Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-07-29
ARKANSAS.
What it Is, and What IL is NOt-SOme
Graphic PenciIfnEs.

What if Is, and What it is NOt-SOms
Graphic PenefifnEs.
We extract the following from For
ney's Philadelphia Press, which includes
the experience of one of its correspond
ents for seventeen years in that State;
Seventeen years ago the writer was
employed by gentlemen of the city Of
Philadelphia and New York to examine
the mineral localities of Arkansas, and
after spending several months in hasty
tour over the mountainous region of the
State, he returned with a valuable col
lection of minerals, ETC., which were set
up in his Office, in Philadelphia, and
which attracted very great attention.
The inspection of these specimens, with
information given of the country, made
Arkansas more generally known in the
East as State for safe and lucrative
investment of capital; but the money
crisis of 1878, and the war following,
prevented the execution of laid out
plans to develop the great, untold min
eral resources of the State. Ever since
that period, however, the writer has'been
buoyed up with the hope that the time
would come when the star OF Arkansas
would shine out brilliantly in the con-
stellation that represents our great
union Of States, as indicating a Com
monwealth rich beyond description in
mineral wealth; and that time is fast
approaching. The cloud of prejudice
,snh' Mnlcn hsIe.oi9re mas ooscuLeu .he true
lig1t Is uriiteu away peyonu her porders'
ana nenceiorth ner atmosphere VIII De
erigh' anu ciear: ArSansas Is now iree
rom powie-kniie anu pistoi, wnich, IN
silnes gohe py' were 80 inucn 9reaueu
here-Ine iong ago Dug-pear ana draw
Dack 70 tne onward marcn OF arkansas
IN improvements In company with other
states. :. ,
me toolh-pick coghomen' Dy whlch
the otate OF ARKANSAS was formerly
reeognizeu' IS discarded ana the Crys-
tai state OF the Union IS substituted /;
and name more appropriate she could
not have, TOR Arkansas certainly has a
larger amount and greater, variety oil
crystailzeu rocks ana minerals 1han any
other 1tate IN the Union Professor
DAVID Daie owen IN reference sTt to Arkan.
present no region known on this contin-
ent which presents such extensive mines
OF rock-crystal as the gorges OF the
mountainous regions OF montgomery
county Almost every insure of TINS
vast sandstone formation for distance
OF one or TWO miles In length, ana
Tor three quarters to one mile IN
width is lined with these brllllants, which.
exposed IN pursuing open the crevices OF
the rock, glitter and flash in the suns
rays like dladem,H and he adds, Here,
as IN the Alps, we have the crystal
hunter exploring the reoesses OF the
crystal mountain, and carrying his ght-
tering points to the Hot Springs and
elsewhere, exposing them for sale at the
door steps OF the hotels, and in the shop
windows, as attractions for strangers to
serve by their purchase as remembrances
Of the buyer $ visit to the crystal regions
of Arkansas" and Her crystal noun
tains stand unrivaled in extent, and
their products are equal in brilliancy
and Transparency to any in the world.
Hence, how greatly appropriate is the
name Crystal State for Arkansas.
The light. free-burning anthracite
found to exist, though in thin strata, in
the eastern part of the Arkansas field.
gradually changes into fat bituminous
coal in the western part, where veins are
exposed five to six feet thick At Spa |
dra on the Arkansas river, one hundred |
and fifty miles above Little Rock-river
coal is similar in struc- |
ture and appearance to the Cumberland |
coal of Maryland, and its quality, by |
analysis, is similar to that famous article |
of fuel. 1t is true semi-bituminous-a
excellent steam and manufacturing coal.
In the upper or western part of the field
is a good gas coal, and the bituminous,
in some places in this part of the region.
the variety called camel.
The anthracite obtained was equally
pure in quality, and of as bright, clear
fracture as that of PENNSYLVANIA, but
this was got from the outcrop Of a small
seam. larger and workable strata NAV