Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-14
OVER THE RIVER.
a Jaunt 20 the Capital of POin-
sett County and Back.

heard Of Poinsett county, Arkansaw,
or could tell anything about itH Not
many. How many have ever been
there2 Very few. Yet this Is one o.
the richest counties in the State and
Harrisburg. the county seat, is not
more than sixty miles west or north
west Of Memphis. This terra in
cognito has been reached occasionally
by small boats running up the st.
Francis river, but has had no railroads
until very recently, 1t is now ira
versed by the Knobel branch of the
iron Mountain railroad and by the
st. Louis and Texas narrow gauge
railroad known as the Paramore road
from north to south. The first crosses
the Memphis and Little Rock railroad
at Forrest City, about forty,6ye miles
west of Memphis, and the other
crosses at Brinkley. The Kansas City
railroad will run through about fifteen
miles Of the northern part OF Poinsett
county and cross the Knobel branch
at Nettleton, in Craighead county,
about eighteen miles from Harrisburg,
SO that the county will have seventy
five or eighty miles Of railroad within
its borders in active operation
before the end of the present
year. This will give Memphis
access to the county by two easy
routes, and if the Memphis merchants
do not get the full benefit of the trade
in this rich and comparatively new
region, it will be their own fault, A
closer commercial and social relation
ship is bound to be established.
A representative of the LEDGER
had occasion to go over to Harrisburg
last Monday on his own business, but
found many things of interest and
worth writing about; much to confirm
the idea that Memphis is situated in
the center of the most productive
spot, with diameter of one hundred
miles or so, to be found on the con-
tinent. In a business sense the most
of this territory belongs to Memphis,
and its trade, as well as that of the
country contiguous to the Kansas City
road, as it may be called for short,
must fall into the lap of our city
unless it is absolutely ignored or re-
PEELED.
The train leaves at 5 o'clock am +,
not an easy hour to be on time, espe
cislly on Monday, the dullest day Of
the week invariably. Trains no longer
stop at Blacklist, SO long a favorite
eating house. This change is probably
only temporary. Mr.. N. ]. Virgins
still holds out there all the same, and
will probably be feeding the
travelling public again in a
few months. Passengers now take
their meals at Forrest City. By tax.
ing a freight train at this point the
writer was enabled to reach Harris
burg,a distance of thirtyssiX miles. by
half past eleven o'clock am The road
runs through we'll wooded, highly
productive country, corresponding
somewhat to that traversed by the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad in the
northern part of West Tennessee,
only that it is higher and dryer
and better adapted to agricultural
purposes. Really it is a fine country
and one is surprised that the farms
are so far apart and that all these
lands have not long since been occu-
pied by farmers and ranehmen. The
cattle running at large look fatter and
better than any to be seen In Texas,
and the few sheep would compare
favorably with similar breeds any
where in the world. Stock need
hardly be fed at all, and when once
branded or marked can be turned
loose with safety. Sometimes negro
will kill hog, or a wolf will get fat
lamb for lunch, but this Isl toll which
does no serious damage. One citizen
stated that he killed 1000 pounds Of
good pork last fall from hogs that had
been running il the woods and never
tasted corn.
Harrisburg is a quiet little town of
800 or 100 people. j. w. Rocks, who
was burned out last winter, has a new
hotel nicely kept, and charges two
dollars q day. There are two others
in the place. Prof. Simmons and
wife have a good school, and a larger
building is soon to be erected. There
are Masonic aud Odd Fellows lodges
in the place, though the hall has been
burned down. There are number
of prosperous merchants, a corn
and wheat mill, cotton gin,
etc., and all the features OF
an interior village and county seat
The sheriff Of the county is Mr.. Thos.
Sparks, formerly Of 6omerville, but
originally from East Tennessee. w.
G. Cooley is clerk of the Court, and
is exceedingly popular, as well as eff
cient. BE ives a Major in the Conf d.
crate army. aud alter the war clerked
for Guy, Met lellan & Go. in Memphis.
His assistant is Mr.. A. A. OoppaEe an
affable aud accomplished gentleman
from Kentucky. Thomas A. Jones
is Judge of the County and Probate
Court, courteous gentleman and a
highly esteemed and useful citizen.
A newspaper is publishediu the town,
and in the vicinity is a fne chalybeate
spring which some day will attract at
tention. The town is situated just
east Of and partly on Crowley's Ridge,
which runs from Helena, Ark, to
New Madrid, Mo. All the
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