Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-05-19
THE SOUTHWEST.


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LITTLE Rock, Ark, May Is, 1881.
EDS. INTELLIGENCER.-1 do not know
what sort Of weather you are having, but
l do know that we are having it hot and
heavy here. Real summer weather with
all its accompanimepts-ro strawber-
ries. green peas and "gard'n sass" The
picnic season is here, too, and picnics and
excursions are all the 90. We are com
PEELED to have them carly, before the in
tense heat Of summer sets in.
Saturday our Sunday school intend
having theirs, aud We are going about
tEenty- five miles up the Arkansas river to
|Allace called Natural Steps," The trip
will be made by steam boat, and the ride
up and down will be enjoyable.
We arc having lots of "dust" kicked
up here by the star route rumpus, as the
man Dorsey was one Of our senators
elected by fraud and bribery in the ear
pet-bag days.. There are also quite a
number Of our prominent politicians in
the same boat with him, and also the
presidents of two of our national banks. l
tell you they do not rest easy. Why, one
man was pointed out to me to-day who
made over 1000 by expcditing" his
contract last year.
| Dorsey was worth about $50, 900 or $775,-
600 and spent it all trying to make the
Senate, and went there busted" lie is
now worth hundreds of thousands made
by the star routes.
It is painful TO see the fearful injury
done to this state by carpct-ba rule. We
are carrying heavy debts for contracts
made and bogus bonds issued by those
men and take this to be 4 fair represen-
tative Of all the South. Why, go by two
squares of street that were paved with
blocks that are now in ruins, that cost the
city over 500, 600 and wero actually paid
for twice.
The real Southern people 1 like, and
they arc trying all they can to build up
but one must come among them to see
how they suffered and arc still suffering
to see what the war did for them and
if you want to get your belly full Of
niger" just come here, and I'll war
rant you that you Or any ono else will ge
your fill. Take the older ones and they
are all right, but those that al,
growing up now arc saucy and idle, the
most of them Of nO earthly account. They
live in low novels in large numbers, il
some cases four, five and six families il
one hut, in tho most squalid manner.
From all accounts there will be an i'm.
mense tide of immigration to our state
this summer principally Germans.
I Last Monday 1 left Little Rock ant
went up the Ft. Smith r. r., 10 poin
near the border of tho Indian ter
ritory; l travelled all night, OF
a freight train :; arrived at my dcsti
nation in big rain and hail storm, ant
started back in the morning by 8 o'clock
striking right through the woods on horse
back and was two days making the sixt.
miles back to Little Rock. rode abOu
eighty miles, as l lost the trail sevcra
times and was compelled to so back to flint
my way, for would have you remcmbe
that the roads through tho backwoods AZ,
not like our country roads, for OH SOM
of them there never has dozen wagon
gone since they were built, and at SOM
places they arc mere bridlc paths loadin;
by some squatter's clearing. l passed owe
some part of the road that never a WACO,
had gone over, and could only keep m.
way by watching tho blazcs on tho trees
A blaze is chip cut out of the trunk of
tree about six feet from the ground, an.
shows which is the side Of the new road
and the particular way it is cut gives tn
direction.
On these roads arc no bridges, bu
all streams, little or big, mus
bc fOrded, and was unfortunate
as tho rain had swollen them ant
they were high; l rode into SOM
; of them with considerable trepidation
knew my horse was accustomed t,
that kind of travelling but even he 10
fused to 80 in one Or two. For seycrl
miles my way lay along the Arkansas
river, but the scenery along it is quite diff
ferent from what it is along our northern
rivers. The country is low and flat, with
only an occasional slight elevation, and tn,
shores are all washed out and destitute O
hcrbage, presenting only monotonou.
stretch Of yelIOw sand. This river, like
its sister, the Mississippi, runs through /;
sandy soil and IS always changing it.
course with every freshct.
After riding all day l came out Of the
woods at a little railway clearing, eight
miles from where started aud had rid
den about 35 miles. Got my horse Oh q
freight Car by making friends with the
agent. He took bale of cotton out and
put my pony in and rode that night to
Conway, Is miles further on, and IS miles
from home.
Next morning bright and early, though
u little sore and stiff, started off from
Conway and as that road was pretty toler.
ably plain, kept on and arrived in Little
Rock by o'clock and surprised DR.. T.,
who did not expect to see me before the
next day.
Take it for all in all I enjoyed my ride
very much, as it was new experience to
mo to be out in the woods alone. When
one rides for miles and secs no sign of a
human habitation, and whom very occa-
| sionallv Won do sea a house It is that If q