The Van Buren press., 1869-09-21
FALCON, ARK, Aug. 23d, 80.


OF two numbers of your valuable paper.
Please accept my warmest thanks, togeth-
er with my best wishes for your success.
have read these papers with no small
degree of interest. coming as they do
from region in which ! was reared,
have read every word, advertisements
and all, and in doing so i met with many
familiar names. The mere sight of this
paper calls up in my mind the remem-
brance of other and brighter days-days
of my boyhood ndyouth spent in an adj
joining county to Crawford-t Franklin.
How anxiously did await the arrival at
the post Office of those old pioneers in
Arkansas politics, the AteAigencer and
TIE JFestera Frontier why! And how
eager to pcruse them! The presidential
contest Of 1874, was one of interest
calling forth all the energies of the two
great parties. | well recollect that Geo.
w. Clarke fought gallantly in this con
test, and that in The person of Logan, of
the Wig. he met foeman worthy of his
steel. Those were palmy days, Mr.. Edi
tor. Let us not pause to compare them
with the evil snes that have been upon US
tor several years past.
suppose, that all the world and the
rest of mankind" are cognizant of the
fact, that Radicals, Carpet Baggers, ct
hoc genus omne, luxuriatc in the piney
woods South of the mountains. They
arc to be met with in almost every nook
and corner. All the offices are held by
them, the juries are composed of them,
and they, with few exceptions, teach the
free( y schools.
The magnificent p school system is
not exactly filing the measure Of the an
ticipation Of its projectors. There is no
scarcity of wouldbe teachers, but the
people fail to manifest that amount of
zeal for the cause, which they might if
they rould.
Here permit me to hazard the prophecy,
that, at the next general election the Rad
icals will feel the effects ofthcr misdeeds
Let them alone, tor they are joined to
their IDOLS" the most prominent sfwhich
are greenbacks, SO unjustly extorted
from the people in the shape of taxes, for
purposes too numerous to he mentioned
here. Right here permit me to relate an
incident which occurred not thousand
miles from our town, not many moons
agone A certain school district WAS
formed in due time within its limits in
Guiding an extensive scope of country,
The superintendent entered upon the dis
charge Of his duties with becoming zeal,
and the fruits of his labors were readily
made manifest. In due time he called
around him numerous individuals, whom
| he was desirOus Of transforming into ped
agogues. Many came and many were
chosen.
SCENE Superintendent sitting in his
offico smoking a cigar and reading a
newspaper Informant thinks it was the
Fort Smith Nep Era, or the Nountdin
Echo,)
Enter twenty applicants for situations
rs teachers of common schools.
Superintendent" All here gentlemen
happy to see YOU (How congenial
in their feelings these RAIDS always seem
to be) 81 wish, in the first place, to see
your autographs
Applicants-" Sir 2"
Supt-' wish to see your names in
writing"
Having made his English somewha,
palmer he was understood. Each appli-
cant wrote his name on slip of paper
and on presenting it to the superintendent
received the welcome appreciation, " well
done," etc. 1t is needless to say that the
applicants were successful and now, in
stead of being formers, they be school
teachers.
In the desert that environs us few
oascs appear in the distance. Our pco-
pie seem to think that it is unwise to
longer defer the building of Railroads,
and other necessary conveniences, not
withstanding the reign ofpolitical terror.
The road from Gaines Landing to Full
ton will soon be in process Of construc-
ton. Our lands have already advanced
and, to sum all in q nut shell, we look for
better times.
Crops, in this section are good; l have
never seen better grown here. We have
n fine country. Our lands sare not the
richest in the world, but we have advan.
tages which counterbuance. A greater
amount Of cotton is growing than usual.
1t is hoped that enough will be raised to
pay OFF all old debts and ne,o axes
An incorrigibe wag at my elbow says,
he wants to subscribe for the Press, but
cannot, from the fact that the tax collec-
tors tracks are yet visible in the yard, by
which he is reminded ofthe day when all
his money vanished.
Yours truly, b. W. b.