Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-10-25

resources " dFh0hSuS-" O'o"'' '''']' '"
home-Great inducements to Emtgrants
-Hop the Freedmen acork-Our Rail-
roads, DC.
PINE BLUFF, Oct. Is, 1866.
Mr.. Editor I have often promised my
self, to write brief sketch of the resources
and future prospects of Arkansas, for the
ENQUIRER, as many Of your readers con-
template seeking new homes-some in the
sunset west, and others, more visionary,
looking to Brazil as the land of PROMISE
If you will glance at the map of Arkansas,
you will see the mighty Mississippi sweep
ing her entire eastern border. Along this
Father of Waters extends broad scope of
the finest alluvial lands, averaging forty
miles in width, and as fertile as the far-fam-
ed delta of the Nile Tributary to the
Mississippi are the st Francis, White and
Arkansas rivers-all fine naVigable streams
and belted with rich alluvial bottoms, as
productive as any lands in the world. On
the south. western side of the State, Red
River, with its tributaries, offer the same
fattering inducements to the farmer and
cotton grower Then there is the Ouachlta,
BAYOU Bartholomew and iunumerable
smaller streams, all of which make Arkan-
sas the best watered State in the Uuion.-
You can form q correct idea Of the mex
haustible land resources of the State, from
Que significant fact. In 1860, our white
population amounted to 324, 1873, while
South Carolina had 3OS, ,0OO-less than that
of Arkansas. Notwithstanding this fact,
Arkansas had 100000 acres of unentered
land, some of it capable of making bale
ot cotton to the acre and the United States
held Sitbin her limits, 100000 acres
While there was so much government land
in the State, private individuals owned
large tracts of unimproved land, and many
of them are now Offering them at from one
to fue dollars per acre, and in some lnstan-
ces allowing them to revert to the State lot
taxes These facts show the land resources
of the State, and that Arkansas, when settled
up, is capable of supporting population OF
one million with as much ease as South
Carolina supports her present number OF
inhabitants.
When we are told about the cheapness OF
land in Brazil, We reply, here it is just as
cheap. You can enter it at Government
prices, or buy from private parties at the
lowest figures, aud on your own terms as
to time of payment. Those who go to Bra.
zil expecting to get fine Improvements and
fine lands for the same price they can pur
chase wild lands, will be greatly deceived
To those who are able to make cash
payment, it is always cheaper to buy im-
proved places. To buy improved places,
generally requires cash payment of oue
fourth or oue-third The FIRST years crop
will pay the balance What cheaper land
should any one desire? The improved
places Oh the Arkansas river are selling at
from twenty to forty dollars per acre. The
cost of clearing, fencing, draining and 9th
erwise improving these places, is estimated
at from forty to one hundred dollars per
acre. They can be purchased now for less
than che cost of clearing-to say nothing OF
the other improvements. Besides, you are
living all the time in christian communl
ty-so- called-and are not under the dis
agreeable necessity of studying Spanish or
Portuguese, before you can accuse your
neighbor of stealing your hogs, or if you
are bachelor, or should get to be widow
er, before you can persuade some fair signo'
rita to naturalize you.
A great many people in Carolina may
think the figures given above for improved
lands, very high, but they must not suppose
the land is such as they have been accus.
toned to regard as the first quality. The
best lands 10 York District are one hundred
per cent below our best. Then some fear
they cannot find good society in Arkansas
Here, too, they are in error. The people
here are intelligent and progressive. 1t is
also hallucination to suppose that in COM
ing to Arkansas, the emigrant is "golng
out of the world" The nearer you get to
the Mississippi river, the nearer you get to
the great heart of the western world. Pine
Bluff is about the size of Yorkville, and We
have twice the fashion and extravaganza
here now that YorkVile had before the war.
This is evidently recuperative country
You can form ustidea of the difference be-
tween your State and this FROM one fact -
Here negroes hire, very readily, for twenty
dollars per month, and we cannot get enough
at that. Would the best lands 10 York Dis
trot justify such prices?
nnestion of no little interest is the