The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-05-14
HOMES FOR VETERANS.
What an Arkansas Veteran Brought Upon Himself
By Writing for The National Tribune.

What an Arkansas Veteran Brought Upon Himself
BY Writing for The National Tribune.
To TIE EDIToBe Since Carroll County first
was organized there has never been so great
sensation in it a. the, mail has caused which
has come to me in response to that little
Homes for Soldiers" IN The TRIBUNE of the
5th. 1t has been joiingly suggested here that
| advertise for bids to take contract for carry
ing my mail. have a total now of over 500
letters! Comrades, 1 beg you to desist =! can
not answer one-thirdo of you, unless 1T be
through the courtesy Of THE TRIBUNE.
was sitting in my cabin-eight miles from
Berryville-on last Sunday morning, trying to
tunnel out Of myusnowtdrift of letters, when
comrade from Eastern Pennsylvania came to
my door and announced that he had taken the
first train for Eureka Springs, Ark.,-12 miles
from here,-and in response to that " Homes
for Soldiers" l gave him the numbers of 100
acres of land adjoining me, and, comrades, he
shot out of my door before | had time to ask
his name, and went right down to Harrison,
Boone Co., to enter the land. He was as happy
as a clam when, in day or so after, met him
in Berryvilie OH his return home for more
comrades and his family. he was delighted to
think he had so soon and so easily secured
home.
Now, predict, comrades that the year 1885
will be known hereafter as the year that IHE
NATIONAL TRIBUNE Organised an erodas Of ret
erans to arkansas; for il is not simply sporadic,
this thing; it is in the highest degree epdemici
Comrades from Canada, as also from every State
in the North, East and West have written to
me about Arkansas. 1t speaks we'll, by the way,
comrades. for the benefits of our Grand Army,
as also, for its organ, The NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
After an Intellectual hunt for 10 years for traces
of members of my old regiment-the 93d n.
VI have heard from four OF them since this
tornado of inquiry, whom | shall write to when
this blows over. Now, let us get down to busl-
ness. l want to answer every practical question
/ can remember in this letter. In Northern
Arkansas, between the Iron Mountain Railroad
on the east and the west line Of the State, and
between the White River on the north and the
Arkansas River, in every interior County there
are still vacant, in many cases, entire sections OF
good land, $40 acres i'll one body, that are sub
ject to homestead entry. These lands. for the
most part, are either in the Ozark or the Bos-
ton Mountains covered for the most part with
a heavy growth of every sort OF timber-oak
in Is varieties, hickory, maple, pine, locust,
walnut, cherry, cedar-every sort; light under
brush; land not hard to clear. On every 160
acres there is seldom a tract but on which at
least 40 acres can be TILED. Fruit trees vines,
etc, will do we'll ON all. AS for stock, it is a
good country both for cattle and hogs. Bees
thrive; the timber is full of wild bees that
feed on the "bloom." In mast" years hogs
need but little corn. The water comrades, is
superior far to any l have ever seen any
where else. Cold, clear, never-ceaslng noun
tain springs feed the rapid mountain streams
that discharge from this County into White
River. AS for soil and crops, the soil is good,
though somewhat rocky. and the greatest va
riety of crops can be grown. Tobacco does
well and is of very superior favor. That'sa a
good sign.
Now, to cut short long story, do not want
any comrade to understand me to say that this
is good country to come to for man with less
than at least $50 when he gets here, and hav-
ing to rely upon his manual labor for his future.
1t is not But if. any man can come here tthe
larger his family the better) with team, and
with say, from $3.50 to $500, why, there is no
other part of American and l say it in F., G.
and Like it! A man can go to the Land
Office at Harrison-ths Hon. John Murphy is
the Register-and enter 160 acres of land for Sl4.
He then needs small log house and small
field cleared-this will cost him, if he hires it
DONE S6 per acre, He needs team, some tools,
aud enough provisions to last him until his
crop is ready to eat "This is the size of my
pile, $780," said a comrade to me. DO you
think it will see me through?" Said I, Com
rade, you are hecled." He is, for a fact.
surprising number have asked me whether
young ladies educated for school teachers could
do well here. They could certainly, for we
need schools. and the old settlers all want them.
The pay is not large, hpt is sufficient to main
tain one in comfort l would respectfully warn
all esthetic young ladies, however, against this
region as yet. No "lilies" or plaques here,
girls; nothing but plain, rather rude, civiliza-
ton. No pianos in the houses. no Brussels car
pets, nor yet can you see a love Of a bonnet
on the streets of Berryvile Plainness is the
rule; the fashions will come later, though, girls.
And though plain and somewhat rude and un-
polished be our life here as yet, do not shrink
from it, for solid comfort is the sure reward of
all who come here diligent and economical.
Religious teaching is very plain and somewhat
imperfect here; all the denominations, almost,
are represented, but we need good preachers
the worst kind.
The grand, all-important beauty of this en-
tire region is its health Keep away from low
creek bottoms and you have the healthiest cli-
mate i'll America by all odds The water is
simply superb. The comrade | have alluded to
who came from Pennsylvania and settled near
me said it was the water did it,"
/ would finally advise all Posts that have
members who desire to settle here to either
send a committee to investigate or TO write to
Hon. John Murphy, the Register of the Land
Office at Harrison, Boone County. for map
showing the vacant lands. In this way COM
rades can get land near together. l will add
that good improved valley land in this region
can be bought anywhere from So to SIS per
acre. Mills, manufactures and skilled indus
tries of all sorts would pay big.-CLARK w.
HARRINGTON, Berryville, Carroll Co., Ark, II
iIac nncf Of la Snr;uus