The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1881-09-29
sorrHrRN ARKANSAS.

EDITORS JOURNAL: A letter des.
criptiye somewhat Of this country,
would not perhaps be wholly unin'
seres,ing to your readers. When
one crosses the waters Of the great
Mississippi, he finds many peculisfi'
ties, pertaining both to the county
and the people, which are not COM
mon to the older aud more eastern
states. While Arkansas does not
contain as fertile soil perhaps, as
some of the other Western States,
still che possesses advantages which
insure for her, at no very distan!
day, an exalted rank among her ais
ter states in the union. Her vast
tracts of timber land will prove a
great source OF income when her
railroad facilities are properly de-
veloped Being Of about the some
latitude, the productions Of this part
OF the State are similar to those of
North Georgia, with the one excep.
ton of wheat, VII ch cannot be raised
here with much success. The use
of fertilizers is a thing unknown to
the farmers here, still the average
cotton yield per acre, far exceeds
that Of Georgia with all their auxil>
iaries. When the seasons are ia
vorable, corn can be raised 10 abun>
dance. One can keep any amount
of cattle, hogs, etc., without being at
any expense for feeding, either 10
winter or summer. Hogs are shot
down for pork right out Of the woods.
Game of all kinds is numerous, and
the streams are alive, as it were,
with fish. Notwithstanding these
many advantages, it is noticeable
fact that there is a feeling of discon
tentment existing among the people,
they want to find a better country.
In the towns and villages good
schools are kept up, and considera-
BILE refinement and culture exist
among the people Butthe denizens
of the rural districts are verdant in
the extreme sense of the term.
What the country needs most to
build i. up is good energetic farmers.
1t is such an easy matter for the
farmers to make q living that scarce>
" any of them work more than three
or four months in the year, spending
the rest of the tune 10 hunting, fish
ing, and idling about. We're they
to work as they do in he older states
they would soon become independent.
The drouth during the past sum.
mer, which seems to have encom-
passed almost the entire country, did
not fail to visit this State with most
damaging effects. The result is
there has not been above one half Of
40 average crop made, which Of
course will greatly effec: all kinds o.
business
There is very little emigration tC
this part of the State now, but there
being several important railroad line'
10 course of construction which will
pass through this section, the proba
bility is, that emigrants will 500,
begin to pour 10, and that NOR
prosperous dGy is dawning on thu
people of Southern Arkansas. Thu
country being almost entirely level
there is 40 water power-in fac
about all the water courses dry com
pletely up during the summer season
One can ride tor miles and mile
through the country, and never eel
a lunning stream. The general fiat
ness of the country, and the same
ness of the Orests, causes one to sool
tire of the monotony presented to tn
eye, and reminds him forcibly of th'
grand old country of North Georgia
with her hills and her hollows, he
clear pure springs and ripping
streams. j. ID. nj.
Jacksonville, Ark.