The Van Buren press., 1876-04-04

Wutiu.
The Valley of Lees Creek contains
excellent land, both bottom and high
land these last are, for the most part
broken, rough and rocky. The Valley
of Lees Creek, with its tributaries, i
probably wider than that of any other
tributary running into tbs Arkansas, on
the north, within the State, but grea,
hills and high bluffs of the millstone-
grit sandstones everywhere intersect it
and yet there are great bodies of fertile
bottom and upland, and thousands OF
homes awaiting the immigrant and the
advent of your road As elsewhere and
repeatedly remarked, the railroad lands
pierce this valley from Little Rock to Ft.
Smith, and a general and swift descrip-
ton of the country is n general and swift
description of them. -. ..E..=
At Dripping Springs and vicinage, s.
%, I, 10, r. 32, the shale is very thick,
and has an oily and glistening touch and
look. Limestone is found here in mass
es protrudng from the earth, wide
tract Of fertile land surrounds it. 1t is
nine miles northward from Van Bufen.
At Mrs Forts, S. II, T l, II. %, on
Lees Creek, coal is visible in its bed the
thickness of this coal is INFESTED, and so
is its quality. Ponderous blocks, water
worn, of carbonate iron are abundant; ;
there is some pine on tue hills. which are
lofty.6s7 zuare@5 f.e sl.E
At Natural Dam, s. 8. r. H. Y. 80,
which is on and crosses the Moultain
Fork Of Lees Creek, the cliff or i" dam .
is about thirteen feet high, of dark,
wascr,ro osis'ing, ferruginous sandstone,
and is an efectual aud eternal barrier to
the voaame of .le stream It is a most
eligible natural mill site, and an old mill
has been here run for many years Rich
and wide bottom lands lie around it and
its neighhefhood; springs are frequent
aud the timber iihe coal shales are dis
closed in many places; it is distant from
Van Buren, eighteen miles northward.
On Lees Creek, still northward from
Van Buren, is fine coal bed, Of the
thickness Of twenty eight to thirty-two
inches. Coal has been tried by smiths,
and hy them termed fine. 1t is easily
quarrietl and in quantity. 1t is known
as the Wooten bank This coal, like all
the coal in this field, improves in quality
aud thickness as it is penetrated.
Near Robert Sutherland's, On Lees
Creek, S II, T. II, R 80, is coal bed
which has been worked, its thickness we
do not know The bottom and uplands
here are fertile. Grapes abound on the
hillsides. as they do elsewhere in Craw
ford The water-is abundant and good |
shales occur from this to Joseph Bry-
ants, on Lees Creek, at the foot Of Bos-
ton Mountains, $. 20, L, IL, r. 81, with
occasional outcrop of limestone, Great
bluffs of sandstone rise up, and are full
of iron, and yield q good building rock,
The timber is excellent, white oak being
among the prevalent oaks, and pine be-
ing absent A short distance from Bry-
aut's, from the Boston Mountain. runs
the BIackburn's Fork Of Lees Creek,
rich in coal banks This is good, work
able coal, exposed for thirty inches has
been used by smiths for years, and into
which have been sunk fourteen pits, This
COAL like the great body of the coal so
far used in this valley is semi bitumin-
Gus Coal has also, for years, been quar-
ried and transported from pits on Cove
Creek, a tributary Of Lees Creek, in the
,,ortl,wese corner OF CRAWFORD; it has
been hauled by smiths forty miles. This
coal Is very good, its thickness is about
twenty seven inches Boston Mountain
is famous for its very rich benches, hill
slopes and table land the soil being en-
riched by the limestone and the terru-
ginous earths therein; it is covered with
bottom growth of timber, such as ash,
walnut, pawpaw, oak, rich undergrowtli,
vines and shrubs. 1t is peculiarly adap-
ted for grape, tobacco, and pastures, the
numerous springs aaordlng plenty OF
water. In early umes cane (reeds grew
on their ters; itprodnces extraordinari
lv Of ali the grains, corn and grasses
fine is absent u F5a 81 M 20 g
In the neighborhood of Shannon $
Mill, S. 10, L. 10, II. 30, on Cedar Creek
which EN- ties into Frog Bayou, quartz
fragments have been discovered, +, and lead
also. The water is sufficient for the sup
ply of mills, and the lowlands rich Goa
shales also display in this tract of tht
county.
There is a saline spring in S. 50, I. II
II. 32, from which the brine. many year.
ago, was worked, and the yield of sal
good. Boring, without doubt, woul,
bring stronger brine, and make its boil
ing profitable to the salt manufacturer
even in this close proximity TO the cx
haustless saline waters, springs and de
posts of the east Cherokee country. Ii
sections 32 and "a are 'Heard's ard Pen
nywit's sulphur springs" from whcl
run health giving waters, and which ST,
famous in their locality. The preeipi
tates are white, and were they improved
by digging, cleansing them out and wall
ed, they would probably equal springs ii
Virginia and Kentucky, and become
resort for spring visitors. There are
other sulphur and chalybeate spring.
in this county. @
On Frog Bayou, or Clear Creek, neal
4 Frazier's Gin, the land is Tine as Fros
Bayou land Away sis. ~ q "
The land is exceedingly fertile, TIL
timber most excellent, the range uue
qualea aud the water wholesome
orally obtained for house use by digging
or ia cistcrns, and abundance of stock
4 water everywhere. There is no bette
tract inviting the immigrant, none bette
4 for the occupation to be made by the Ia
borers on youi road.' ,s~ t..H &
The county scat of Crawford connty