracts Of apparently fine farming lands
yet covered with n dense growth Of tim.
her and untouched by the husbandman.
Az Warner, which Is near the recently
purchased convict farm. we noticed n
squad Of Conyicts apparently just recent
" arrived, still near the station under
the supervision Of guards armed with
winChesters,
At DprmOtt there wRs n several hours
lay over and the editors, having moth.
ing else 10 do proceeded 10 eat mp every.
thing il sight Here another thing
struck us, This little town Of appar.
emily not over 800 souls bad a system Of
water works, Some towns VINO lay
CLAIMS 90 much grenter importance in
Western Arkansas, might take notice
Here we were met 10y committee from
Monticello which had charge Of the
business Of assigning the editors to the
homes of the horpitahlp citizens Of that
town, the hotel facilities there being
entirely inadequate for M occasion of
this nature Tho committee was com.
posed Of j. Il Welsh, an old friend Of
f0Ih anu " lOInlfI IiWFIVU'I lllNllt Nll
Mpssrs, Matthews aud WrlB These
gentlemen must have been mind readers
tpr they placed the writer with Mr. W,
X Roddy, one of the most hospitablr
gentlemen Of that little city aud II
what we heurd others say WAS II critic.
lron they were all equally pleasantly
located
Shortly after leaving Dprmott the mp.
grade began aud the country hpcAme
more rolling, with here ana there n
hill, which, however, lacked the rug.
grd scenic beauty OF the bills Of north
Bbd west Arkansas there are no rocks
@Orth calling by that name IN thnl spcs
,inn A run Of an hour aud the con
dictor called out Monticello, mud
Syp begnU 10 disembnrk Here the fra
pleasant aurprip9 awaited "a, for there
~ meet uA ut the station were handsome
eqnlppagps Of all Sinds awaiting to take
lne editors to the homes Ut their owners
while tbe surroundings were crowded
hv the Handsome women mud dgnihpd
gentlemen uf the place ready 10 bid MA
velnnma w. the town Onr ryrs brad
lrunme opened and wp were rpHdv for
mrrh pleasant anrpriass and hsp wnrn
Rol long ip oQmiQg = short lrIye over