Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1876-09-29
Experience of a Party In
Search of Pleasure
and Business.
Taking Horace Greeley's Advice,
go West, YOurg Man."
rho Innooents Abroad
Bonn sr1ru, AnE., septsmber q. ls7s.

Rock, while waiting for the special train
which was to carry us to this place. Two
passenger cars we're provided for the ex.
c~ursionists and shortly after nine o'clock
we moved off, crossing the Iron Noun.
tain railroad which comes in here from
st. Louis. The Fort Smith and Little
Rock railroad runs up the valley in a
northwest direction on the right side Of
the Arkansas river. The distance by
rail is one hundred and sixty-eight miles
The construction of the lower end Of
the line began several years ago, but the
upper end, where the work was heaviest,
was only finished a few months ago. II
opens up to the world a rich, though not
p%opulous country, which heretofore has
only been reached by light steamboats, q
small portion Of the year. The mer-
chants about here laid in their stock for
a whole year ahead, and waited patiently
for the next annual rise Of the river.
In speaking Of the trip ana the country
l must confne myself to facts obtained
and observations made in a few hours
The train ran on no particular schedule
and had the road free, and we stopped
at the principal towns and mingled with
the people at pleasure. The excursion
mad been we'll advertised, and at several
places we met considerable crowds.
Major j. W. Gay, the general freight
and ticket agent, accompanied US as far
as Conway, a smart, live, young town,
with a dozen stores and a Tilden and
Hendricks flag on a pole in tire middle.
The distance is thirty miles. Here we
reluctantly parted company with Major
Gay, who by the way lived in Memphis
several years ago, and was a member Of
the firm of Anderson & Gay, on Front
row. Mr.. Van Runkle, late OF Memphis,
is selling goods here and starting a good
business. He was glad to see us, sub
scribed for the LEDGER, and invited US,
one and all, to call again. This place is
in Conway county, noted for good up
lands, adapted for fruit, small grain,
grasses, stock raising, etc., with a great
abundance of timber and water. The
land averages 1900 pounds of cotton in
the seed to the acre, SS bushels Of corn,
IS bushels of oats, Is bushels Of wheat,
20 bushels Of rye, so bushels OF Irish
potatoes, 100 bushels Of sweet potatoes,
and 2 tons of grass. There are in the
county 81 churches, 80 mills and manu-.
factories; aud last year 400 emigrants
settled in the county, purchasing $1,000
acres of land. These items give an idea
Of the progress and enterprise visible on
every hand in Arkansas. could name
other counties in which still more marked
changes for the better are going on.
Further up the valley the Boston
mountains come in view several miles 70
the right. This is a picturesque range,
rock.ribbed and c~lif.crowued, rising
boldly aud graudly above the plain, and
gradually closing in toward the river,
u%ntil::st last, the train uni through deep
cuts beneath their beatling shadows. The
scenery at many places is truly grand
and by many of the party was compared
to that Of the Hudson. There is indeed
a striking similarity in the general fee
lures Of the landscape.
Russellville is a thriving town, seventy
FIVE miles above Little Rock, has eighI
hundred inhabitants, q live newspaper
the Democrst-owned by a stock com
pany Of merchants, and all printed a
home. The stock is worth 81 % on th,
dollar. So much for business manage
ment. Mr.. G. E. Howell, a leading mer
chant Of the place and a ~stockholder
sent in an armful Of Democrats just from
the press, There is an clearinghouse here;
OF course we stopped some time. Three
miles above Russellville are the 0uita
coal miles, where an abundance Of semi.
anthra cite coal is taken out to st. Louii
for the use Of the brewers. Its proper
ties are that it burns well and make
neither smoke nor dust.
Clarksville was the next place we
stopped distance from the Rock" 10.
miles. This is an old town, in the mids
Of a rich mineral and agricultural region
| We remained here some time and mad.
the acquaintance Of nearly every mar
] in the place. Ours is a commercial part,
. and means business. Half the crowd a
, least will be able on their return to tel
= exactly how many bales of cotton ar
shipped from each station, how mue.
each merchant buys per aunum, and wha
share Memphis can divide with ST. Louis
|, | picked up some Of these items myself
but could not compete With the CONNER
\ clal news gatherers, who kept ahead q
me by a large majority. Near here ar
the Spadra coal mines, which we visite,
in a body. Forty tons or four car loads. Ar
IL taken out per day. The nina ara mob.
n mostly by black convicts, who would
., black still, even il in a Touring mil
The coal is Of the same quality as Ii
ouita coal mines, and is likewise shiI
ped mostly to ST. Louis, and is used +,
melting iron and by brewers. The co,
is stacked up in blocks bigger than
RI meeting house, awaiting shipment. "