The Van Buren press., 1867-07-26
A Reconnaissance OF the Fort Smith and
Little Rock Railroad.

I
Little Rock Railroad.
At our request We have been furnished
f,w items Of the observations. made by Capt.
W, l.. DEScKLA and J. W. WAsuBURS, Esq
who In hasty reconnaissance Of the lands be-
longing to Fort Smith and Little Rock Rail-
road Company. These gentlemen made buta
short stay here and stait ted down on the south
side Of the River TO make general obscrva-
ton Of resources of that section of the coun-
try: go, ,
VAN DURlS, ARKs., July 10Th, is6..
EDITOR PREss: We reached here yesterday.
Capt. wM. L. DExcELA and myself are on
living Reconnaissance of The country lying on
and near the lands of the Fort Smith and Lit
tie Rock Railroad lands. Our observations
commence at Poin; Remove Bayou, Conway
county. and run. on the north side the Arkan
sas to Fort Smith.
So far rs can be done by us. our object Is to
gain as complete a knowledge Of the land
stone, timber water and minerals Of this val
ley as our limited time and means will admit
TO give it to the world and thus tempt able
men to make its exploration, and build the
Arkansas Valley Railroad
The trip so far has been exceedingly salts
factory. The Valley is rich in everything
which makes country great. The lowlands
of the river and its numerous tributaries are
as fertile as any in the world. Cotton, all the
cereals, grasses, fruits and vegetables arr all
luxurious in their growth, and excellent in
their quality. Vast tracts of level or gently
broken uplands lie all along the Valley, and
are generally fertile, yielding all the above
named products second only to the bottoms.
For wheat, grass, and fruits they are perhaps
preferable. Where the soil is poor material
for its improvement exist in the vicinity.
Even the soil of the hills which every where
traverse this Valley is good, and in many in
fstances will make the finest of stock farms.
The streams are numerous, living and afford
abundant power for mills, There is multi
tude of springs and water that can easily
be obtained anywhere by digging. Some of
these springs are very cold and pure, and all
the water is sweet and wholesome.
The prevailing stone of the Valley is mill
stone grit in all its varieties, with shales and
congiomcratcs. Superior grindstOne grit
have we seen. Very fine burrstone we
found in Pope on the waters of Piney. The
rocks are nearly all non-forsliferous. Goals
every where They crop out from Point Re-
move through Pope. where there are thick
seams, become wider and deeper in johnson
: franklin, less prevalent in Crawford, and
underlie all Sebastian. A real test of these
Goals has never been made, but they have been
used for years by smiths. In Sebastian, how
ever, they have been used, and exported, fol-
years as house, boat and engine fuel. The coa
fields run far west into the Indian country
They are destined to become one of the chie
: sources of the wealth of Arkansas.
4 In timber the entire State is richer than any
r cast of the Rocky mountains. Arkansas is one
$ vast forest of all the oaks save lye-oak. Great
. pineries abound. One ofthe best of them lie
between the waters of Illinois Bayou ant
Spadra, running. in instances, for miles up t
; All the other woods peculiar to this zone ar,
abundant in great perfection.
In minerals, Arkansas is shortly to take he
\ place as one of the richest Countless billion!
c oftons of iron lie in her bosom. Zinc in in.
told quantity. Lead plentiful. Silver indi
cations rich. Copper has been found. Many
c other valuable minerals and earths exist here
When systematic geological and mneralog.
e ical survey of this Valley is made by cohpe-
9 tent men. the riches that lie therein will as
tound even old miners. So also of the White
river Valley. 1t Is the one great necessity OF
the State, far more important to her interests
. her future. her life than reconstruction"
a Through all these riches in this magnificent
L Valley run the Railroad land direct Within
them lie a portion of these riches. On them
:. are some Of its forests. If Wall street could
take a i" birds-cye vew'' of the Valley, It's
money would soon be building the road and
$ buying the lands and setting emigrants there
, on.
As you requested, have thus cndcavored
to give you some account of what we have
learned. Yours. J.W.W.
MORE THIEVES ABorT,--We learn that on
Tuesday night last. Dept. L. s. Marshal IIol.