The Osceola times., 1879-10-25
"AEskANSAV.n Z" -
that She Has 1Been-What
She ls-Wbat She Will
BE.

anu ~ "e'i "oiIiy Vi an cAtcnsiNc Z
circulation:
In point Of natural beauties, nat,
ural advantas es and natural sym
metry OF geographical proportions,
Western Arkansas stands the peer
of any section of country on the
western continent
Theoretically, Arkansas is com
paratively an old State; PRACTICAL y
-he is new one, aud far, very lar
behind many of her younger sisters
in all the great artificial adIuncts to
civilized progress IL may seem
strange at first blush why snch
should be the case, and nothing
strikes the traveller so forcibly as
the entire absence of manuiactur-
my establishments, railroads and
other evidences of THRIFT and enter
prise that always mark the track OF
advancement IN ary country. We
say that il seems, indeed, strange
that the State of Arkansas should
be thirty years behind any OF her
sister States Of equal age, when
coupled with the fact that none OF
thcm can exceed her in mineral
wealth and natural resources. Why
is II that during the past fifty years,
tho western rolling tide of emigra-
ton has iorked and passed on Ell
tber side of our lovely State like
waters by a breaker? is a question
to which there is no reasonable an.
swer. and none can be given.
Long years ago, during the early
settlement OF Arkansas, where, like
all new countries, law, If regarded
ut all was regarded ~ a nuisance ,
where personal freedom wa accent.
ed in ITS broadcast aud most literal
sense; where liberty was consider
ed to be the absence of every legal
barrier, Of every legal Obligation.
and where even the very appear.
ance Of legal or social res ..Iction
was irksome and gaIlir., a race OF
people grew up L-re. not worse
than other rcople, but with the
loosest iIeas Of law, and the most
ev..;tod IDEAS of the "eagle bird,
liberty ; hardy, hospitable, free, in
dependent and lazy from away
back yonder. The nearness OF the
State to the Indian country, her
vast wildernesscs, inhabited with
game, her beautiful streams and her
mountain fastaesses presented al.
lurcments to the restless spirits and
refugees from nstice of almost eve
ry State in the Union, and Of such
elements consisted II considerable
portion of the original population
of Arkansas, and during those early
times, deeds OF violence and blood
shed were not unfrequent, and the
/" Arkansas toothpick" went forth
to the world as the mos: distin.
guished social feature OF our S ate.
But what cared the people what
the world said, what the papers
said, or what anybody else sand !
Their mountains were tall and
grand their valleys lovely and
beautiful, their streams clear and
sparkling, and while our puritani-
cal brethren of the north and east
road themselves to sleep at night
with blood.treezing tales of butche.
ry and murder 10 Arkansas, the H.
quor jug passed freely round in
many Il cabin built of logs, aud in
many an "Arkahsaw" home the
fiddle twanged and the puncheons
c. eaked to the footsteps Of the
dancers Of the days of "auld lang
sync," for what cared they, or what
thought they OF the world opinion,
while they were happy? What
cared they for the shrek of the 10.
comotive? Could il compare with
the strutting wild turkey cocks
gobb!e on the mountain side at
morningi What reeked they Of the
booming thunder of mighty machi'
merry, ripping saw mills and whir-
ring spindles Was not the peace.
iul buzz of the honey-bec, the hum
of the rude wheel, and the thud OF
the hcalthful housewives loom
equally pleasant Did they want
luxary, when the speckled fawn
and his antlered sire fed freely in
every dale and glen? Did they
want excitement when an able.bod
led neighborhood bear fight. coon
fight or fox chase could be had al
most any time on two houis' notcey
Did they want law when every
man was proud to carry his own
honor in his own hand, and protee,
his own rights and to avenge his
own wrongs by his own chivulry
Did they want cathedraIs and
churches, when they had the groves,
Gods first temrlesY Did they want
immigration? No, they wanted no.
thing, they needed nothing, and up
to a very late date they have got
nothing. aud we have attempted tC
give some of the reasons why. The
days OF which we speak have long
since passed away the old roman
tic days Of "punkin" PIE and pun
cheon dances have gone. Upon the
mere principle of absorption, AR
kansas has become State not t.
be ignored BY the most aristocratiC
soverclgnt,es of the Union, and still
she is independent and needs nc
plea; still as bospitable as of old
but no beggar tor patronage, anc
can off,r more good homes will