Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-27
RESOURCES OF THE COUNTRY.
Embrace Agriculture, Mineral, Coal
ana Lumber.


trip over the Pittsburg e. Gulf road when
through train service between this city and
Port Arthur shall be established promises
to be an unusually interesting one, and IL
is not unlikely that the route will prove q
popular one for winter tourists, as well as
| for western grain. Indeed q ride over
, such portions of the road as are now under
actual operation is full of interest to the
traveller. This is so for many reasons, but
especially because of the diversity of scenery
along the line The person who has al
ways regarded southern railroads as routes
through great marshes and swamps needs
only to take this ride to undeceive himself.
The products of the country along the road
are just as diversified too. The road from
Omaha to Pattonsburg, Mo-, is too familiar
| to Omahans who have gone over the Wabash
to need any mention. The new road that
is building from Pattonsburg to Kansas City
runs through a fiat country of no especial
interest to the traveller. The road will
enter Kansas City by the terminal facilities
already possessed by the Pittsburg & Gulf
road, crossing the Missouri river over the
splendid bridge OF the Milwaukee road.
From Kansas City south to Joplin, Mo-
los miles 1t is ride through another fiat
country, used largely for growing corn and
feeding cattle. The cattle there are
driven in from the ranches and fattened
up on the corn. At Pittsburg, thirty miles
north of Joplin. one passes the Cherokee
coal belt. which Is said to be exceedingly
rich. Near Joplin are also located extern
sive fields of zinc and lead ore, somewhat
more than 100 miles in extent. Some forty
miles further down the road one gets into
the red apple district, extending through
Mcdonald county, Missouri, and Benton
ri lnntY
with an inhabitant of the latter county
without learning that Benton county cap
tured the first premium for an exhibit of
these apples at the Columbian exposition.
When the new railroad leaves Benton
county it swings westward into Indian Ter
ritory. Through this strip, occupied by
the Choctaw nation, there is considerable
coal, though the mining of it is said to
be rather slack at present. At Bunch, 270
miles south of Kansas City, there is a val
liable marble quarry drill already hay-
ing found marble there 400 feet deep.
After crossing the Arkansas river the
road works its way around the Boston
mountains back into Arkansas. For 100
miles hereabouts Is seen as pretty a bit
OF mountain scenery as one could care to
view, Here il is that he who thought Ar
kansas was a big swamp acknowledged his
mistake At an elevation of $500 feet the
| railroad runs around and between these
mountains in a manner to merit the title
of the southern scenic route. The canyons,
IL Is true, are not comparable to those seen
along our western roads, but they have
grandeur all their own that is nothing II
not admirable, Cotton is seen growing
at various places from the time the
Arkansas state line Is crossed un-
til the Gulf is reached. But all
the other products of the territory invaded
by the new railroad pale into insignihcancs
when compared with the timber that is to
be found An even hasty inspection OF the
lumber along the road is sufficient 10 con-
vince one that there will be north haul
for the freight trains II this part of the
country wants any southern wood at all The
timber rs not all the same; variety is eX-
pected along a railroad of 900 miles From
Joplin Mo, south into Arkansas is found
oak, hickory, beech. black and sweet gum
and cherry About Mena. Ark, there is a
good growth OF yellow pine. in addition to
some OF the woods mentioned. The pine
gets heavier south from TeXarkana. Then 1t
is the long leaf pine tree instead Of its cou-
sin with the short leaf that Is most often
met. Cypress, too. is not uncommon In
southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana
GREAT FRUIT COUNTRY.
No enumeration of the resources and
products OF the country along the new
north and south line would com
pcte II It did not mention the
south TO the gulf, II would be difficult to
think of any small fruit that cannot be
found there. Then there Is the Texas rice
territory, where rice is sowed. the fields
flooded. the water drawn on and the rice
harvested like wheat At Port Arthur at
this season Of the year may be seen oranges,
lemons. strawberries peas. beets, peppers
and other garden fruits and vegetables
growing out OF doors. besides the roses and