The Van Buren press., 1875-12-07
NO. 50

last spring to mortgage his anticipated
crop for supplies. The mortgage was
drawn for $500, with the usual condition
for supplies, signed. acknowledged, and
delivered. When Mr.. Embry, In good
humor, said "Well, sir, what will you
have Z" . Well. Mr. Embry,I believe
will take dosen marbles and two dozen
good Ash hooks, il you have any" Mr.
Embry, looking about IS disgustcd as .
man could, turned to his friend and said
I" No, sir; man who will play marbles
or fish now, in these times, before laying
BY his crop, can get nothing from this
store" and abruptly tore up the mort
gage and ended the trade. When heard
this, il occurred to me that Mr.. Embry
was rather hard on the farmer, and Itook
the liberty of writing him this, aud es-
pecially AS to the fishing, for it's . very
innocent and Lealthful amusement. be.
sides being business in which the spos
ties spent much Of their time
Now, what do you suppose Embry said
in reply1 Inust tell IL all; he answered
thus % Dear Governor--I received your
letter and read it, and in answer have
this TO say. When and the people clcc-
ted you governor, we expected you a.
attend strictly to the duties Of your Of
flee, and not bother us about our bust.
ness; and when desire your opinion az
to my mercantile affairs, will write for
il; further, knew gentleman that lived
near High Point, In Nelson county, Ken
lucky, that reached nearly hundred
years, became rich, raised large family
Of children, and they and be we're rcs-
pected by all who knew them, and the Sc
cret Of his success, as everybody said,
was the old man minded his business and
let other peoples alone" And Embry
made no comments, but signed himself
my friend. On reading that friendly epis.
tie, was about AS much disgasted ~
Embry was when he tore up the mort
gage.
In addition to these hopeful signs
around Us. just see the large increase in
the area Of cultivation over the past yeAr.
| have tried to keep posted on this point,
throughout our State, and every county
has added to its cultivated lands largely
for example, Lee county, over 5000
acres Prairie, about the same; Wood
ruff, from your assessors report, several
thousands Ouacllita, over 1900.
| Is this not most encouraging Small
grain, heretofore almost neglected. has
been sown and raised to astonish us all.
In what VIC call wheat countries, proper.
find fifteen bushels per acre to be .
large yield. but this year in our State, We
have gone beyond that--twenty, twenty
five and thirty bushels. Large aud Ono
vineyards, business heretofore scarcely
and cultivated, With every promise y
good remuneration in shoit time.
We have sent. the past summer, fruits.
vegetables and grain to St. Louis, Chica-
60 and other points, aud received hand
some returns from thcm--ncvcr before
done here. A lawyer in Little Rock
sends seventeen car.loads Of watsrmelons
to Chicago and sells them readily at good
profit, aud tells me it beats cotton and
law both, and governors salary to
boot. St isHii7 ~
So you see Arkansas has not only tur-
ned over new leaf, but she has got her
new book, At last VIC have learned We
can make and use to advantage and profit
something beside cotton. This kind of
planting and farming keeps your money.
otherwise spent out Of the State, among
you, gives you the means Of living at
home, and boarding at the same place
enables you to increase and improve your
stock, tor then you can practice the max
i'm of Cato, the Roman farmer, Of fecd.
ing well. s Gs
Not only is your stock kept up and I'M.
proved, which is one Of the main objects
of your society, but you can improve.
beautfy, and adorn your homes and your
farms, and make them cheerful and At
tractivc, and moro valuable all the time;
then you have more time and means to
devote to the building Of mills and work
shops aud manufactures. Not only this
you escape from that most terrible of
all Affections to and upon the farming
community, 4 mortgage upon your estate
At runous rates and prices. There 10 no
mistake this has been great incubus up
on you, and it can only be avoided in the
way speak of--make enough to live ou
At all risks. keep out Of debt, and you sro
prosperous. And this is the only plan in
which can see that you will ever be able
to secure manufactures in our State, and
il pursued, believe, in = lew years, you
can run your looms and wheels right
where you grow your wool and cotton.
But as long as you send off to other cit
les and states for what you can produce
as well, il not better here, yoar talk Vt
machine shops and fine stock will be
empty, and you will grow poorer and
poorer as the years come and SO. Let us
no longer put an over estimated upon
productions from abroad, and let US no
longer put All under estimate on our own.
My idea is, then, make all at home you
need to live on. and, rs far as possible, to
conduct your business. and let your COT
ton be that much surplus I have con
sidcred this matter no little. and il am
ii error, it is after the most mature re-
dcction Of years. believe You will Hnd
more real pleasure. and in the end more
actual wealth in this course So FAR a.
cotton is concerned, that is always mon
ey. Some one has said cetton is bullion.
1t has charm that is irresistible. Dpris..
the past month. at Little Rock, VIXEN hu-
siness was dull, and the place hooked le
serted, and all seemed ss silent as . grave
yard. suddenly heard the most terrible
racket and hubbub out in The centre Of
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