The Russellville Democrat., 1877-02-01
SOME INFORMATION
About the Country Along the Little Rock x Ft. smith
 Railway.

N. Flint, and who has been pros pecting Tn Arkansas, gives hls opinion in a letter dated January s, 1877, from which we make the following extract:
 II would say that l arrived Ill Little Rock, December 18th, have been visiting the country since, closely observing climate, lands, society, &c., and will give my honest views. As to climate, l would say that it is second to none of twenty-six states and a portion of Canada, all of which l have travelled in.
 Consumption is hardly ever known here, and in fact l believe there. is less sickness here than most any place l ever was In. There does not appear to be much sickness of any kind, except a very little chills and fever, which I believe was mostly brought on by neglect and q great deal of shiftlessness. They have been. having their coldest weather here, since 1 came, that they have in year, and 1 find that some fami- lies live in log houses, so open that you could throw a cat tnro' at almost any place; and for wa ter if the spring is not handy, rather than dig well which can be had at all places, they will go to the creek where the water runs through dead timber, leaves, &c. Now should our people at the North live in that way they would not only shake little, but they would die, and l believe that there is not much danger Of cnills and fever if people take good care of themselves.
 As to soil, 1 think that along the line of the Little Rock and Fort Smith railroad surpases any thing that 1 ever saw. Tue tim Der is all large and healthy, the best and largest varieties, that l ever saw; such timber cannot grow on poor lands.
 Sheep raising, 1 think would be a great success; l think the av craze from each sheep from wool and lambs, would be from three to four dollars, and you would not have to feed them at all. 1 am a native of Vermont, and that is a sheep raising state where farmers l get rich raising sheep, where they have too the ground covered with snow four and half and some times five months in tine year, and where they have to find them ev erything they eat for about five five and a half months in the year. Now, if they crn get rich there. why can you not here where you do not have to feed them at all? In fact, 1 believe that the lands along the Little Rock x Ft. Smith railway are as we'll adapted to stock raising and agriculture, as California or any state in the Union. I believe that there IS no other state in the Union tbat has so many advantages as Arkansas.
 These lands are all we'll water ed with springs, creeks, &c. It-is considerably settled, being lively with villages along the line of he road and many improved farms, so that you would not have to come to a wilderness as you will see when 1 tell you the products raised on the line Of the road and shipped over it, as l was inform. ed by the station agent that las, year from the 18th of October to the 18th of March, they averaged six hundred bales of cotton per day, and there is now being ship ped an average of four car loads of wheat per day for about four months, besides there is the Arkansas river, which is naviga ble for steamers from Little Rock to Fort Smith, which of course must get some business.
 While much of the best lands are unsettled and owned by the Little Rock X Fort Smith railway they can be had op extremely low terms and on easy payments The reason of their owning SC much of the best lands in the . state is because their road runs through the best postion of the State, and their grant was given Tn 1853, and their land never came into market until lately. To the sportsman would say ; that the country abounds witt
 choice game, slch as deer, turkey geese, duck. in fact all kinds O small game, while the streams : are filled with a choice variety o , fish.
 As to the inhabitants of thi, , state they are very friendly an, , hospitable people, always read, i to welcome immigration from al . parts of our country regardless O religious or political views, an, s for mans safety in travelip: 8 lere with money, he would be n' n more so in any portion O p the United States, so far as m,
 experience goes, besides l hay
 formed the acquaintance of sever e al men from the North who vii