The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1878-05-28

il Il most eligible natural mill site. and an old
mill has been run for many years. Ken anu
| wide bottom-lands lie around 1t ana us
neighborhood; springs are frequent anu the
timber fine; coal shales are disclosed IN many
places; 1t Is distant from Van Buren, eight
cen miles northward.
On Lees Greek, still northward from Van
Buren,. is fine coal bed. of the thickness OF
| twenty eight to tlirty-two inches. Coal mas
been tried by smiths. and by them termed fine,
1t is easily qnarried and in quantity, IT, is
known as the Wooten bank. This coal, ike
all the coal in this field improves IN quality
and thickness AS it is penetrated.
Near Robert Sutherland's on Lees Creek, >.
I2.T II, r. % Is a coal bed, which has been
| worked its thickness we do not know. Inc
! bottom and uplauds here are fertile. grapes
! abound ON the hillsides ms they do elsewhere
I in Crawford The water is abundant ana
| good: shales occur from this to Joseph Bry-
ants on Lees Greek. at the foot OF Boston
Mountain, $. 20, L. IL, Il. 81, with occasional
outerop of limestone. Great bluffs OF sand
stone rise up. and are full of iron, and yield
a good building rock. The timber is eXcel-
lent, white oak being among the prevalent
oaks and pine being absent. Ashort distance
runs the Blackburn's Fork of Lees Creek, rich
in coal banks, This is a good, workable coal,
exposed for thirty inches; has been used by
Smiths for years, and INFO winch nave oeeh
sunk fourteen pits. This coal. like the great
body of the coal so far used in this valley, Is
semi bituminous Coal has also, for years,
been quarried and transported from pits on
Cove Creek. Il 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, hillslopes and table land,
the soil being enriched by the limestone and
IA nnrths therein. IN is covered
with bottom growth of timber such as ASH,
walnut pawpaw, oak. rich underground, vine
ant, shrub. Its peculiarly adapted for grape
eob"eeo, and rastnras- the numerous springs
atlording plenty OF water. IN early times
cane (reeds) grew on their tops; it produces
extraordinarily of all the grains, corn and
grasses.
In the neighborhood of Shannon's Mill, S.
10, T. 10, r 80, on Cedar Creek which empties
into Frog Bayou. quartz fragments have been
discovered, and lead also. The water is suill-
cent for the supply of mills, and the low
lands rich. Coal shales also display in this
tract of the country. There Is saline spring
in S. 50, Il. IL. Il. 32, 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 eXhaustess saline
waters. springs and deposits of the east Chero-
kee country. In sections 32 and "a are Heard
and Pennywitt sulphur Springs. from which
run health giving waters. and which are ia
nous in their locality. The precipitates are
white, and were they improved by digging,
cleansing them out and walled they would
probably equal springs in Virginia and Ken
lucky, and become resort for spring visitors.
There are other sulphur and chaly
springs In this county. On Frog Bayou or
Clear Greek, near Frazier's gin, the land is
very fine, as Frog Bayou land all is.
The land is exceedingly fertile, the timber
most excellent. the range unequaled and the
water wholesome generally 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 laborers on your road.'