The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-03


railroads own from lG0 to 1000 acres Of
land and all they have to do is to watch
the labor and either pbrsuade or drive it,
and then collect their rents out OF the cot
ton. The merchant who advances does
the same thing, and so the entire COM
munity prospers. Here is Forrest City,
which is only seyenleen years old and
handles 10000 bales, and everything is
lively. Helena handles $4,000 bales and
has electric lights and oil mills and an ice
factory and leviathan saw-mill and other
industries, and will soon have street rail-
way. This was the home OF Gen. Hind
man and Pat Cleburn, and they are buried
here among the Confederate dead.
1t is novel sight to Georgian to see
these towns on the last day Of the week.
II is not the black Friday but the black
Saturday. The streets and sidewalks and
stores are crowded with negroes. Old ne
gro women, who look like the fat, greasy
cooks OF the olden times, have their little
stands at the street corners, where they
sell sandwiches and cakes and chicken and
ham and boiled eggs all day. IL reminded
me OF the olden time when on muster days
and court week and election days, the
good, old women had ginger cakes and pies
and slnmon beer, and they sat up in lit
tie one-horse covered wagon, with the
| hind gate let down for n shelf, and they
wore great ruilled caps and spectacles, and
had their knitting with them and made
the needles fly when they had no custom
ers. How sweet and lovely the ginger
cakes were to w children.
Dear old mother Tuition, what n good
angel she was to the little folks, for II we
didn't have the money she would divide
big fat ginger cake among us. / know that
she IL in heaven. In those days our small
est piece OF money was called "Trip, and
when folks spoke OF anything morally
certain they would say it is Just as shore
rs "Trip is for q ginger cake. The genial
Bob Martin, the first reporter Of our SUI
preme court, said, with a sigh of regret,
"Oh, why does old age paralyze our sweet
est pleasures. would give $500 II gin
ger cake TASTED rs good TO me now ms 1t did
when was n boy"
] met Judge Sanders at Forrest City, and
took liking TO him, OF course, for
couldn't help 1t. lie is n learned Judge,
and prcsidcs over that circuit with great
dignity and ability. | thought | was
using my best grammar rs | discoursed
him, but when | said Arkansas instead OF
Arkansaw, he looked surprised and alarm
ed. Don't say that any more, major, il
you value your life. They kill strangers
out here for that. In fact, they killed so
many that the Legislature has passed n
law defining the true pronunciation, so
that everybody might know il and not put
themselves in peril. The 'Arkansaw tray
elcr' Is part OF our history, our traditions,
our 'larcs and penatcs, but the Arkansas
traveller is not tolerated. Ii is like saying
school butter in the odcn time. II pro-
vokcs n difficulty. II is like saying 'ithcr'
and 'nithcr.' 30 thought ! would put
you on your guard" Well, | expect he
saved my life, and shall always feel CRATE.
full 10 him.
The Arkansas Of today Is not the same
il was forty and fifty years ago. Like old
North Carolina and Alabama, II is fast
coming TO the front. II has been cleared
up and drained. The malaria has been
driven away. Beautiful villages dot the
railroads all along the line, and more
cheerful, healthy people l never saw.
Speaking Of the children, an old settler
said TO me: look ut their lips-look nj
their lips-don't you SEQ there is blood in
: thcm2 but II didn't used 10 be 40. You
} can always tell a malarious country by
looking nj the lips 81 tho children Al
! |
that had Just been brought in from the uu
country, and all the BOYS in town, both
black and white gathered around to tease
and frolic with him. There il plenty OF
game here yet, and hunting parties find
good sport now and then. In coming on
TO the capital stopped at another charm
ing little town called lonoke. II used Ia
be called Lone Oak, because there was but
one there, but the name has been abbrc.
waited. ! have forgotten how much cotton
they do handle there, but there IL nothing
else 10 handle, and Il seems 10 be all that
Is wanted TO establish a thriving commu.
nifty. II Is splendid climate for fruit.
Peaches and npricots and pears are crowd.
ing tho trees, and just such gardens
rs | see all about these towns
never saw anywhere. The prairie lands
Of Texas, are ~ rich, but they are waNy.
The difference Is very striking. These
lands arc loose, and dry out quickly after
a rain. The roads never get very bad: but
the cleaning away Of this heavy timber 1.
no small undertaking. No clubbing has
10 be done, ana but little OF tile timber la.
been icllcd. II Is girdlcd aud killed, aud
In two or three years is easily subducd "a
the pillow. After that the trouble IN in roll.
ing the logs ~ the big trees decay and fall.
But that is winter work and does not inter,
, forc with farming operations. speak adj,
viscdly and cautiously when | say thai
these immense forests are al least one-third
higher than those ON the best bottoms in
the eastern States. They are vsibly nearer
the sky. | saw hundreds Of white oak.
that were five and six feet In diameter nj q
hight OF six feet from the ground When
they fall them for stocks for the saw-mll,
four good axmcn attack one tree ut time
: and sometimes makes a half days work In
! throwing Il. measured several stocks al
, a saw-mill that werc five feet in diameter
= OF course the carrylogs have TO be large in
! proportion, and are generally manned with
) six yoke Of oxen.
; This il big country-this Arkansas
. and | am told have only seen the sub.
urbs, and don't know nothing yet.
hut this country produces some curious
/ people IN well ~ big trcs. had barely
arrived In little town and did not know 4
: soul, but soon discovered that many o
| them knew me, when q tall, raw boned
, solemn looking individual approached me
, with stick under his arm, and said In
emphatic tone OF voice, 81 want TO see you,
; como this way" l followed him a few
y STEPS, wondering who he was aud what hC
: wanted. lie kept about two steps ahead
, OF me, and gave an occasional glance back
, ward TO see II was following him. Think
, ing that had gone FAR enough, | stopped
/ aud he said, Come right along, want e
r sec YOU nj the hotel" ~ followed. and
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