, 1877-09-15
Preliminary Report Made by MIR.
q. &. Gibbs.
Various Kinds and Qualities Of Land
Open for Settlement.
The Climatcy rublic.Scl,oo1 System,
Homestead Law, Etc.
The Chances for Agricultural Laborers in
Texas,
ARKANSAS.
FIRST LETTER FHOM Aftt. Il. G. Gf1H9.
r.....t 7..A-sxn-. \ 40 ~ ~ 7sb< 7+rjtttt1$

lHNhe 1t1hst tEERts 1'"Ah N%N~p~tA9
tie c,,runlisst,n from THg rgtnusE 10 visit t!'u
States Of Arkansas aud Texas 10 learn tllr,r
AGRICULTURAL re.utlrccs, and the Inducements
thcy offer to cfnlgrants from tho North, and
especially to then nj small means or wfthnnt
means ntllcr than strong mliscies nr.d willing
ness to usc them, 1y purpose Is To gather and
furnish tn The readers of THE TRIBUNE such
definite md snccIilc Information upoM all mat
tcrs relating tu the cpttntry,-lts climate, soil,
products, methods nj farming. profits of tho
enlne, state Of suctcty, and religious anil educa-
tional privileges, that any person consider
ing the question uf emigration call fnr1n
mn intelligent opinion as to whether
or mt he can better his condition
anil prospects ty Icing 50. shall cndcasor TO
"nnthin0 c1tcnuatr nor act down aught fiji
inallcc," hut togtye actual fats as they present
themselves TO tny observation, which can be re-
ceived ny tho readers Of TIE TRIBUNE like the
puhllcatIons Of the American islb1c Society,
"without no.e or co,umcnt," leaving the
rcader largely to draw hts own conclusions.
TIE CONDITIONS uNnBH WHICH HAvs tn
nENTAKES THE MISSION
arc favorable iur Nil honest ninl unbiased rn-
port, since they arr sc[, as to place Inc ,lt1tcr
I,u obltgattons to either individuals or corpora
ttons "fth whom may CONG 1t, cottact lor
anything bcyo'ld thuse ra,nrt:sles which arclue
among gentlemen. Netthcr have business ltl-
to lie scrycI by anY variation iron, tic naked
truth.
time Al nv disposal cnn mako a thorough,
examination nj ntl portions Ut tl,csc great
States. lnstca,l of attempting 10 do 80, | sail
select such localittcs us will give ,no q fnir
cce,tu tn give specific Information In regard
To farming tperatlons, some general tnforma-
tiu', wclt eau e gathered tr9a' dos;'ttncntasy y
the c,lxo II thr readers IT THE TRIBUNE Ecncs-
ally had acress to thnsc publications.
TIE STATE or Arkansas
lies between the naraIlcis ot 33 an,l :0f degrees
OF ,urth latitude. anil extends tllr.ugh iva
degrees of longitude. frum Tho Mississippi
River oil the east 10 the Indian Territory on tllc
west. n1ll covering MI arca Of 1.,U00 syuarc
miles. The eastern ind southeastern portion
OF lhc State Ia The lowest, tho country gru,lls
alIv rising toward tho northwest until at, cc-
walton Ut l,:l to 1,t}0O Icct nbovc tho sea level
is reached. With tho exception of considerable
areas nf prairie land In tt, counties III tho clst-
cr.tcntral purtions, and il, tic cnuntlcs a4lloif-
ing Little Rock County, aud comprising probably
not n,urc thau I pcr cent Ut tile cnttru urea Ut
The State, 1t Is uc yast forest, l1lbsoken except
jiow small proportion las been thus cleared
may lie gathered by tho inct that the prcarnt
population NJ The State is only about CUO, 100
Exclu,l'ue tic residents f tic ctttrs mud towns
exceeding ten ,ersol.s to the sq!aarc mile or, II
tic land WAS rglally divided, wou!i give sixty
four ucrrs 10 every man. woman, ppl child )y-
itig In thr Slate outside thu towns. as Arkan-
sas became u Stntc In 1s5D, IL will be seen that
rcs.,lrccs She has NIT kept pace with other
States. either III tho South or West,
AS my object is to ascertain and report what
she now offers to Northern lncn, any dis
Cusson of tho tsAukcs III t1lls slow development
Is unnecessary. The timber covering so large q
portion ii the Statu Is musil Of It Ut very val
ila1lu cluuiattcr embracing the yellow pfnt and
rnPuFF jftFtt ffh1rf tFta
uf Tic uak, III wrtl the white oak Is Is t1llg as
gycr seen, black unl white walnut, ash, hickory,
rcrati, Sycamore, gum, alltl many ntller varle-
tics not u be foun1 growing ut tic North.
