Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-02-28
FROM ARKANSAS,

FROM ARKANSAS.
We are much indebted to friend, who has re-
Gently emigrated to Arkansas, for the following
lively and entertaining t1og-book" of his journey
thither. 1t came to US, written almost illegiby in
pencil marks so, the readermay know where to cast
the blame for any errors that may appear. Is
there no ink in Arkansas? II it can be had, we
trust our correspondent will have secured mole
ty before the despatch Of his second favor. But
to the letter, which bears the romantic date of T
lip, Dallas County, Arkansas-February 4th:-
MY DEAR ENQUIRER Il have at last seated my
self with the view of fulfilling my promise to you
by inditing an account of my trip from South Car
olina to the "Great West" My tardiness may be
attributed to pressure Of engagements and the
unparalleled severity of the weather, which for o
time past has most emphatically clogged the loco
motion of both soul and body.
We left Yorkyille on Friday evening, November
16, and passed by Pinckney Ferry on Broad river
to neutrality-suspicious. 81 miles. Thence to
Greenville, 81 miles thence to old Pendleton, 81
miles; thence across the Georgia line upon KnoI's
Bridge on the Tugaloo, the South prong Of the
Savannah river. We entered Georgia in Hart
County and passed on to GAINESVILLE, in Franklin
county-distance from Pendleton, SO miles.
Here we had an occular demonstration of the
truthfulness o.. one of Judge Longstrcet's Court
house scenes. Itwas Saturday evening, and near
ly all the county had congregated at the "seat of
Justice" Desiring to replenish our stock of pro-
Visions we drove near the centre Of the village and
halted. The main Grocery in the place being
situated on the corner, we had fine opportunity
of witnessing oil that was then and there afoat.-
We had scarcely brought our teams to the stand
still, when we were surrounded by twenty or thir-
ty persons, more or less, bantering US for horse
swap, each swearing Justify that his 'critter was
the 'best piece of horsehesh in the State Of Geor
Cyl" Failing to get swap out Of US, they 'ban-
tered" US for dog swap-but much to their sor-
row and our own deep modification, we could not
consent even to that sort of transaction. In the
crowd were many Carolinians, some Of whom had
become quite up to the jockeying custom. In
fact, it seemed to US that every body in the coun
try, had either horse or dog, with which each
wcs extremely solicitous of parting company.
Finding that there was no trade in us, we were
strongly solicited to go in and take something to
drink" Although, as you ore perfectly aware, I
detest such shops yet as had turned to see "the
elephant" thought proper just then to acquiesce
in the movement Accordingly, into the Grocery
I went. Here found meeting, solemnly in con-
clave, discussing the propriety and e1pediency of
building Branch Railroad to connect with the
State at High Tower river-distance forty
miles. Some Of the projectors seemed quite san
guine of success, and to judge by the earnestness
with which the subject was discussed, we would
pronounce the enterprise, after the manner Of you
South Carolina editors ''fxed fact"
have, perhaps, dwelt too long upon Gaines
vile, and yet not word of it oil has been told
This was the first inkling got Of Georgia man.
ners and customs, and it made such m impression
upon me that quite lengthy chapter in my jour-
nal was the result, that night. I could not
pass by it, without dwelling longer than I had in
tended to do upon any one place on the route. In
referring more particularly to my journal, by-the-
,uay, find that have omitted to mention Carnes-
vile, q one-horse town-the county-seat Of Frank
lin, instead of Gainesville as I before stated
From Pendleton to Gainesville is 96 miles-thence
to Gainesville, As miles. Saturday night we camp
ed and lay-over the next day, Sabbath, on the cas-
tern bank of the Chattahoochee river, between the
farms of the brothers Chambers, from York, ne
phews of your former Ordinary.
Monday morning We crossed the river upon
Browns bridge, and passed on to Canton, 45 miles
from Gainesville; thence to Cassville, % miles, to
Kingston, miles; and thence to Rome 16 miles
This is quite thriving town, at the head Of the
road at one end and of navigation at the other.
The larger portion of land on the route we ira
versed through Georgia is very poor-though the
Cherokee country is fine. One Of the finest plant
ations saw on the whole trip was on "High-Tow-
er" (Etowah) river, at Fields Bridge. 1t had
been sold o few days before we passed, at S54 per
acre. -.
At Rome we crossed the Ostenelfa' river, north
of the town, and passed on to Cedar Bluff, Ala
bama, % miles; thence to Blue Pond, 7 miles;
thence, across Lookout Mountain to Van Buren,
II miles On this mountain there is o large body
of Government land, which could bc Conferred" at
IS cents per acre-very fair land. Many Of our
people who ore working poor lands, and do not
like to come further West, might do well even to
,:u,.o :, Iootout passinp down the mountain