Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-03-12
The Route from Little Rock 90 Fort
keIknEp.

By the arrival of Mr.. JAMES GLOVER YES
terday, from Fort Belknap, we are enabled to
present some interesting facts relative To that
portion OF the great overland mail route which
extends from Little Rock TO tn former point
Mr.. GLOVER Is one of the agents of Messrs.
BUrTERFIELD x Co., the contractors for carry
ing the United States mail from St. Louis
and Memphis to San Francisco, aud has Just
returned from an expedition of observation on
that portion OF the route, over which he has
carefully passed, leaving Fort Belknap. Feb
ruary 18TH and Fort Smith on the 18th of the
same month He travelled the route direct
from Little Rock to Preston, on going out, and
returned Uia Fort Smith. From Little Rock.
qua Hot Springs to the eastern boundary of the
Indi III Territory, distance of one hundred
and sew, nty-ive miles, the face of the country
is tolerably undulating and hilly, with occ;,-
sion rocky strata, and much Hat post oak
Ian |, which in winter becomes so soft as to
render travel exceedingly laborious. There
are also many rivers and large creeks travers-
ing this portion of the route. Through the
Indian Territory the road is better, there being
fewer bills, less rock, less low, mucky land,
and the large streams are generally either
bridged or can be crossed by ferries. The dis
lance from Little Rock to Preston is three
hundred and seventy-five miles
From Little Rock to Preston, ria Fort
Smith. the route lies along the north side of
the Arkansas river to Norristown and thence
up the south side, aud the distance is three
hundred aud forty niles. The road, for eigh-
ty miles, on the north side of the Arkansas. to
Norristown. is very bad, while on the south
side, thence to Fort Smith, the reverse is the
case. 1t is excellent. From Fort Smith
west, for seventy miles, the road il bad,
thence TO Preston, one hundred and fifteen
miles, 1t is equal To any natural road
On the whole, Mr. GLOVER regards the route
by Fort Smith as far better than the direct
route from Little Rock, by the way of Warm
Springs. and there is only a difference of sew
enteen miles in favor of the latter. From
Preston to Fort Belknap, a distance of one
hundred and sixty miles, the road is rs good
rs any man could desire Mr.. GLOVER did
not go beyond Fort Belknap himself, but he
there saw several gentlemen who had travelled
on the southern route Td FL Paso. through
Arizona, by Fort Yuma, into California aud
they all pronounce the route beyond Belknap
TO be the finest natural highway they ever
saw. The only difficulty they report is the
want of water in crossing the stakvd plains, n
distance of seventy miles. Aud even here
they say this need may be easily supplied by
means either of wells or artificial tanks.
Mr.. GLOVER emphaticaliy states that he re-
CARDS the successful execution OF the contract,
entered into by BUrTERFIELD Il Co, 10 trans
port the mails over this route, within the time
prescribed in their contract, as being beyond
the possibility of doubt.
He further reports that at Belknnp be found
. portion of LEAcu's train laid up for the
winter, and, from all the information be could
get, he fears that the whole OF the appropria-
ton for improving the road from II Paso 70
Fort Yuma will be squandvred, without any
practical benefit to the road otherwise
Mr. GLOVER is an intelligent and experience.
ed observer and explorer, and We rely much
upon his statements aud observations Tor a
correct and reliable description OF the route
traversed by HIM Being one of BUT1ERrELD
a Co.'s party. his account Is doubly valuable.
--Aanphis APpeli, loua bass.