THE LANDS or T1tr STATE
may 10 divided into four general rtasecs, riz, /:
Government, Stale, rnilr0n1. ani lands owned
by private lnliyftlnals. Tho Government latlls,
ii is estimated. do dot comprise n,oto thai,
u.lr-k1tfl Ut the innls uf TIM State.
These arc subject 10 priyatu cntry at Si.25 aBtl
ta-.| per acre. ts,e .at.sr rsso whete they iarn,
urc also o,en to nettlen,eut nntirr tic Ilou,e-
tteul law af the United Stutea granting lJO
n:rcs u anv head Ut Il farniiy VINO settles uput.
luI improves tIu same for i've years. in ease
taiisua,. grants the fonlcstcadrr Is entitled Il
,nIy eighty arrca. But n. 10 small d proper
au.i u t!av lands In tlw State ara yc. {,ortto.
II the uIllir uonain, II tail readily be stun thu,
liesr lai,.!h must tu uf very inferior quality, ~
hey would have i,eci h0llsEt hrfolr thls time,
uf wllIJc sumo gnotl lanils may b. toullti, /
,ar1lly think IL .,lld tic worth The while NJ nj
.t,,p'rant to trouble liu,srlf about uoycruticn
unds.
STATE lANns.
The lau.ls of the StMe, execnt tl.nse forfcltc.
tr uo1.Inylnr,!t Ut taxes are rolntu,t,tl OF ,lif
erebl gruiits by Congress, untl ure known Il.
internal improvement, seminary, Baiinc. atx
:eu,th section fsclu,pl lal,llsl utit Hwanp IN,
,yerilpwec. 'rlrsc Cunprisc In aIl nearly H.,
kuuAl Ut " rrs wil!u,tt lrllb!,t,H thu htStccnll
kcytiun Iu ta.b tgwpxhip tyr xrl,uul rIlt,s,ses
The internal jfupruyelHcpt, saline, xnt kcuti
tlarY iat,ds arr sold ut uniform price Ut 81 ~.
artc cash. S~at,,p nlnt overturned Ia,lus ar
hoib VI T. peE acrc. S,h,,D, tuntIa a1r bn,,i a
public sale at not Icsa ltnIn ST iIcr arru wI,c1
within si1 miles Ut II uayEahir streanl ur r,sl
ruad. Eur,cite,! lanls-tuntls tn,t,sht III hy t.It
State al lax sales I,r lIu.l-lsylyt,t VI taxes
subject IL sale Gr lt,lIatl,l tu heads Vi families
Thc statG al Ibis tins !,.l,ls n,nc iDur atl,l d
I,aIi million ares II ttcsc lands, wlcl, urc evIt
al aun,str rate aG ~ vcs.ss pef ayst ns .,,,a,v,
In trura 81 In acres tu ally lead III Il fa,tiI,
wlu shall settle u,un AMI i,nprs,ye al least liz
acTca tur lcrtp uf live yrnrs or, bu ltcu OF set
tirurns, shall Improve len :lcrrs. Tie only Cos
tsulcc uf 81 fpr Il deed, should twfure hay
stated tllat Ii, alt cases ut the uurrlasr ut IN
tInss of t,e StAle 4nIs payment ca., be ,la.lu il
tlutr srrln N ilru VI cusE. Which cau b. lmuri,
ut a tlit.t,,ist of nkH,,st Elk t,er se,.t.