The Mena weekly star., 1897-07-14

under date of July 4, writes as l follows:
 MEssRs A. w. ST JOHN dS SONS,
 Mena, Arkansas.
 Gentlemen:- Some time ago 1 sub- scrib bed for the New Era to learn some thing about your country. but l got nothing from it until you bought it and sent me the Star, and have found a great deal since then to interest me, and am beginning to look upon Polk county, Ark, as my future home.
 There are number of persons here who wish to go south if we can find a desirable place to go to- l have been taking Texas papers for the same pur- pose that l am taking the Star, and am fully convinced that for several reasons l do not want to go to Texas.
 Have you any documents that des- cribe your county and its resources? Of course each week the Star says something that gives me a general idea of the condition of the country but nothing of the general appearance of the country, kind of soil, produc- tiveness, etc
 If you have any such information for immigrants please forward me some. How do you think northern people would succeed there? Would we have to be acclimated by serving an apprenciceship in an ague school, with chill each day for exercise? Please give me such information in regard to the country as you would like to obtain if you were in my posi- tion. In the meantime keep the Star twinkling and wide-awake and scatter it broadcast over the north and you will get many good people interested
 By-the-way, it would not be a bad idea nor bad investment for the lit tie city of Mena to make provisions for and distribute the Star all over the northwest By little effort a great many subscribers could be obtained for it at the mere nominal price at which it is published, and one sub scriber means many readers and many readers would, at least insure few immigrants.
 Replying to the questions asked we will say that the general ap- pearance of the country is quite picturesque, being mountainous and quite heavily timbered, with rich valleys along the streams run hing between the mountain ranges.
 While the country has been sparscly settled many years it IS as yet undeveloped, being new in appearance, except when one comes upon an old-time settlement while driving through the timber. The fact Is that no railroad has ever been built nearer than 80 miles from this point, and that the wagon roads have never been worked and run over the noun tains, making it hard to haul pro- duce to the markets, accounts for the newness or undeveloped condi- ton of this country. The soil in the valleys is rich, having red dish cast, while that on the nplands is lighter in color and not so pro- ductivc, but all of 1t is excellent for fruits of all kinds.
 Winter wheat, oats, Irish and sweet potatoes, cotton and corn all grow to perfection when prop erly cared for. The country is rough and in some places stony, and all of it must be cleared of timber to be cultivated, but the people of Nebraska and other northwestern prairie countries do not appreciate with how much less labor they can make a good living here where fuel is plenty. the ranges for stock extensive and all the water pure and soft, while the climate is all that could be asked.
 Fully half the people here now are northern people," and they appear to succeed as we'll, if not better, than others. it being gen. erally understood that they have rather more energy and enterprise than others.
 The becoming "acclimated" is a very mild affair and no fever and ague with chills is known in this section.
 We do not advise anyone to come here with an idea that they will find everything just as they would like to have it, but to those seeking homes in new and unde- veloped country, along the line of a great system of railway that is