The Osceola times., 1884-10-18

brave Seminole chief, and the ever.
glades and orange grovesof Florida.
Osceda is the county seat of Miss
ipp county, Arkansas, and is a
thriving little town of sereral hun
dred of inhabitants, who are custom
ers and friends of Memphis. The
genius of the place is the annual
snsndation of its streets by the Miss
issippi river. Don't you think that
the town of Osceola ought to make
supreme effort to remedy this g.
gantic evil? A competent eSgineer
could tell the people Of that io~n
how to do it, by plan, too, within
their financial ability. Major Meri-
wether, the efficient city engineer ol
Memphis, should be consulted by
our Osceola friends touching this
needed public improvement. Save
Osceola from overflow and the town
would spring up into prosperity
like magic. ] find an orderly popu.
lation here who, despite the over.
flow, are building up schools and
churches and other aids and progress
and civilization. The school fol
white children has an attendance Of
over one hundred pupils. 1t is pre-
sided over by Miss Belle Ballou, q
lady of cultivation and experience
who enjoys the respect and conf
dence of the people, and under
whose supervision the public schoo
is Aourishing. About an equal mum
ber of pupils attend the colo'et
school, superintended by Mr.. JOSEPH
Bradford, a respectable and educat
ed colored man who, by the way, al
the September election was selected
a member of the Arkansas Legisla
ture. The Bapt,sts, Methodists
Catholics, Presbyterians and Epis
copalians have all places of worship
and fair congregations here.
PROHIBITION TRIED AND FOUNi
WANTING.
Some time since the people o.
Osceola, under provisions of sPe
cial law of Arkansas, adopted the
prohibition idea and abolished sal
oons. Curious enough the temper
ance theory did not work well there
The volume of trade is small and
the average customer generally liked
to get his drink when he came tC
town, and as he could not get il
under the prohibition theory he did
not come to town so often, or went
elsewhere tor his goods. The result
was, or at least many imagined so
a decline in the bulk of the business
interests of the place, and a longing
after the fleshpots of the gay and
festive saloons. So the high licensed
theory was substituted for prohibi'
ton, and there are now four saloons
in Osceola each paying license ol
800 per annum, making a revenue
for the State and county OF s2SOt
per annum, and, as ! am told, live
lier times-at least for His Honor
the Mayor, and the town officers
in Osceola.
THE SEPTEMBER ELECTIONS.
At the September elections the
Democrats of the county were not
under very thorough discipline
There we're too many candidates for
the Offices, and though Mississippi
county is Democratic, colored Re
publican, Mr.. Bradford, as stated
above, was elected to the Legisla'
ture, and Mr.. Bevel, also Repub
lican, was elected County aud Pro-
bate Judge. But the Democrats
secured the Sheriff in the reelection
for the third time of Mr.. w. b
Haskins, one of the most active
successful and efficient public offic
ers in the State of Arkansas. Has
kins is terror to evil doers, ant
has the best interests of the people
at heart. The Democrats also elect
ed Mr.. James Liston as County
Treasurer. an admirable selection
Mr.. Liston being an honest and con
scientious as well as capabl,
official, and Mr.. Hugh r. McVeigl
rs Circuit and County Clerk. Mr.
McVeigh has been for years a depu
ty clerk in the office over which h'
is now called to preside, and is il
every way qualified to make a mos
acceptable and popular officer. HI
is quite young man, and in tht
September campaign developed sucl
strength as to be complimented will
an election over his worthy anG oldel
competitors.
Osceola needs new hotel, of mod
ern build and appliances. Without
thoroughly equipped hotel towr
is a cripple in the race of progress.
THE ALLuvIAL LANDS OF ARKANSAS
For ages the mighty river upo'
whose eastern banks Memphis is sit
uated, has been building up by an
nual accretions, the rich alluvia
deposits which constitutes the wei
known Mississippi and Arkansas
"bottom" lands. The proximity o
such lands is, of itself, an assurance
of the coming commercial suprcmac,
of Memphis. 1t WAS the neighbor
hood of kindred lands which gav,