The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1878-05-07

/ is A most eligible natural mill site, and an old
| mill has been run for many years. Rich ana
| wide baltom-lands lie around 1t and It's
neighborhood; springs are frequent ana the
/ timber fine; coal shales are disclosed in many
places; it is distant from Van Buren, eight
| cen miles northward
on Lees Creek, still northward from Van
Buren,, Is Il fine coal bed, OF the thickness of
twenty eight to thirty-two inches Coal has
beeu tiled by smiths and by them termed fine,
Il Is easily quafried and IN quantity, IL Is
known ms the Wooten bank. This coal, like
all the coal in this field, improves In quality
and thickness rs 1t is penetrated.
Near robert Sutherland's on Lees Creek, >
Il. T. II. K. y isa coal bed, which has been
worked its thickness we do not know, The
bottom and nplands here are fertile. Grapes
abound ON the hillsides rs they do elsewhere
in Crawford. The water is abundant and
good shales occur from this to Joseph Bry-
ants on Lees Greek. at the foot OF Boston
Mountain, :. 20, I, II, II. 81, with occasional
ontcrop of limestone. Great bluffs of sand
stone rise up. and are full of iron, and yield
Il good building rock. The timber is excel
lent, White oak being among the prevalent
oaks and pine being absent. y short distance
from BrYant's from the Boston Mountain,
runs the Rlackbnrn's Fork Of Lees Creek, rich
in coal banks. This is good, workable coal,
ex posed for thirty inches; has been used by
smiths for years, and INFO which have been
sunk fourteen pits This coal. like the great
body Of the roai so far used in this valley. Is
semi bitaminous Coal has also, tor years,
been qnarrfed 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 seyen
inches Boston Mountain Is famous for its
very rich benches, hillslopes and table land,
the soil being enriched by the limestone and
there frugeniuus earths therein; ii is covered
with bottom growth OF timber, such as ash,
walnut. paw paw, oak, rich underground, vine
ant shrub. Its peculiarly adapted for grape
tobacco, and pastures, the numerous springs
ailording plenty of water. In early times
cane (feeds1 grew on their tops; 1t produces
extraordinarily of all the grains, corn and
grasses.
In the nefghborheod Of Shannon's Mill, S.
10. 7 10, Il 30. on Cedar Creek which empties
into Frog Bayou. quartz fragments have been
discovered. and lead also. The water is suili-
cient for the supply of mills, and the low
lands rich. Coal shales also disp play in this
tract of the country. There is a saline spring
in ;. b, 7. |. X. 81, from which the brine
many years ago, was worked. and the yield
of salt good, Boring, without doubt. would
/ bring stronger brine and make its boiling
/ profitable to the salt manufacturer. even in
| this close proximity to the eXhaustless saline
waters, springs and deposits Of the east hero
4 kee country. IN sections 81 anu 81 are leaIl
and Pennyaitt sulphur Springs, from which
ruth health giving waters and which are fa-
mous in their locality. The precipitatcs are
white, and were they improved by digging,
! cleansing them out and walled they would
probably equal springs in Virginia and Ken
i tHeky, aud become 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
very fine, rs Frog Bayou land all is,
The land is exceedingly fertile, the timber
most excellent. the range unequaled and the
water wholesome generally obtained foI
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 laborers on your road.'