Looking Back
(Editor’s Note: This column looking back at St. Francis County’s history is featured each Friday on this Lifestyles page along with the week’s History Photo. The items included in this column were printed in previous editions of the Times-Herald.)
July 1898
Electric Fans - Baltimore & Ohio South Western Railway officials solved the problem of cooling sleeping cars in stations at night. At Cincinnati, Louisville and St. Louis this line had sleeping cars placed in the stations at 10 p.m., which do not depart until after midnight, and in order to make them comfortable and cool, have placed 16-inch rotary electric fans in each end of the sleepers, thus removing the heated and impure air from all parts of the car. The fans have been the subject of many favorable comments from the traveling public.
Death of Judge Scott - Judge Robert T. Scott, who had been in failing health for a year or more, died at his home in this city at 70 years and was buried in the Forrest City Cemetery. The funeral took place at the Methodist Church, of which he had been a member for more than a half century. Judge Scott was an old landmark of Eastern Arkansas, having resided in Lee, Phillips and St. Francis counties since 1860. He came from Huntsville, Ala., to Arkansas. He was a Royal Arch Mason, and was buried with Masonic honors. He had been prominent in county politics in his lifetime, and had served several terms as county judge and mayor and some three years as postmaster of this city.
Fishing Lake - Encouraged by the assertion that "fish are so plentiful that anybody can catch them,” Mr. and Mrs. E.T. Gray, Mr. and Mrs. W.S. Graham, Rev. S.W. Crutcher and Miss Lannie Crutcher, Mesdames Norton, Nichols and Roleson and Paris and Walter Gorman spent the day trolling and angling the waters of Fishing Lake. Being under the management of Admiral Gray, a good time was assured. It was the best appointed fishing party that ever left Forrest City, in regard to the comfort of the inner man.
The Third One - A special to the Gazette from Rison stated that Goode Gray, colored, was taken from the jail at that place by a mob at an early hour on the morning of the Fourth and lynched. Gray was carried to Rison the day before the lynching to await action of the grand jury on the charge of murdering Hart Frederick, a white man, near Kingsland last winter. Gray is the third negro lynched for the murder of Frederick, who was a pumper on the Cotton Belt road at Moro tank. Last April, shortly after the pay car passed, his body was found horribly mutilated. The murder was for the purpose of robbery and it was through the identification of Frederick's gold watch which Gray did not deny that the watch belonged to Frederick, but claimed that it was given to him by a negro named Cone, who committed the murder.
Murdered While Asleep - Will McCullom, an old Arkansas railroad man, was killed at Greenwood by a miner named Chas. Brown. McCullom was asleep when Brown came up to him and with an iron bar hit him a heavy blow on the head, crushing his skull. McCullom for a number of years worked on the Cotton Belt. He was one of the unfortunates of the great A.R.U. strike, and since then had been unable to procure employment at his trade. He left a wife and two children.
Locals - Several of the boys concluded to reorganize the brass band. They were Hubert Folbre and Wm. Shields; conductor O.A. Ezell, Clarinet; David Davis, Baritone; John Pope and Ted Norton, solo alto; R.G. Dye, bass; James Alley, snare drum and Fred Prewett, bass drum. We hope they will succeed. This town has plenty of the first class talent for a good band and should have one by all means. A few genuinely first class open air concerts would certainly be enjoyed; Judge Cowan had been in the matrimonial business this week and the first marriage to occur in the new Courthouse took place in the beautiful circuit courtroom. The parties were Mr. Marshall Nippes and Miss Nettie Seaborn. Clark Mallory was the best man and Mrs. Mathews was attendant upon the bride. Quite a number interested spectators were present and extended congratulations; John Fitzsimmons Sr., lineman of the Little Rock & Memphis railroad, met with a painful accident on the 11th. Near Riceville, almost 20 miles east of this city, the wire obstructed by a fallen tree, in cutting the limbs that covered and stretched the wire flew back and struck Fitzsimmons in the face, knocking out two teeth and other wise bruising him. He was knocked senseless but recovered shortly and went to the station where his wounds were dressed and then came home. It was a narrow escape.
