Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-11
ARKANSAS.
The Saline and 0uaehita Rivers-Fact
and FietiOn-RailrOad and
Progress.
New BuildingS-Mineral Wealih-Im-
meRse Quantity OF Timber-Heal-
ing Springs-Ete., Etc.
From an Occasional Correspondent

From an Occasional Correspondent
ARKADELPHIA, ARK, August o.
The borders of southwestern Arkansas
are laved by the sparkling waters Of the
Saline and Ouacbita rivers, its western
skirted by the bold and treacherous Red
river, and between these innumerable
streams, creeks and lakelets gladden.
the eve of the romantic tourist, and ex-
cite his desire for rest and comfort; and
no sooner does he cross this Threshold
of Eden than. enraptured, he eXclaims,
ssEureka ~ Writers of fiction may here
gather tales, or real life, that need no
coloring of imagination TO make them
grand or fascinating. Greedy novel
readers need not go to Hugo for "Jean
VaIgean, - or "Cossett;n it is useless for
lovers of stories 10 delve in Pick1CicE
OF Jacob Faithful. The actual history
OF this country and people is replete
with thrilling adventures of the red,
white and black man, and glorious pic
lures of woman's sufferings, heroism,
love and devotion. These people have all
the exalted characteristics of natures
noblemen'-fTank, generous and brave.
Until very recently, shut out from the
i'wOrld and the Test of mankind they
laid claims to the highest standard Of
morals and intelligence; and, since the
advent of the Cairo and Fulton railroad
into this portion Of the State, have alb
s1rbed the progressive ideas and spirit
OF the times. This is evidenced by the
new impetus TO trade, the activity and
hustle in business circles, the industry
and vim of the sun-tanned laborer, the
cOmplaisant smile of the planter and the
bewftehing rustic of greenhacks gener-
ally. In this thriving embryo city
thiTty-JOltr buildings are in process of
construction, and the aTtiZan's hammer
or trOwel make music in every direction.
Within two months the population has
augmented from fifteen hundred to two
thousand, and numbeIless families, from
lack of houses, are now tented in the
oak groves of the suburban hills.
In former letters | have told you of
the countless mineral and agricul-
tural resources Of this remarkable
cOunty-Of its iron, lead silver
aud cOal-of its various fruits,
CEREALS, and fabulous productions
for cotton and the balmy mildness of its
delightful climate, facts that to be fully
credited must be seen or felt. The Cairo
and Fulton railroad is the life-giving
artery to trade for this entire section.
Stretching, as it does, from the extreme
northeastern to the extreme southwest
ern part of the State; to-day her en-
ergies propelled by the muddy waters of
the upper Mississippi; tomorrow upon
the cane-jungled banks of the lower Red
river, careering and painting to "cool
her cOppers;n railroads in process of con- !
structiOn, or in the prospective, and rev.
OlutioniZing society and trade in this !
los
men commenced telling the timber and !
clearing the way for the 0uachita Valley
railroad, opening the road at a point
on the Cairo and Fulton, on
the east side of the Ouachita |
river and opposite Arkadelphia. Hon. !
Charles w. Tankersly is the president |
of the road, and whatever may have |
been his political sins, he certainly mer-
its the plaudits Of the people along the |
line of this road for the vim and won
derful capacity he has evinced in this |
grand railroad enterprise. In another |
twelve-mOnth Arkadelphia will stretch |
an iron arm to Camden, and in the
shortest reasonable time il will be ex-
tended to Monroe, Louisiana, connect
ing there with the N, L. and T. rail- |
road. Then viii southwest Arkansas be |
linked with st. Louis, Memphis and |
New Orleans, the great cities that |
proudly smile upon the father of waters. !
Yesterday your correspondent, with his |
usual curiosity, visited Peshall's springs |
at the kind solicitation Of Messrs Pesh- /
all and Habicht, two gentlemen of no /
ordinary shape and talent. The springs 4
are eight miles distant and right merrily |
did we 'jOgn along, meeting with but |
one slight accident, the buggy or semi |
Jersey wagon having once upset, which /
made Captain Peshall, mine excellent |
host of the springs, "think of his head 1
in the morning. This most trifiing ac-
cident was, however, mainly chargeable |
TO Captain Habicht's peHchdHt for driv-
ing over stUmps. However, that is di- i
yerging. The springs are east of this /
point, and are easy Of access over |
road that is lined with grapes,
massive oaks, dogwOods and magnolias, |
and here and there wild flowers in the |
grsndest beauty and greatest profusion
such as ferns, myrtle, sweet-myrtle, |
Arkansas lilies, morning glories, and |
other endless varieties that are only I
known 10 bOtanists-and here and there,
hugging dilapidated fence-cOrners of un-
cultivated fields, were hrier-bushes as
cending TO the incredible hight of forty
feet, the tops waving in the twigs and
branches OF the forest giants. Reach
ing the springs, found there ensconced
in a beautiful nook, walled in by the
natural masonry of hundred hills, and
arched over with the protecting boughs
OF a beech and holly grove, undel
whose refreshing shade little rustic
urchins were playing at ball, and |
blitbesOme country lassies reveling
in "croquet." Within radius OF one
hundred feet, nine mineral springs, each
most essentially differing from the other,
burst into life. We stood in our tracks,
and with a cOcoanut dipper drank from
four springs-One sulphur, another mag
nesia, one soda, and the fourth ehaly-
beate. These waters have a most won
derful and immediate action upon the
kidneys, and l am warranted in saying /
your correspondent imbibed a gallon
within the space Of an hour Resident
ladies in delicate health visit these
waters, and never go home ecm-
planning. Their medicinal properties
are curative for all diseases ofl
women, especially where the more deli
cate and sensitive female organs are af-
fected. COnstitutionally barren wives,
after a months visit to Peshall's springs
soon provide themselves with q cradle
aud the ordinary paraphernalia for a
juvenile advent-but Peshall is not re-
sponsiele for that. This is no "hocus-
pOcus,n it is veritably true, as hundreds
of happy mothers in this locality will
cOrrobOrate. The virtue of these waters
to women of disorganized or defective
members is as the healing of the Hot
Springs to all diseases of an immoral
character. Among other visitors we
found a "dOwn-eastn mathematician,
protesting to teach Orton's system of
1Iightning calculation" he had gath
cred a class of thirty-nine in a seques-
tered dell, and they were kindly pro-
tected from the midday sun by the cool
umbrage Of neighboring beeeh-trees,
that bore the name of every lad and
maiden in the adjacent country, carved
in the shining bark around the
body Of the tree. This New Eng
land monster humbugged bis in
nccent pupils to the tune Of
one dollar each, per diem, by passing
around the hat 50 soon as the exercises
opened. Old and young, male and fe-
male, sought instruction from this oracle,
hut opine that these ambitious pupils
viii not shadow Church or Davies by
instructions from this mountebank.
Another inviting feature Of this locality
is that "after crops are laid by" the
neighbors that have the love and fear Of
God In their hearts, congregate here for
a general camp-meeting, and love-lorne
lads and rnaiHQna noe the occasion for