The Van Buren press., 1876-04-25

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, is
probably wider than that of any other
tributary running into tbs Arkansas, on
the north, within the State, but great
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 Il general and swift descrip
ti"n of the country is general and swift
description of them.
At Dripping Springs and vicnage, S.
90, L. 10, r 80, the shale is very thick,
and has an oily and glstening 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 Buren.
At Mrs Forts, S, II, I l, r. 80, on
Lees Creek, coal is visible in its bed the
thickness of this coal is untested, and so
is its quality. Ponderous blocks, water
worn, of carbonate iron are abundant
there is some pine on the hills. which are
lofty.
AT Natural Dam, S. 8, T. II, r. 32,
which is on and crosses the Mountain
Fork of Lees Creek, the cliff or " dam
is about thirteen feet high, of dark.
water resisting, ferrugnous sandstone,
and is an effectual and eternal barrier to
the volume of the stream 1t is 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 neighborhood; springs are frequent
and the timber fine; coal shales are dis
closed in many places it is distant from
Van Buren, eighteen miles northward.
On Lees Creek, still northward from
thickness of twenty. eight to thirty.t two
inches. Coal has been tried by smiths,
and by them termed fine. 1t is easily
quarried and in quantity. 1t is known
as the Wooten bank. This coal, like all
the coal in this field, improves in quality
and thickness as it is penetrated.
Near Robert Sutherands, on Lees
Creek, S u, T. II, r. 32, is coal bed
which has been worked; its thickness we
do not know. The bottom and upIands
here are fertile Grapes abound on the
hilsides, 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, S. 20, T. u, r. 81, with
occasional outcrop of limestone. Great
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. A short distance from Bry-
ants. from the Boston Mountain, runs
the Blackburn'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 bitumin
Gus. Coal has also, for years, been quar-
ried and transported from pits on Cove
Creek, 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
twenty seven inches. Boston Mountain
is famous for its very rich benches, hill
slopes and table land, the soil being en-
rched by the limestone and the terru-
ginous earths 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 springs atfording plenty of
water. In early times cane (reeds) grew
on their tops; itproduces extraordinari-
! ly Of all the grains, corn and grasses,
Pine is absent. .r.
In the neighborhood of Shannon's
Mill, 5. 10, L. 10, r. 80, 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 low,ands rich. Coal
shales also display in this tract of the
county.
There is saline spring in S. 80, Il. II =,
r. 32, from which the brine. many years
ago, was worked, and the yield of salt
Soou- DoiHlp, WttuOut upuUt, WOUlu
bring stronger brine, and make its boil
ing profitable to the salt manufacturer,
even in this close proximity to the ex-
haustless saline waters, springs aud de-
posts Of the east Cherokee country. In
sections 80 and "a are .Heard's and Pen
nywits sulphur springs" from which
run health giving waters, and which sre
famous in their locality. The prccipi-
tates are white, and were they improved
by digging, cleansing them out and wall
ed, they would probably equal springs in
Virginia and Kentucky, and become a
resort for spring visitors. There are
other" sulphur" and chalybeate springs
in this county.
On Frog Bayou, or Clear Creek, near
Fraziers Gin, the land is fine, as Frog
Bayou land always is.
| The land is exceedingly fertile, the
timber most excellent, the range une-
qualed and the water wholesome-gen
orally obtained for house use by digging,
or in cisterns, and abundance of stock.
water everywhere. There is no better
tract inviting the immigrant, none better
for the occupation to be made by the la
borers on your road"
The county seat of Crawford comfy,