Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1888-05-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
Letter from Mississippi,
BoIIvAR Co. Mss, April i6.


s. Cotton is King" was published
just prior to the war in this book
the author went on to show that the
country would be ruined should the
cotton hands fail to produce that sta
Pile; and that cotton. was the con-
trolling product in the market; that
the North could not do without it,
and hence the cotton States were the
main pillars of the Union. Those
ideas proved to be failacious. though
/ believe that any one reared amid
the cotton plantations of the South,
with limited knowledge, of the out
side world, would helieye as that
writer, for in the cotton belt nothing
but cotton greets the eye on every
side. 1t is the one article that brings
the planter a just recompense for his
toll. - ...
Leaving the Hot Springs about the
Rock, the Capital of the State. 1t is
one of the oldest cities west of the
Mississippi river. Situatedin lovely
valley on the Arkansas river, it COM
mands most of the commerce of that
stream. All the State buildings are
located there. including Penitentiary,
Insane and Blind Asylums, build
ings, which are usually distributed
throughout the State. The city has
grown very fast during the past de-
cnde, and the real estate s' boom
there is remarkable for its length of
run. Like most Southern cities it
can boast of elegant gambling sa-
looms. The Arkansas Valley Rail-
road runs in a southeastern direc-
,tion from Little Rock and taps the
Mississippi river at Arkansas City
1 do not suppose that there is more
uncomfortable r. R., in the United
States to travel on than this one
The road -hed is in a miserable con-
,dition. Viewing the track from the
rear of the train the lines of rails re-
semble worm fences very closely
Many of the ties have rotted and
spikes are not much more numerous
than telegraph poles; sleepy pas
senger remarked that he presumed
it was only due to the grace of God
that the cars remained on the track
at all. There is some fine cotton
land along the line of this road,
though / noted that most of it was
under water, in spite of the. assur-
ances of native Arkansan that it
was high and dry. This fellow pas
senger proved to be planter. His
whole makeup was unique His
arms were long and slender. his legs
slender and long. His face was
thin and pointed, with n heard similar
to that represented by cartoons of
- Uncle SAM He squirted to-
bacco juice at fly on the floor with
the precision of n first-class rifle
shot, after asking me such questions
as g Whar yer from?" tt:Whar yer
gwine?'' g What's yer bizness ?'
He introduced me to Col. Fishback,
one of the candidates for Governor.
The Colonel told me he was a native
of Culpeper county, Va, and came
to Arkansas about thirty years ago.
He is considered one of the ablest
lawyers in the State. 1 wished him
success, for the sake of the IS Old
Dominion," in his canvass, to which
he replied that thirty years absence
had not lessened his veneration for
the g Mother of Statesman" As
we Deared the river the forests be-
came more dense. Trees and plants
unfamiliar to me became numerous.
The cottonwood and sweet gum,
both magnificent specimens of forest
trees, extended their spreading arms
as if to shelter the pretty palmettoes
that grew in Iuxuriance at their base.
Vines hung in fantastic festoons
from the huge limbs. We seemed to
he travelling through floating forest,
water being on every side. For sew
eral miles the road is almost one con-
tinuous line of bridges and trestles.
At Arkansas city the cars are loaded
on a steamer, and carried to the OPP
posite side, where connection is made
with the Huntington system for New
Orleans. There are no plantations
near the river on the Arkansas side,
but on the opposite side, just back of
the levees are found some of the
finest cotton plantations in the South.
The deep alluviaI bottoms, formed
from the sedentary deposits of the
river during long geological periods,
are practically inexhaustiblc. The
Ann R. Castleman, Proprietor.