Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-25
THE ARKANSAS COUNTRY.
Railroads Wanted Memphis Espe-
cialIy interested.

Probably no country in the world is
in natural advantages than
Western Arkansas. When the Mem
phis and Little Rock Road is finished
and the one from Little Rock to Fort
Smith opens up to us the rich lands OF
the Indian Nation, then Memphis Will
have cause to rejoice. A correspondent
of a st. Louis paper, recently on a
visit TO Fort Smith, gave a gi0Ing
account of the region about the tort
and urged upon the merchants Oh 81
Louis to make a bold strike for the
trade of that region. Inc merchantS
of Memphis will have that trade IN
their own hands as soon as
the roads now in progress are
COMPLETED. Western Arkansas IS
cut asunder from west TO east by a
great river, affording constant COM
munication with all the towns on the
Mississippi and its tributaries; and,
at high water, with the vast region
westward to the base of the noun
tains. 1t was s~ectioniZed many years
aoo. and mostly run over, has not
much improved. The appearance, IN
Dlaces. Is that of an old country; yet
the new and primitive character gen
eralIy prevails. Side by side, in every
mart the immigrant finds old settle
ments i~nterspersed with new lands OF
the best quality, both prairie and TIM
her at from two to five dollars per
acre. Homestead and graded land,
to a considerable extent, can be got
| i'm almost every county. Land Is the
cheapest thing in market. Taxes and
/ the want of means to make 1t prOduc-
| tive cause sales.
This, and all the Indian country adj
Joining. whose trade centers at Fort
Smith. swarm with cattle, horses,
| hogs. and many sheep, all fattening
| and fed, the year round, on native
grasses and cane. Some care, hOWeN-
er, is required towards spring, else
they are liable to run down, and II OLD
die. AgoOd, fat four year old steer Il
worth twenty dollars; a pair OF good
work oxen, sixty dollars; ponies,
thirty-fve dollars, and work horses
and mules are high. The cattle are OF
the Texas sort, with long horns, and
fine for team purposes. 1t is claimed
that the improved breeds do not dc
well. or rather they do too well, IN
that they die of fairness, or are ruined
for cows by tactical eXceSses.
The soil, especially about the
streams, is very rich; and in many
cases, over great areas, is of black
color and sticky like wax, making,
according to analysis, a soil possessed
of the most important mineral lngre'
dients, including an excess OF potash
and soda and lime, the basis OF The
cotton fibre, and of the cereals.
Cotton, tobacco, wheat, corn, rye
barley, oats and peas; apples, al.
monds, peaches, plums, grapes anC
berries; sweet potatoes and turnipS
red clover, and on the moister lane
Timothy. give entire satisfaction
Onions, potatoes and cabbage are fair
This variety of fruit and grain com
mends the country to all who see it,
The seasons are five or SIX weeks II
advance of those of Cleveland, ONO
The winters do not much obstruct or
binary labor. There is but little snow
March is the proper planting tllne
The sun is hot at times; but the ia.
of heat and sultriness are few, own;
TO the elevation of the country an
mountain air. The latitude is that Q
North Carolina and North Georgia
The stately days of autumn extent
into ~mid-winter. Green fruits, espe
cially apples, are plenty the yea
round. The cereals a be raised a
good and as cheap "a in Illinois; an
man can live too easily for his ow.
good.
f The-drawbacks upon immigratio
are principally imaginary. Abroa
was an erroneous impression that pull
lie sentiment Let mqrderers go, ant
that the use Of dirks aGd leade
sIugs was too common, and fhf
/, hears infested the fold ruinously-stC
e. ries heard Of every frontier. TanneI
: les, foundries, workshops for agricuI
. turaI and domestic furniture, spinnin
and weaving, the mechanical arts
: and roads and bridges exist, but be-
2 Lar are needed, and the openings al
: loo inviting to remain long unoccI
pied. With the locomotive will com
these, and that out79fhesway regiO
, will he transfOPme9 Ia Il Qay.'