The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-10-13
ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT.
Surprised the World"

Surprised the World.'
 Charles Dudley Warner. in Harper's Magazine
 for September.
 Arkansas surprised the world by the exhibition it made of itself at New Orleans, not only for it's natural re- sources, but for the range and variety of its productions. That it is second to no other state in its adsptability to cotton raising was known that it had magnificent forests and large coal fields, and valuable minerals in it's mountains, was known; but that it raised fruit superior to any other in the southwest, and quite equal to any in the north, was revelation. The mountainous part of the state, where some of the hills rise to the altitude of 800 feet, gives as good apples, pears and peaches as are raised in any portion of the Union; indeed, this fruit has taken the first prize in exhi- bitions from Massachusetts to Texas. It is as remarkable for flavor and firmness as it is for size and beauty. This region is also good vineyard country. The state boasts more miles of navigable waters than any other, it has variety of soil and of surface to fit 1t for every crop in the temperate attitudes. and it has very good cli- mate. The range of northern moun- tains protects it from "northers," and it's elevated portions have cold enough for tonic. Of course the low and swampy lands are subject to malaria. The state has just begun to appreciate itself, and has organized efforts to pro- mote immigration. It has employed competent state geologist, who is doing excellent service. The United States has still large quantity ot val uable land in the state open to settle ment under the homestead and pre- emption laws. The state itself has over 2,O0O,O0O acres of land, forfeited and granted to 1t in various ways; of this, the land forfeited for taxes will be given to actual settlers in tracts of 1SO acres to each person, and the rest can be purchased at low price. I cannot go into all the details, but the reader may be assured that the immi- grafton committee make an exceed ingly good showing tor settlers who wish to engage in farlking, fruit rais- ing, mining, or numbering. The con- stitution of the state is very demo- cratic, the statute laws are stringent in morality, the limitations upon town and city indebtedness are severe, the rate of taxation is very low, and the state debt is small. The state, in short, is in good condition for vigorous development of it's resources.
 lhe street. cars and railways make nc discrimination ss to color of passen- gers. Everywhere I went noticed that the intercourse between the two races was friendly. There is much good land on the railway between Little Rock and Arkansas City heavily timbered, especially with the clean. boled, stately gum trees. At Pine Bluff, which has population of 5 ,000 there is 8 good colored normal school and the town has many prosperous negroes, who support @ race track ol their own and keep up a county fair was told that the most enterprisine man in the place, the largest street railway owner, is black as coal.
 Little Rock, already @ railway cen. ter of importance, is prosperous and rapidly improving. It has the set. tied, temperate, orderly society of ar eastern town, but democratic in it. habits, and with cordial hospitality which is more provincial than fash ionable. I heard there a good cham. Der concert of stringed instruments one of a series which had been kept uI by subscription all winter, and would continue the coming winter. The per- formers were young Bohemians. Int gentleman at whose pleasant, old. fashioned house 1 was entertained, . leading lawyer and jurist in the south west, was good linguist, had tray, eled in most parts of the civilized globe, had on his table the curren
 literature of France, England, Ger many and America, a daily Paris news paper, one New York journal (to giv, its name might impugn his good tast, In the judgment of every other New York journaD, and a very large ani well-selected library, two-thirds O which was French, and nearly half O the remainder German. This was on of the many things found in Arkan sas which I did not expect to find.
 Taxes In Arkansas.
 Baxter County Ark Citizen