FORT SCOTT, Kan., city_and county seat of Bourbon County, on the Marmaton River, and on the Saint Louis and S. F., the Missouri, K and T. and the Missouri P. railroads, 100 miles south of Kansas City. The chief income of the city is derived from the railroad shops,. the Saint Louis and S. F. employing 500 hands and the Missouri Pacific 550 hands. The city is situated in a rich agricultural and dairy region, this in itself a valuable source of in come. Besides these industries there are manu factories of cement, syrup, brick, flour and ma chinery. The United States census of manu factures for 1914 showed within the city limits 33 .industrial establishments of factory grade, persons; 422 being wage earn ers receiving annually in wages a total of 47,000. The capital invested aggregated 2,000, and the year's product was valued at 1,580,000; of this, $496,000 was the value added .by manufacture. Fort Scott is the largest horse and mule market in the State. There are three
banks with a combined capitalization of $200,000. Among the public institutions are the library containing over 20,000 volumes, the Goodlander Home for Children, the old government fort buildings which have been preserved, the Na tional cemetery and a 160-acre natural public park. Religious services are held in 11 church edifices. The educational system is excellent, con sisting of a high school and seven public schools. There are two commercial colleges in the city. The city was first settled as a military post in 1844, became a municipality in 1850 and was chartered as a city of the first class in 1882.
The public administration is vested in a mayor and four commissioners who are elected every two years. The major portion of the popula tion are native born with a sprinkling of negroes, Germans, Jews and Irish. Pop. 11,442.