The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1877-04-05
ARKGSsIs LETTER.
LITTLE Rock. March 81 ISL

/ Leaving st. Louis on the regular
Texas express, at 10 o'clock a. NJ,
We were rapidly carried southwark.
The first two cars on our train are
secOnd-elass or emigrant cars, filed
with people bound for Texas. A
glance at the occupants shows them
to be people OF character seeking
homes in = milder climate than We
have in the North. The balance OF
the train is made up Of the splendid
day coaches Of the st. Louis, Iron
Mountain & Southern Railway, which
are not exeellsd in the Country for
elegance and comfort.
For the first twenty-five miles the
road runs directly down the river and
affords = splendid view o. the great
Mississippi bat the country is kept
from view by the high banks and
rough valleys.
Leaving the river just below Bush
burg, We strike into the interior, the
road running directly south, while
the course Of the river is southeast.
The road seeks the valleys running
along streams. The country is gen.
orally rough, studded with high
bluffs and covered With underbrush,
cedar and pine timber.
The soil Of the uplands Is OF q red,
rusty color, not very productive, ex-
eeDt in the valleys, which are good
for pasture and stock raising. The
country IN southeastern Missouri is
noted for its iron mines.
At Iron Mountain there is to be
seen one Of the great natural wonders
Of the worlds huge mound, COM
posed OF nearly pure iron, rising two
hundred and thirty feet above the
surface Of the earth, and covering an
area Of more tnAn five hundred acres.
At Pilot Knob Is another mound,
much larger, Of this valuable ore.
Here we have q mountain of pure
iron, rising six hundred feet above
the level country and covering three
hundred and sixty acres. Numerous
others are also to be seen In fact the
whole country along the road in Mis-
souri, Is solid iron, which will take
ages TO exhaust.
At Bismarck there Is an extensive
iron furnace, which molds millions Of
tons Of ore into iron bars, to be
shipped in quantities to distant points
as far east as Pittsburg, Penn.
At POtOsi there are valuable lead
deposits, which are being worked up
by companies who find them lucra-
tive in the highest degree.
At Middle Brook there is a vein OF
red granite, of which the st.
Louis Custom House is now being
built, and will bs one Of the finest
buildings In the city. Il covers the
space Of whole square. This granite
is equal to the finest Of marble in
polish. and Is very durable.
At PBst Knob are the remains Of q
fort which was used in the rebellion.
Here General Thomas Ewing, of
Ohio, defeated the rebels under Gen.
eral Prices command.
At Poplar Bluff night overlook US,
and we could hear the musical notes
Of the frog, which indicated that we
were entering . change of climate
and the sWamps Of Arkansas.
Little Rock Is situated high above
the Arkansas River, and is said by
the natives to be healthy place. 1t
is q busy town, employing several
hundred wOrkmen in building up
new blocks for business and resi-
dences. There is not much manufAc-
turing done here, having only two
planning mills and one foundry. The
most business IL dsne in cotton, OF
which q large amount ia shipped from
this point. The weather here is very
fine, resembling May In Seneca coun-
ty. The peach, plum and cherry
trees are In full bloom. The gardens
are covered with flowers and vege-
tables. Groceries and street stands
display radishes, onions and lettuce
in profusion.
1 occasionally meet with several
Ohio boys, seeking their fortune in
this beautiful climate.
There are many chances here to OBJ
tain home. The Fort Smith & Lit
tie Rock Railway Co. nave thousands
Of acres along the Arkansas River,
which they sell In lots from forty to
six hundred and forty acres, at g 90
to $1,000 per acre, according to the
locality. The uplands are said to be
healthy, but the bottoms are inclined
to malarious diseases. Some who
have seen these lands prefer those
near Fort Smith.
The bottom lands are covered with
timber and are exceedingly rich. The
uplands are of lighter soil. As far
as can learn stock-raIsIng would be
lucrative, especially in cattle F; sheep
do better farther west.
At the office of the land agents
there are to be seen . large display Of
specimens Of timber, cotton, vege-
tables, etc., which were raised on
their lands. One noticeable object
was the pawpaw, which grows here
to the size OF ten or twelve inches in
diameter, and could be spit into rails.
They also have fine specimens Of all
the cereals raised in Ohio. To those
exploring their lands the company
will give free tickets to Ft. Smith and
return. Little Rock is destined to be-
come the business center Of the eOun-
try, and we have no doubt those wish
ing to live here Will do well, pro-
viding they are industrious and live
economically and that class can live
in any productive country.
The southern people are desirOus Of
t; they want their eoun-
try improved, but want northern peo-
pie 70 do it. II they would set the
example themselves, it would work
much better. The business men are
well pleased with the political situa-
tion. They wanted TIlden for Presi-
dent, but are well satisfied with
Hayes. They !hink he will make q
good President and will do all he
can to reconcile that prejudiced
feeling existing between the North
and South.
SAN PEDRO.
KANSAS LEITER.