September 13, 1889 The Scott County Citizen Newspaper Huntington, The Future Metropolis of the Southwest The Cotton Factory, Sure to Come, Other Enterprises of Like Importance to be Opened Up Soon (Reported by Sycamore Dan from the Scott County Citizen) On Wednesday August 28, the writer landed in the above mentioned town and at once was announced his business. He found everything in a lively, flourishing condition , everyone in high hope of the future and well satisfied with it's present happy outlook. The general Real Estate agent for the K&T Co. was here and we found him with Mr. J.S.M. McKamey, present manager of the Company Store, and the cotton factory man of Rome, Georgia in close consultation , negotiating, as we learned, as to the location of the factory at this place. The factory men do not ask donations, or gifts or any thing of the kind, they simply want the people of Huntington to take so much of the company's stock as will justify them to move. A mass meeting was called on Thursday night to learn, if possible, the wishes of the people, with the following result: The meeting was attended by a large and enthusiastic audience. A committee for canvassing was appointed who reported the requisite amount could be raised with ease. Since they have been faithfully at work and eleven thousand dollars worth of stock has been taken in Huntington, only three thousand more being required. This will raised in a few days and Huntington as a consequence will be a center of business and enterprise never before known in Western Arkansas. If this enterprise is carried out it certainly will be the greatest boon for Arkansas farmers that can be imagined. All that capital needs is encouragement to locate here for we certainly possess natural resources that are enticing. Huntington not only furnishes natural resources to capital that all the outside inducements she possibly can otherwise. Company Store Major G.H. Goddard, the general manager and buyer for the entire eight stores of the Kansas & Texas Coal Company has been east for the last six weeks buying one of the most extensive stocks of general merchandise ever brought to Western Arkansas. He writes that he has bought the cheapest and best line of goods, and more to his taste and satisfaction than any stock he has ever purchased, not withstanding the fact that he has sold for twenty-five years in Arkansas and a quarter of a million per year, and is now selling in his stores an aggregate of two million per year. He writes further that the entire stock for the Huntington store will certainly be the most complete stock of general merchandise ever brought to Western Arkansas, consisting of dry goods and the most extensive and complete line of clothing, boots, and shoes of all sizes, grades and prices, groceries, tinware, crockery, hardware, and a complete line of furniture, and an extensive and thorough line of undertaker's supplies, from the fines metal casket to the cheapest coffin. Mr. McKamey, had one of the metallic caskets opened for the benefit of the writer. It represents a fine piece of mechanism, durability and completeness, being perfectly and absolutely air and water-tight, rendering decomposition almost impossible for generations. This store also proposes to furnish the most complete arrangements for handling the cotton trade. It will furnish free cotton and wagon yards to it's lucky patrons. With a Bank, such as Huntington now has, at any time the market is too low to justify the farmer to sell his fleecy staple, he can deposit it at the wagon yard and get whatever he wants advanced on the same. This immense mercantile establishment has evidently set in to accommodate the farmer in every available business-like way, and the people already know that it never does anything in halves. Farmers will remember that they will find every convenience at the K&T Coal Co's. store at Huntington, Ark. and more than anywhere else in Western Arkansas. Here stands John Davis with a broad smile on his beaming face that is known everywhere as the farmer's own boy. The ladies particularly like to trade with John. We see them stand and wait here sometimes for half an hour to get to trade with him. The customers have in the past been forced to wait for attention on account of the light force, but the manager determined that such shall not be the case in the future. He will have enough help if it requires an army of men. Every arrangement is now being made that can be made for the protection, interest and benefit of the farmer. Mr. A.M. Brooks on the grocery side (the ladies own man) it is the custom of all farmers when they come in to call on Mr. A.M. Brooks. They have learned that their interests are always protected and that they are treated right in his hands. Also W.H. Owens, manager of the hardware, tinware, saddlery and harness department, is a particular favorite among the farmers, as he sells them more goods for the money than any hardware man in Western Arkansas. The K&T Coal Co. store at Huntington is the most gigantic establishment of it's kind in Western Arkansas, carrying every kind of goods sold in the state, with prices that Fort Smith cannot rival. The store building covers more square feet than any other mercantile establishment of it's kind in the state. The gigantic store in Huntington gets jobbers prices on every line of goods they carry. Carrying a straight line of goods and having reduced business to such a system that they have only one price on all their goods, thereby enabling a child to sell a bale of cotton for as much as the most skilled cotton seller. It certainly should be an inducement to the farmers in the of the surrounding country to patronize a store where such bargains and advantages are held out to them. The chief industry and the item that makes Huntington a town of advanced business enterprise and worth is it's vast and unequaled facilities for shipping. Coal The Kansas & Texas Coal Company has made contracts with western and southern railroads that will require from 125 to 150 car loads of coal per day from October 1st, 1889, more than they are now shipping. In order to do this their already large force will have to be increased to 800 or 900 hands more than they now have at work. Four miles of extra railroad track is now being laid for the accommodation of the extra shafts and strip pits. (This is exclusive of the former capacity of the mines). The coal trade of this point extends from the western border of Kansas to as far south as Galveston, Texas. The City of Huntington is duly incorporated, with Captain Samuel Fellows at the Helm as Mayor, and James Murdoch, city marshall; and although Huntington is a business thriving pushing city of the metropolitan character, there has never been one man in her "calaboose". We term this a good record for a mining town two years old. We called upon the enterprising firm of Ben Wolf & Company of this place, who have just received an immense stock of general merchandise, which they propose to offer at prices to suit the purchasers. They pay the highest price for cotton and produce. They bought the first cotton shipped to Huntington, (September 6, 1889) and paid 9 cents per pound. Farmers will do well to call on them when in Huntington. We had the pleasure of stopping at the Davis Hotel where we found good fare, and rooms well furnished and comfortable. We made the acquaintance of Mr. A.C. Brewster, a very genial and polished gentleman, who practices law at this place as well as in all courts. Mrs. J.S. Young operates a fashionable millinery establishment. A. Schuster we met and are glad it happened, he speaks of coming to Scott County shortly on a visit, more especially to see the G.A.R. boys. He runs a jewelry shop and warrants all his work. John M. Herres, boot and shoe maker does his work promptly and executes it thoroughly and mechanically. We found Attorney J.H. Sanford engaged in a lively law suit. Berry holds the boys down on the line, he was a former Scott County boy and we are pleased to see him doing well. The Palace Drug Store keeps a thorough and complete line of drugs and medicines of all kinds, and is owned by Dr's McConnell and Brewster, thorough business men of push and enterprise in their profession.