The Van Buren press., 1879-08-23

/ is most eligible natural mill site anu an oiu |
mill has been run for many years. Rlcu anu |
wide bottom lands lie around II ana ils
noighborhood; springs are frequent anu the
timber line; coal shales are disclosed IN many
places; it Is distant from Van Burch eiShl-
cen miles northWard. -
On Lees Creek, still northWard from van
Buren, Il fine coal bed. of the thickness OF
| twenty ght to thirtY-two inches. Coal mas
been tried by smiths, and by them termed me
1t is easily quarried and In quantity, IT,
known as the Wooten bank. This coal, like
all the coal in this field, Improves in quality
and thickness as il is penetrated.
Near Robert Sutherland's on Lees Creek, .
Il, 4. II, X. -, is It coal bed, which has been
worked its thickness we do not know. Inc
bottom aud uplands here are fertile. Grapes
abound on the hllsides as they do elsewhere
I in Crawford. The water is abundant ana
good shalos occur from this to Joseph Bry-
ants on Lees Greek, at the foot OF Boston
Mountain. s. 20, T,12 X. 81, with occasional
outcrop of limestone. Great blufis OF sand
stone rise up and are full of iron, and yield
good building rock. The timber Is excel
lent, white oak being among the prevalent
oaks and pine being absent. \ short distance
from Bryant's. from the Boston Mountain,
! runs the Blackbnrn's Fork of Lees Creek rlch
| in coal banks This is a good, workable coal,
exposed for thirty inches; has been used by
Smiths for years, and info which nave beeh
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 quarred and ported from pits ON
Cove Creek, a 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 It's
very rich benches, hllslopes and table land,
the soil being enriched by the limestone and
there frugenous earths therein; it is covered
with bottom growth OF timber, such as ash,
walnut pawpaw oak, rich underground, vine
anG shrub. Its peculiarly adapted for grape.
tobacco, and pastures the numerous springs
aflording plenty OF water. In early times
cane (reeds1 grew on their tops; it produces
extraordinarily Of all the grains, corn and
grasses.
In the neighborheod of Shannons Mill, s.
| 49, T. TO- Il 80, on Cedar Creek which empties
! into Frog Bayou. quartz fragments have been
discovered, and lead also. The water is suiii-
cient 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. 32 I. II, K. 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 aud deposits of the east thcro-
kee country. In sections 32 and "a are Heard
and Pcnnywitt 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 a resort for spring visitors.
There are other sulphur and chalybeate
springs in this county. On Frog Bayou or
Clear Creek, 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