, 1869-11-23
ARKANSAS.
The Mountain Region of Carroll
County.
Homes of the Mountain-
6eT8.
The BeautieS Of Crooked Creek
Valley,
Promise OF Mineral Wealth,
IraoM ouA SPECIAL coRRxsfpNpEH.l

In leaving nuutsyllle for Casrotlton, the coantT
seat Of Carroll CountJs scyen'J-dva miles distant,
We begtn The journey By climbing very respect
able u;o1naafn, the nrst Of long range taat lies
upon Cur road These nounta,us-or spears OF tne
Ozark, which continue to gfow t,fgrr and more
precapltous We enter Carroll Co1nty--are fouat1
to extend mostly In 4 northeast and southwest
etly direction. Al our course IL eastward. bearing
a little to the north, We crots both mountain aud
valleys dlagona1ly- Gradually the scene changes
from the beautiful aud to,erabl5 we'll cultivated
sect,on we have teis tnto comparatively barren
and poEe1tJ.strtcken coantrJ. In place
Of the nne farming lands we
have eeeu tn Washington and Madison
Counties. We now meet with bat comparatively
sEan c,ear1pgs at the foot Of Or upon the side OF
some h,il- But yery 1ltsIe Of the SOL 10 fact we
nrt Ia cultivated at all The couut15 IL nil either
mountain or "botsom," as she valleys are termed.
These monntaine, often ten ard twelSe mics
across are a. Wild aud picturesque ~ oae eau well
concetrc. Frequently, during the eutEe ride from
valley 10 valley, one meets With TO. a sign OF a
human he!ne. Occasionally, ho Eeyer, we herr
tie tlukle Of bell taai be rays the presence Of
drove OF cattle turned loose upon the mo1ntatn
for the entire gear to sh: for themselves a. best
ttey can, with no expense, sarc as1ttua, TO the
ow1er in the valley below logs, too, are met
here nnd there, IN Large d,ores, tas;eGtng
upon the "uass" {shack} ths. every shere
abouLds. Save these egldenccs OF ciEttzs-
uou, Ole sees nsught around him but dcaae
Wild, through which the bear, the deer, the wolj,
and other dentzens Of the native forest, roam ut
VII. Descending The mountain side, one Il struck
fosrloly hy the abundance aud magnitude Of be91-
usul springs, huob!tEg up from the 1oHts Of some
tree, or squirting forth frpm . creEAssa In some
Projecting rock. In the valley, or bottom, We In
rarisby 1ud live1y stream. from which the VAL
ley, as well as the mountain. Is named. Tats
srrain is either beautiful creek, or rushing ris-
eE, AZ dry or rainy season may determine Cpon
its banks or the sidcs Of tie adjoining mounra!7s
beside come spring, IL seen the
sude log house Of the resdcnI BETTER.
Occasionally OF swo, It Is far more Often sccu
10 consist Of but one large room. The huge c1lt,
Fey takes up large portion Of one end. and u
either bul!t Of rough unhe wn logs half the war
more from the ground mp, to be tipped out with
stIcAe. the chuss Of which are stopped e1ta mad.
Or with huge books Of Limestone ,ock. The door
!s but q rough patchwork Of boards swinging
upon huge wooden hinges: windows. ID the coEu-
noD ncceptatt0l Of the term, there IRE none IL
their place there are one or tHo small openings.
With q rough Species Of trapdoos attached, TO ba
opened or closed, as the state o. the westher viii
a!low. The do1r Is either made Of split lo9s-.hc
rough side tmhed,led in the Garth, at d the Eelis
surface upward. presenting at least solid II not
polished eueface--or OF loose boaItls Is the ca
msS lie. From the noor upward. for louf Or $. +
feet, the chinEs between the logs arc
ntled VITA mud. Above thus this pure
alr OF Heaven ia free to clrcu-
late ut WILL II the appearance
thought Of the coming wtuter, II Is, at Iea.t sus-
gestlse OF q higher order OF renulat,ou, aad it,
efftctia olspelled ib a large degree By Eight Of
the ncnstrous replace which pouopo.izes nearly
the whole OF one end OF the foou.
Epon the hearth Is scattered the halt lozea or
so cooking utensils that are made to aus ger all
purposes IN that line. Here the rough, uucoash,
ignorant, but honest, warm.heorted noun: :a.neer
"a At home In his glory. small patch Of
rich bottom land supplies. With lt:ic !aHnr, the
needed gua1uty OF "co1n. md other truck for
table Csc, Upon tho hitls!Iea, roaming
rs will. he has, perhaps, "A drove o. cat
tie, or, at leatt. from 6fsy to a hu7.
dtcd hogs, the raising and fatteu.ns
Of rhieh Gusts not dollar, He hss, therefore an
abundance OF bacon, which. With hts corn brta.l,
supplies his customary diet, accompanied as II ig
b. abundance Of yentson and Wild tuyEe5s Al
.'killlne Tine" also, he has perhaps soue tons ot
bacon 70 epare, which he teams at his leisure to
Springfield, Mo-, returning with load OF sup
p1et, or Of merchandise for his nearest uetc1aa.,
perhaps twenty mics distant, His door l!se hl:
heart Il eyer open TO the stranger, who, II he nuet
rough, has at least q hearty welcome No MAJ
Ter how Gro xied for room, you invariably dnd that
by NONE hook CT crn-k, rnu arc furnishes
with q good od.1a.hioued feather bed
rernaps not !onr feet away are "oInkei"
couple Of large, re.y.cheeted glrs, b. ~,nre vco,
II ba.htul, you nnd it so1e1ha, cuhaYrassiac
14sEeee- you are. peses.azce. SONG shat rca:
,,,.,., "-,v,e,, ~ the old woman, who cones I
yonr re.,cf with, "Sow, gals, klsee up wh1o III
strarver m. ..reeses; for nj part, I'm msrs'ei,
ita no diaereuce..r Pu!li1g Oh your uu.nenuons
bles desperately, while she g'ls aIe gsz'lnG unde
The "kiser," you plunge ins-' Hest &c., o! couf't
arc OF into the land Of dreams al cree In II
morning sou nle up tetines, and. ere the fos h.
