Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1835-10-29

will raise twenty bales Of cotton, and a
thousand bushels Of corn. and be steadil,
enlarsing bis crop and increasing his In
come.
The Arkansas is a siagalarly winding
river, during its whole course. The dis
lance from The mouth TO Dutch Rock
which is by land only one hundred ane
twenty FIVE miles, is, by water, ahoutthree
hundred miles. On one side, the rlver il
continually forming new land. while on
The other it is continually encroaching up
on Father Tellus; and, frequently, when
q high overflow comes. the river breaks
over the neck of a ~psonlontory around
which Il has made a bend. and forms a
new channel, while the old one becomes a
lake. Thus, in 1888, il broke across a
point OF bottom. about one hundred yards
VIDE at the place, through which new
channels steamboats, now pass. The old
channel, fifteen miles around the point, is
hling up. And thus, also, on the south
side OF the Arkansas, above the fort, are a
long chain of lakes, in the former bed Of
The river.
Below Fort Smith. the Arkansas re.
ceives The waters Of Mulberry, Frog Ba.
you. Horse Head, Spandrs. Petit Jean,
Point Remove. Cadron s. Palarme creeks.
The three latter are deep. filthy, and dis.
gust.ng bodies Of water, sluggish, and re.
sembling the River Styx, or tie Dead Sea.
The former are very pretty, clear running
bodies of water. Below Dutch Rock the
nyer becomes more slnuous. Ii receives
various creeks on its way ~down-anlong
others, Fonche and Bayou Metre. With
IN twelve miles Of The Mississippi, it sepa-
rates into two chapnels-tile northern cal.
led the Cut.oa IS the most commonly used
channel. The bottoms on each are low.
and the greenness extends TO the waters
edge. Immediately after entering the Cut.
of yea see a change in The water. Instead
OF the red color Of the Arkansas. il as.
snmes tie chalky color of the Mississippi
is cooler and more pleasant. Within a
mile or two of the Mississippi. White Ri.
yer comes into Cut of, from the NORTH
II rises in Missouri, and is called White
River, from the extreme clearness Of lis
waters, before Big Black runs intoit above
IFS mouth. The junction Of White River
with the Cat-off is a most singular sight.
Here IS a mass Of red, or chalky water,
there a mass of water which seems TO be
biack-b%oiling and Winding around, and
seeming as distinct as though the latter
was not water but oil. A little further on,
and The waters miDgle and discharge them
selves into the great Mississippi.
Two years ago, in the month OF June
crops were promising in Arkansas. There
came a succession Of heavy rains, and
the river rose TO high-arater mark. The
rise was red, and salt, and evidently came
from tie desert praitie, The rains ceased
and the people supposed The rise wa, over.
Suddenly the river began 10 swell higher
aud higher. The water came down cold.
er and clearer. The SHOWS had melted on
the Rocky Mountains. Higher and high
er il rose -fltee,> feet at Fort Smith, a
boye high water mark The bottoms from
Fort Smith TO the mouth were overlooked
The River was filed with fragments Of
houses, dead cattle, huge trees, rushing
on TO the Mississippi. Cattle, hogs, evea
deer and bear, unable to escape from the
bottoms were all drowned. Many people
built RATS, and placing themselves and
their horses upon them, fastened them 10
trees, and lived out the inundation. The
crops were ruined (; whole farms were fl
led up with sand and the channel of the
river entirely altered. Such is the Arkansas.
| entered the Territory Of Arkan sas al
Fort Smith, which is situated on the Ar.
kansas, on the Indian linn. At that time
there were no troops there, and the only
appearance OF a military post about IL,
were some few old buildings which had
served as barracks. Ii is a place contain.
ing three or four stores, and some half a
dozen houses /; and is prettiIy situated on
q huge bIUff on the south side OF the river.
The county of Crawford. except on the
river and creeks, is generally lowlsnd,
thinly covered with oak timber; and tho
a large county, it is but thinly settled.
As the August election approached,
there began a stir IN the county on the
subject OF politics. Candidates were ri
ding 10 every direction eleciioneering /, s.
now ard then a hot quarrel took place a.
moDg The excited parIizaos.
The overflow had covered the little town
Of Van Buren, and the population thereof
in number about a dozen, had established
themselves in booths at the foot of the
hill beyond the town I; and there where |
rode one day in June, | found d multitude
assembled.
'Holloa, strangerr cried one tall fellow
in a hunting shirt Of leather, as rode up;
Come, Highland lake a little old rye,
any bow
That's the MASTER cried another
'dern my skin If he can't sp~eschify ii better
nor any of 'em. Master ii you'll run for
Assembly, dsrn noe i'll don't vote for yep
Twenty such greeted me as | dismount
ed and made fast my horse. 1 soon dis
covered the object ofihe gathering. There
was a barrel set on end, with a board "a
cross it. and | at once OWNED that the ri.
val candidates were TO address the people.
lenquired II the candidates for Congress
were there, and found they were not. Ii
was a meeting for the county candidates,
whom saw busy among the people, sha-