Washington telegraph., 1855-05-30
Tho IiiYcr-Grnps. etc.

Never within the recollection of tho
oldest inhabiant have the people Of this
portion of Arkan,o, suffered as severely
for the want of navigation as they have
this season. We stated sometime ago, on
tho authority Of an cid citizen, that Red
liver, in 1919. did not rise at all, but
this statement, We have since been inform
cd by several persons who were then resi-
dents here. is an error. About the iirsi
of June Of that year. We are told, He'd
river was bank full and running cut in
the low places. and that from that iime
10 lhe prescul. here has never been .
season that it was not, at sometime, nayi'
gable Tho present season, We fear, will
be an exception as we have not yet had
navigation above the ran nor has there,
at any time during the. season, been un'
interrupted navigation from Shreveport to
the mouth Of the river. We had rise
Of about twelve feet in upper Rcd river
in January, and another ol about the same
height in March, but neither o. them was
sufficient 10 open navigation around the
raa Thero are. probably, nj less than
forty thousand bales Of cotton above the
raf. rot a single bale Of which has yet
gone out nor las a single tarrcl Of up
freight been received by way Of Red iiy.
er-czeept n wagon load OF iRo that has
been hauled from Shreveport. The con-
sequences are. scarcity Of nearly all the
neecssaries Of life, and an Unprecedented
lighuess in the finances Of tue country,
Tie drought Of last year eat tho corn
crop ,har, very materially anil although
trsad,laif, haze been scareer than ever
before known. the people, thus far. have
managed to &C, along without much sat
faring. Tie wheat erer uoW nearly cut,
has prsgsl much better than was aniici.
faicd, ewing to the continued drought. and
tic qaaniily produced greatly exceeds that
af ay lermar gear 81 that Ee need be
under N apprehension Of suffering for
bread There i. pleniy Of wheat in The
country to last until lie growing crop of
corn is gathered Many o. oar f,fn,rs
produced ano crops Of wheat and rye,
MI !, Is fortunate for the country ihfy
ill. for uiihoat il. ia The absence Of nav.
isa,ion. oar rajions voall haye been rather
sao't.
Tie greatest difficulty now. Is the searci.
y of ffogguisf for stock la many insian.
ees farmers lave been compelled TO work
tacir horses all mules. in The cultivation
4 their crops upon ETas', uo' being able
to moeurc corn ., any Price, md the con
,inucl dry weather threatens disastrous CON.
sequences to lhc cat crop. Notwithstanding
ibc scarcity Of proycader, and the dryues'
Of the scason, the corn eur, generally, looks
we'll. In slme places rain is moro needed
ihan IN other. ani it !. suffering slightly,
! but should we l- rlycrcd with anything like
q general rain wiihin few days or week
Of which Tue indications arc now fiyora-
b,e--lhe crop promises to be fully an aver.
age ono. Cotton, on tue uplands !, no, DO
ing so well, and where it was no; planted
early, in many instances. has no, come up
for wau. of rain. In the river bottoms,
however, wc arc told /, look. promising.
The pa, year las been one Of great ,car.
city aud priya'ioo, and should almonish US
of lhc ab,o.ule Necessity Of de'oiing more
attention 10 The culluio Of the noccssaries
Of life. Instead Of cotton being the prina.
ry object OF our labor It should be made
secondary. We should drst raise every
thing Necessary for home consumption that
the soil and climate will produce, and besiow
cur slrl las labor on ihe cultivation Of cot.
Ton. We can produce our own LrcadsIuis
aud raise our osn stock, which every year
takcs thousands of dollars out Of the conn.
try that could as well be retained in it,
Were VIC to puruo this course, We would
be tic better able to provide facilities for
Transporting our surp!us-wheiber it be Of
coiiou. wheat. or corn-io market whcucy.
CT We desired TO 10 so. aud net be oomfoll.
cd to await the Ttccarious anj uncertain
navigation Of our rivers.
SrPrHsTlrioH.-.lt appears from our
North Alabama exchanges that some Of the
iehabi,aut Of that section have torn down
aud carried ol largo quantities Of the tclo.
graph wires, under the impression that they
produced the drought aud that to remove
them would oLgiaic all difficulties.
Tho Tusrp.,li, NoryL dIff4s,ltf,, irps