The Hartford herald., 1880-09-22
Arkansas Letter.
WALNUT RIDGE, Sept. I, lSSO.
w. 4. BENNETT.

WALNUT RIDGE, Sept. /, 1850.
Editor Hernd:
After taking IA trip through south
eastern Missouri and ARKANSAS, ! find
myself at this place, and the inquiries
from my friends back in Kentucky
about the country, etc, being so great
am unable to answer, 50 have con-
concluded To give them Il brief sketch
through the columns of your paper.
made my start at Harville, Mo-, IS
miles frun Cairo, on the st. l.. X |. Nj.
X. r.; Travelled northwest, taking in
the counties of Butler, Ripley and Ore
gon, IN Missouri. | find the land IN
those counties To be very productive
and well timbered and watered. Cot
ton is the main product, but corn, oats
/ hogs, sheep and cattle are raised To i
great extent.
/ DoniphaII, the county seat of Ripley,
I is a town of 100 inhabitants, situated on
the banks oi Current river, - miles
| from the ST. l.. X |. NJ. X. K You can
almost daily see RATS of pine lumber
/ gliding down this stream. The river Is
navigable for small boats up To Doni-
phan. Land ranges in price from - Il
~ per acre, owing To location.
| From Doniphan i passed OH into Ar
kansas through the counties of Ran
dolph, Sharp, lizard and Lawrence.
lind these all to be fine farming coun-
ties, abundantly supplied with timber
and water. Stock of all kinds live the
year round OH the cane and mast in Tilt
river bottoms. PowhataII, the county
seat of Lawrence, is situated on Black
river, 40 miles from its mouth. Boat
ply up and down this river the year
| round and do an immense business.
From Powhattan To Walnut Ridge, !;
town of 700 inliabitants, on the 81. L.
* |. Nj. X. r., and in fact the Who'll,
belt of country on the west side Oi l5lack
/ river is rs fine country rs heart could
wish for any kind of farming; fruits o
all kind are raised here. IL would daz-
Zle llIe eye of the most sangiIine t0 not,
| the business that is done at this place
There were 5000 bales of cotton ship
ped from this point last year, and til,
season just opening there will be 500
or more. The town supplies the county
for 10 miles around. This place Is ais,
the stopping point for passengers wh'
visit the worlds wOnder-the famotr
| Ravenden Springs, which have lately
been discovered ~ miles northwest o
this place, In Randolph county. Thes,
springs have been analyZed by some ol
| the best experts of st. Louis, and ar,
said to possess some of the finest medi
cal properties known. You can daily
see large trains Of wagons containing
afflicted people travelling to the springs
| There has not been one case of scroiu
lus disease that il has failed to cure.
In regard to the health of the county
| would say it is equally rs good Us il
Kentucky, and will improve as the Va
cant lands are settled up. Parties lie
sirous of visiting this county befor'
migrating, will find it to their interes
to stop at this place. Here you vii
find good hotels kept ON old kentuck, !,
style. Also, Messrs. B. and j. Nj
Phelps, who keep large livery stabl'
and are ever ready to conduct parties Il
any part of the county at reasonable
rates.
would Just add that all who eXpec
to come west could do no better than 4
stop in the vicinity of Walnut Ridge
You can buy as good land ~ hear
could wish from the railroad or State II
almost nothing, with good long time 4
pay for it in. The society is as goo'
here as you can find in any new settles
country, and improving every day
Churches of all denominations are be
ing built and schools are rapidly i'm
proving. All this county wants Is mel
who will work; lo;fers and rowdyin
people have no business here.
In regard to travel l would refer yo
to Mr.. o. w. Ruggles, Passenger Agen
st. l.. X |. Nj. II. r., st. Louis, Mo-, o
Jas. Big, Passenger Agent, Cairo, III
They will furnish you ali the desired in
formation. You will find all the officer
of the road to be pleasant and affabl
gentlemen.
Yours truly,
; Mel. Il. 1ILFORD,
! Walnut Ridge, Lawrence Co., Ark.