The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1903-11-13
QUE ARKANSAS TRIP.
A Fine Country and the Best of PEG.
pie.

pie.
As stated in last weeks issue, A. A
Shepard and the Banner editor spent a
week in the bear state Arkansas
returning home Wednesday of last
week. To say that we enjoyed our
selves would be putting it mildly in
deed, and to attempt to give an extend
ed and accurate account of our trip
and do it justice would require more
space, time and talent than we have at
our command, yet, we will endavor,
briefly, to give a few of our impressions
of the state, but more especially of
Forrest City, where we spent most of
our time.
However, to begin with, we will
state that we have no bear stories to
tell, as IL timated by our reporters last
week and in fact we feel impelled to
say that they told "bare" story them.
selves, when they published the item
concerning our visit.
Leaving Rrownstown, Wednesday,
October Is, on the B. u 0. S-w., for
Louisville, we took the L. & n. route
for Memphis, lwhere we spent several
hours both going and returning) and
then took the Choctaw line for Forrest
City, arriving there about 10 O'Clock
Thursday night. From the time we
alighted from the train until our de-
parture the spirit of southern hospi-
tally was in evidence with all with
whom we came in contact.
At Forrest City we were met at the
station by Chas. Delano, formerly of
Nallonia, this county, and his son
Virgil, and Harry Gregory, also of Val
lonia, who is working at the carpenter
trade and is boarding in Mr.. Delano's
family. Mr.. Delano and his estimable
family, consisting of his wife and tour
children-one sor and three daugh-
ters-at the sacrifice of valuable time
and hard work, contributed in most
excellent manner to our comfort and
entertainment, while there, as also did
Robert Delano (also formerly of Val
ionial ard family, consisting of two
boys and two girls. Roth Charley and
Robert married Arkansas ladies, and
they are to be congratulated in secur.
Ing such excellent life companions
The generous hospitality of both fam
lilies was highly appreciated and will
long be remembered.
Forrest City is town of about the
size of Brownstown, is the county seat
Of st. Francis county, and is forty five
mile southwest of Memphis. The
town has electric lights, water works,
three cotton gins, an oil mill ice plant
and cold storage stave factory. spoke
factory and other smaller industries.
We visited most of these factories and
found them very interesting, especially
the cotton gins and oil mill. At one
gin we saw about 1000 bales of cotton
on the platform. worth from $50 to 500
each These gins each have capacity
Of from % to 100 bales per day.
The town is located on what is
known as Crowley Ridge, and conse-
qlently is above high water mark,
which, combined with the fact that
their drinking water comes from wells
five hundred feet deep, makes the
health of the town far better than what
the average n0rtherner usually ex-
poets Of Arkansas. In fact, We found
the people III Forrest City looking as
healthy as anywhere, and while it is
true that the swamps and lowlands are
unhealthy at certain seasons, we be.
lieye tie reports that it IS such an un4
healthy country are exaggerated
As a business center, Forrest City is
far ahead OF any town of its size we
have ever visited 1t is great Satur-
day town, and on the Saturday we
were there the streets and stores were
crowded with farmers. in fact so
crowded that they reminded one of
circus day in northern town. AS an
illustration of the large crowds in town
there on Saturday we have only TO say
that they have no school there on Mon
day because the children are kept in
school on Saturdays to keep them off
OF the crowded streets. The merchants
there ale all prospecting and do not hes.
itate to tell OF their success, through
fear of inviting competition. Another
matter which impressed us fayofably
was the orderly conduct Of the people
aud the almost eutire absence of any
profanity.
A side tI0rn tie RIDGE unon which