The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-06-01
LITTLE Rock, May, 1859.

Persons who have not visited it, suppose
the Arkansas to be narrow and devious
stream, flowing through a wilderness, bro
ken at long intervals with small indentures
in the forest by the solitary plantations
The only towns on its banks ever heard OF
abroad are Little Rock, Van Buren,, and ft.
Smith. There is no stream in the country
where the traveller, with these impressions,
on his first voyage, will meet with so many
agreeable surprises. For fifty or sixty miles
above its mouth, its banks are low and fire.
queutly inundated by the backwater of the
Mississippi meeting its own floods. The
country on this portion of the river is soil
tary and gloomy, with but here and there a
woodlands hut and opening. But above
the influences of the Mississippi, the banks
are elevated above the reach of all but the
most extraordinary floods, and have not
been overfown for fifteen years, since the
memorable food of 1874. The waters Of
the Arkansas, like those of Red river, are,
during its rises turbid with the PARTICLES of a
red clay, of brick-dust color. This sedi-
ment forms the richest cotton soil, and
makes the bottoms of the Arkansas as pro-
ductive as those of Red river, which yield
one and half and two bales to the acre,
making the annual product of an acre, at
last years prices, worth from S75 to 500.
Such crops have settled the country, and
given high prices to the lands.
The first point of note after passing the
inundated lands, is the old Arkansas Post,
about sixty miles from the mouth, which
was established by the French in the same
year that Philadelphia was founded. 1t was
the seat of the French Colonial and the
American Territorial Government, till the
admission of the State; and previous to
1924 was the abode of intelligence and re-
finement, and the scene of considerable COM
mercial activity as the Territorial Capital
and an important trading post. But it has
now become a cattle rancho. The prima-
tive log prison that has confined many a
border outlaw-a log structure that was
once brilliant saloon and the resort of the
fashionable territorial loafers and idle off,
cials-a large plantation house, once the
Gubernatorial mansion, and few forlorn
creole cottages, are all that remains of its
former splendors and wealth.
From the Old Post to Little Rock, dis
lance of 200 miles, the banks are above all but
the extraordinary freshets that occur at long
intervals, and are as we'll cultivated and set
tied as any portion of the Lower Ohio riv-
er. The scenery though luxuriant and
beautiful becomes monotonous from the uni
form level of the banks which are varied
only at long intervals, by bluffs of moderate
elevation.
Though the landings and post Offices are
very frequent, the only town of any conse-
quence between the mouth and Little Rock
is Pine Bluffs, containing a population OF
about two thousand, and which exports
from 10000 to $4,000 bales OF cotton an
nually. 1t is a creation, within few years;
of the agricultural prosperity of the region
around. Ii shows all the evidences of pros
perity and wealth of the most thrifty North
ern towns. From the Old Post to Little
Rock, lands rate from $25 to $50 per acre
according to the improvements.
The most delightful town. for residence
that have visited in the Southwest, is Lit
tie Rock. It's placed hundred feet above
the river, upon an elevated bluff that form:
its Western banks for several miles. From
il an enchanting view is obtained up anG
down the river and for miles over the coun
try, beyond the Eastern banks, where, as il
beautiful landscape picture, is beheld thu
busy scenes of plantation life.
From the elevation OF the city, the coun
try spreads ont for miles in gently undula
ting plains, whose native growth is pine
oak, aud cedar. Under a thin vegetable
mould is coarse gravel, the pebbles il
which were worn as smooth, by the actor
of the water before the elevation of the bluff
as any found upon the sea shore. This sub
stratum of gravel affords the luxury of fin,
and mudless streets and roads in all direc
tions, aud at all seasons The city is laiC
out upon magnificent scale, as regards
space the blocks contain from three Il
FIVE acres each. Away from the haunts o
traffic, the streets present succession o
neat cottages, elegant residences, and nov
and then a magnificent mansion, shaded b,
native forest trees, or embOwered in shrub
berry, and garlanded in flower beds. Th
air OF quiet comfort, indolent luxury an
case prevail here that are observed in Lex
ington and other old and wealthy towns i
Kentucky. Even the spectators and bus
ness men seem content and no hurry TO b
rich or anxious to make an operation
This sleepy contentment seems about to
disturbed by restless railroad projectors, VIII
have secured large land grants, and al
pointing several OF their lines towards til
city, with Tie view of waking il up an
making it the focus of their operations