Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-06-15
ARKANSAS LETTER.

EDITOR LEDGER-The town of In.
dian Bay has doubled its population
IN the last two years. Several stores.
workshops and dwellings have been
built since the beginning of the nres
ent year. A large, commodious and
handsome church and masonic hall
are in course Of erection, and when
completed will be quite an ornament
to our flourishing and prosperous VIII
lage. Not only has the population Of
the town increased, but an addition
OF about seventy-fve families. mostly
colored, has been made to the coun-
try. Contrary to the general rule.
they were well-to-do, bringing with
them their household goods and
teams of their own. The boom caused
by the rise in cotton last season
seemed to have infused new life in
the farmers and agriculturists. Lands
thrown out and abandoned during the
war have been reclaimed and improv-
ed this year and put in high state of
cultivation. The increased acreage
over former years will be about twelve
per cent. ssAs cotton is king among
the vegetable products of the earth,
we will state for the benefit of those
interested in the staple that the out
look at present is better than it has
been in ten years past,-and bids fair
to make better yield than any year
since the war. 1t is thought that at
least one thousand more bales will be
shipped from this point than ever
before. The corn crop promises an
abundant yield. About seventy
five head of work stock have been
shipped to this place since January,
mostly mules, as the major portion
Of the labor is colored. The average
darky, working and riding a mule.
presents a beautiful illustration of the
agreement between things. A fine
congruity existing between the two.
The darky appears to be the compile
ment Of the mule; consequently knows
each other as well as they do, when
intimately associated" they act to-
gether with a dignity becoming the
aptitude of their accordance. Most of
our extensive land owners and farm.
ers say that the labor is unusually
good; politics and the exodus business
does not seem to trouble them. But
the average negro town loafer will not
work lick" as long as he has six
bits in his pocket and a piece of the
lowest grade of tobacco to chew. A
few evenings since 4 large lot of loaf
ers of the above mentioned stripe
were standing at the landing as
the Hard Cash landed here,
and being short of roustabouts, Capt.
Postal offered them fifty cents per
hour to unload the freight, but thew
laughed at the idea and turned away
The captain showed his independence
by taking his clerks and unloading
the boat himself. The business in
mercantile circles has increased at the
lowest calculation, twenty-five per
cent this spring, and the merchants
here expect to reap rich harvest
next fall. In the older states it is
generally believed that the most in
offensive Arkansian is sort Of itine-
rant arsenal. We would like to dis
abuse the minds of the people of this
idea by stating there is not state in
the south where violators of the law
are more severely dealt with for car
rying deadly weapons and criminals
more promptly punished than in Ar
kansas. The nomination Of General
7. j. Churchill for governor
meets the appreciation of all dem
oorats. He has the reputation Of an
able and upright man. Most of the
delegates elected TO the national dem