Stuart Springs - Stuart Springs, the famous pleasure resort, had been remodeled and the grounds beautified and made pleasant through the owner Emmet Mallory and a few citizens who opened their purses the first family gathering was held there. Mothers and children were merry all the day long. Babies and plenty to eat was this order of the day.
July 1919
Awarded Contract - Forrest City was awarded a contract for the building of six and half miles of concrete street pavings, due to be completed at expiration of the year. When this is done we will be one of the few country towns in the United States having a system of solid concrete streets, and they will not only afford us pleasure and comfort but will be a lasting advertisement for our city.
People of Johnson Township Celebrate Fourth - The people of Johnson township celebrated the 4th of July with a basket picnic at Wesley Chapel. The attendance was large and many out-of-town visitors were invited and participated in the festivities of the day. Several local speakers addressed the audience on the current issues of the day and the day was otherwise spent in the commingling of friends and enjoying the many good things to eat. All those who attended were unanimous in praising the hospitality of the good people of Johnson Township and the fact that "they never saw such an abundance and variety of good things to eat" since the pre-war days. That it looked like the good old days of plenty to eat before the war had at last returned.
Killing At Madison - At Madison, between 4 and 5 o'clock last Wednesday evening, Erastus Richardson and Issac West, ages about nine and 11, respectively, were play wrestling in the kitchen of the Richardson boy's home, when the shotgun, leaning against the wall, was accidentally knocked over, discharged and its contents struck the West boy. He lived long enough to make a statement. Coroner S.P. McDaniel was called to the scene and held an inquest, the jury rendering a verdict to the effect that the West boy came to his death by the accidental discharge of a shotgun.
Pearl Found At Wittsburg White River pearls were not the only pearls to be found in Arkansas and with the recent finds in the St. Francis, near this city, the later for fame is affording remunerative pearl fishing. In the past few months many small pearls had been found by shell diggers near Wittsburg, but it remained for Captain B.H. Belford a few days ago to secure the prize gem. This was found in an ordinary muscles shell and weighed 33 grams being known as a ball pearl. Captain Belford visited in the city, exhibiting a check for $900 which was paid to him by J.M. Wheeler. a pearl broker of Vincennos Ind., for this fine gem. The Captain said he expected the hotels at Wittsburg to be over crowded this summer when people learn of the rich fortunes at the cliff town.
Killed By Unloaded Gun Coroner McDaniel was called to Heth Saturday afternoon to hold an inquest over the body of a negro named Hirshal Frits. From the evidence the shooting was purely accidental. Willie Robins and Hirshal Frits were in the latter's home, examining an unloaded revolver and Robins commenced snapping the weapon, when it was discovered one chamber was loaded, the contents of which entered Frits' breast, causing death in a few minutes. The jury rendered a verdict according to the facts.
Bathing In the St. Francis River - Since the erection of the bath house at the river and the marking off of a safety zone, large crowds, both young and old, were taking advantage of the opportunity of swimming and of learning to swim in the St. Francis River at Madison. Every evening there was an average of 50 people in the water. The present arrangement of the bath house and boardwalk was a wonderful improvement and by next spring the attractiveness of the river should be still further enhanced as water sports for summer time pleasure are hard to beat.
Wheatley Enjoying A Big Boom - Prosperous Wheatley, our neighboring town and the trade center of the rice growing section of St. Francis County, was growing splendidly and making a number of important improvements as the result of abnormal prosperity. The Rice Growers Bank erected and moved into its modern new brick home, which was 30 x 125 feet in floor dimensions and two stories high. The post office, local telephone company and the Southern Rice Growers Association would occupy modern quarters in the new bank building. H.K. Smith, president of the Rice Growers Bank and local manager of the Southern Rice Growers Association, was having plans drawn for the erection of a $15,000 residence. Several other new buildings had gone up in the past year and other minor improvements had been made in Wheatley. Also an Improvement District had been organized for the building of new sidewalks. The Times-Herald extends heartiest congratulations to the people of Wheatley and that growing and prosperous part of the good county of St. Francis on their commendable enterprise, civic pride and prosperity.