The Russellville Democrat., 1883-08-30
GoRREsPo1T
Editorial Etcl,Inl lrs. :,
VAN BUREx, Aug. z7, 1883.

scribe trip from Russcliyilic to Van Bnren, and crops are too nearly dried up a,ong the line oi road to write lengthy reference to them. A few things. however, ont of the usual rut may be noticed.
 At Mill Creek lumber is piled in long array awaiting the feeting sound of the. planes and the fiat car to transport it to the Kansas prai ries, where Messrs. Howell, White & Go, have established wide lumber transactions, and also up and down the Arkansas Valley. Stacks of lum- Der can also be seen at London and at almost every station between Rus sellyillc and Van Buren. Mill Creek and Cabin Creek, however, show the lumber interests on a large scale. One cannot escape tue observation that the lumber trade is in full blast on the line of the L R. < F. $. K. k. In fem years, at the present rate, the pineries in the Arkansas Valley, north Of the Arkansas river, will be cleaned. out, and transformed from the forest tree into the Arkansas Valley cottage and business house. and the Kansas prairie house. When the pineries give out, the sawmill man can turn the deathless rattle ol his saw loose upon the various cy. press thickets on and in easy reach 0: the Ft. Smith road, and ravage among them for years to come. -- Much as some seem to dread the dis appearance of the pine forest, still we do not at present recall better use that they could be put to, and our motto is, let the transformation proceed.
 At Ozark, twenty minutes was called out for supper, and, to vary the monoNny Of things, bevy ol Ozark girls came floating through the car to see and be seen, and tc show the passengers what the famous town could produce in that line, and also repay the passenger, too poor te buy his supper, for the worry of q twenty minutes wait.
 Once at Van Buren and the pas senger is struck with an attempt al city airs. "This way. sir.'' "City bus for tae Capital Hotel' s'Here is your hack for. the Collins House. "Ffisco Hotel, this way with youl baggage. But we handed boy 5 dime to condlct us to certain little cottage, where we walked in on aT unsuspecting family at an unusual hour of the night, but we found lodging, and that was the particular thing needed just at that time
 Without any formality or privilege from the mayor, we have taken the freedom of the city, and have talk en in Van Burcn. What impressed us as much as anything else in the town is what 1t has been. In the part where yon first set foot Tn the town, you get the Idea that you arc in some ancient city of Egypt. From some cause or other, the town has shifted from the old site near tho river in northeasterly direction fol nearly a mile. Among our first ac quaintances was the festive mosqni to with the same song sung centu ries ago. He is here in force and always active and energetic in busi ness.
 Passing up from the depot to Main street, and up that to the Frisco depot, and down through the northeastern part of town, you en counter signs of infallible solid wealth and prosperity. and pitched in the scales with the old dilapidat- ed relics of other days near the rivel makes fair average town of Var Buren. The Van Buren citizen may not fully concur in this opinion, but we are writing our impressions and not for V. B.'s glory.
 We found the press here to be in the hands of clever and live men, although we were little disappoinL- ed to find in all the offices visited the rather old-timed hand press We felt a little like advising pool ing process among the fraternity here and the merging of the print ing business into fewer offices. = There are four papers in town, which cuts up the patronage to too small 6 proportion. We had tine pleasure tc find here Mir. Wm. Kerr, who mar. ried one of Russellville' fair daugh- ters, Miss Annie Ferguson. He ls proprietor Of the Van Buren lumber yard and blaming mills, and is doing fine business in that line. He bought the old Brownrigg property and has fitted up the house for an extensive gin house, and will run three gin stands this fall and winter with all modern improvements and expects to gin 1000 bales of cotton. The family of Mir. J. G. Ferguson, an old Russellville citizen, is here. Mir. ferguson at the present writing is at tue famous Eureka recuperat ing, while Mrs. Jamison, his accom- plished widowed daughter, is teach ing the youthful finger to manipu- late the ivory key Of the jolly piano.
 Van Buren IS now the possessor ol sensation. On last Monday, one her fair daughters, Miss Collins, was discovered on the Frisco train bound for ot. Louis iu perfect dis |. |.