The Van Buren press., 1876-03-14


broken, rough and rocky The Vale,
Of Lees Creek, with its tributaries, i.
probably wider than that OF any othel
tributary running into tbs Arkansas, OF
the north, within the State, but grea
hills aud high diuifs of the milestone
grit sandstaues 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 Fit
Smith, and general and swift descrip.
tlon Of the country is general and swift
description of them.
AT Dripping Springs and yicinage, s,
-, i, 10, II 81, the shae is very thick,
and has an oily and glistening touch and
look Limestone is found here Ill mass
es protrudng from the earth wide
tract of fertile land surrounds it. 1t is
nine miles northward trem Van Buren.
At Mrs Forts, S. II, I |, L. 81, on
Lees Creek. coal is visible in It's bed the
thickness Of This coal is untested, and SO
is It's quality. Ponderous blocks, water
worn, Of carbonate iron are abundant !,
there is some pine on the hills. which are
| lofty
At Natural Dam, S 9, T. II, X. -,
which is on and crosses the Mouatain
Fork Of Lees Creek, the ciH' or . dam =
is about thirteen feet high, Of dark,
water er-resisting, ferrnginous sandstone,
and is an eiiectual and eternal barrier to
the volume et the stream It is most
eligible natural mill site ana 'diii Gitl mill
has been here run for many years. Rich
and wide bottom lands lie around it and
lis neighb0rhood springs are frequent
and the timber fine, coal shales are dis
closed in many places, it is distant from
Van Buren eighteen miles nor,hward
On Lees Creek, still noHhward from
Van Burcn, is 4 fine coal bed, of the
thickness of twenty eight to thirty-two
inches. Eoal has been tried by smiths,
and by them termed fine. 1t is easily
anarried and in quantity. 1t is known
as the Nooten bank This coal, like all
the coal in this field, improves in quality
and thickness as it is penetrated
Near Robert Sutherland's, on Lees
Creek, 5 =, I. IL, Il -, is coal bed
which has been worked; rs 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
sfiatvs occur from this to Joseph Bry-
ants, on Lees Creek, at tho foot of Bos-
Ton Mountains, S. 20, T. u, r. 81, with
ar ptiol AF Hn,,eta,,.
bluffs of sandstone rise up. and are full
of iron. and yield good building rock.
The timber is excellent, white oak being
among the prevalent oaks, and pine be-
ing absent 4 short distance from Bry.
ant $. from the Boston Mountain. runs
the Blackbuln's Fork of Lees Creek,
rich in coal banks. This is a 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 bitumn.
Gus Coal has also, for years, been quar-
ried and transported from pits on Cove
Greek, tributary Of Lees Creek, in the
northwest corner of Crawford it has
been hauled by smiths forty miles. This
coal is very good, its thickness is about
is famous for its very rich benches, hill
slopes and table land, the soil being en-
riched by the limestone and the terru.
glnous carths therein; it is covered with
bottom growth of timber, such as ash,
walnut pawpaw, oak, rich underground,
vines and shrubs. 1t is peculiarly adap,
ted for grape, tobacco, and pastures, the
numerous splings aFording plenty Of
water Ia early times cane (reeds) grew
on their tops, itproduces extraordnari.
~ Of al the grains, corn anl grasses,
Pine is absent
In the neighhorhood of Shannou's :
Mill S 49, T. 10, Il. 30, GA Cedar Creek
which EN- ties into Frog Bayou, quartz
fragments have been discovered, and lead,
also. The water Is sufficient for thesup
ply Of mills, aud the lowlands rich. Coal
sa&!,s also display in this tract of the
county.
There is saline spring in S. 32, r. II,
Il. 81, from which the brine. many Years
ago, WAS worked and the yield of salt
goud. Boring, without doubt, would
bring stronger brine, and make its boil
ing profitable To the salt manufacturer.
even IN tins close proximity to the ex-
hausiIcss saline waters, springs and de-
poslts Of the east Cherokee country. In
| sections ~ and "a are Heard and Pen.
nywlts sulphur springs" from which
run health giving waters, and which sre
famous in their locality The precpi-
tates are white, and were they improved
by digging, cleansing them out and wall
ed, they would probably equal springs in
Virginia aud Kentucky, and become a
resort for spring visitors There are
other" Sulphur and chalybeate springs
in this county.
Ga Frog Bayou, or Clear Greek, near
Frazier Gin, the land is fine, as Frou
Bay on land alway is.
be land is exceedingly fertile. the
/ timber most excellent, the range une.
| quaied and the water wholesome-gep
erally obtained for house use by dippnu.
or In csterns, and abundance of stock
water everywhere There is no better
tract inviting the immigrant, none better
4 for tae occupation to be made by the Ia
bofef7 on youi road"
The county seat of Crawford comfy,
and also The principal town, is
VAN BuREN.
] III il a thriyiuu onl caa, ,,t,ro,,;,,. ..