Tilted from the valley, you are ascending tn
aei2h5ortcg mountain, following, perhaps, nas
TOW bride path for 1zllcs. Though yoCr no7at:a7,
MouptalEeer has tod yoa 10 "keep a shArp looE
out for bar,' you pursue your way IN kou
| sude, until nearing the "breaS," 0
"csside" Of the mountain, where Jon obtain
| me panoramic view o! beautiful valley extend
ing for miles away, aud hear unce more the CON
helI that tells Of a settler near
II 1facquatnted with ahrep-ratstn9, you are fore
hly struck with the self.eyldeet facs tl3. hefr
one Of the s1eat natural countries for sheep /
Amencs- So, too, for da!frtbs 1t cannot be beat,
tho cutie require absolutely fec ling Of care
al, saEc 70 fu.n1hh good kupp15 Of ta.t. A: a
most every hamlet, too, Jou are shown s.ch spec
Etns of lead, anu not lew, Indeed, OF sllycl
| from tho 'llouutsns near By. Fnr fa,rr
| Ing purposes, however; there II little II
| ducemc1t here, Faye 1t tie In the war q
reacpre, which everywhere abound and In ii
ca1ttvatton OF grapes, which are 'ount, IN na'tr
s.atc, as large as the eata*ta OF OHIO CT Missouri
Ca1Tollton we dad hut small collection Of bon &c.
| containing perhaps 40 souls. Exactly how the
all live seems mystery, ~ the toTo teen1s -.
nIiTtre little or co trade at a1 a,tn the .u,,ourt
anE ee1au3' f..a hcre Ee soon strike the col
lLss Of Mar0n, County, ole Of The ronghesi al
u ost monn:a!aous In the Safe. Il ls, noFeFel
undoubtedly exceedingly ncn in mlnegais, esp.
cialy lead On every haad, too, one hears legeod
| without end, Of fabulous deposits Of s1ira: In rh
or that nominations range, the exae
locality Of which, however, Is les
slpce the departure Of the AboriHae
Passing tnrv-.oh Marion, We enter into ne
county, called Boone, Coming to the eu@nence {
lsrve mountain, tic crossing Of vhe1 na4 TIE
or pa::eLce Eor little, We pause ere oeS7nnio
the descent, to view the charming prosper besor
Is. For miles atd miles We haze beautiful pane
ramic view Of what-Crookei Creek talieT-1
! known as c1e Of the most beaatilul sections Q
county IN ASkaneas- Seldom, 1ndecd, has II be-.
our lot to behold q more enhancing scenic IL:
pfay Of Nature than is here presented to view. +
the north and to the sontb, the rough, Gig: ~
lines OF mountain after mountain are detlaeatct
one upon the other, as though spread cut upon
chart before Us In leout, FAR, faE beloT, is
broad, level e1pause of country, that, conpare
| to that We are ieaying beh!nd, sefns . re1F pasa
disc on earth. Beautiful farms, presenting eye1
variety OF crops Known to a northern CLINE, a1
dotted here and there with comfortable far
hnQAeA, from tic chlmrey1 Of which the blu
*avy Columns OF suoEe are ascending On big
ore setn Is far as eye can reachs Descending Il
1e.g, p!ecpto7s raounrainH aide, We End I!
Fa:ies, a. pictured from cn high, most beautltt
! i.tetd. Here nre improved lands at ten doila
Per he1e that canuos be c1celled In the most
vored sections Ct Ohio, and upon which eve
IN greatest lu1u.iance. Travelling for sesel
1lies, We eoIae TO Crooked CTeek, fro
whence tie galley takes ltA name. He
ne end Post Once, stare, aud TWO or thsee CO,
for1ab!e re4ldences. Near By Is the tarm a,
noue Of the Hon MI, Hopper, Representative
the county. Just b5 his house i ane natut
nr,cse, crossed by the pahi!c highway, and t
nea:h wlica runs nne stream Of sves.uEi
| wafer. From here to Te.lv11le, In Marion Coau
again, Is d,stance Of some twenty mics, Of
high rolling iands. much Of which are in tolerat
gate Of cultivation. Tellylle, the count7-se7t
Marion, We end smalI town OF probably ,h1
hrrdted ebu.4. It see17E, however, 10 be d11r!
quite trade, the goods for the supply Of viii
i are hauled nom Springfield, Mo, soEe n{ut
+ miles distant.
: From here, crossing K!ngs RIser, We bear oG
! The aocthward twelve Etes, to BonAo R!v
over high atd toterah1g level strip oil table las
but little Of which, as yet, has ever been de-
! Grated With an axe. Follo1ts9 up the Buffalo
, Aeye1al miles, We ind some as Wild and p
. turesgue scenery ~ can be found In the STA
In uanE piaces the banks are but perpe1dicu
! vail ot rock, several hundred feet IN height a
, | presenting u smooth, tesse1lated appearance
The eye. Above this, ETH, Il tower
mountain range, presenting roa
t rocky surface, and covered With
spare growth Of ceda1g. At the basa
! | The vail OF rock Tow the waters Of the Butza.s
ala 1e.xz aauaa