Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-04-21
Baker visits Arkansas.

Baker Visits Arkansas. (!
Memphis, T nm, April s. II may not
he generally known arJunt over tho
country, but the State of Arkansas Is a !
great country, and, as DR.. Case would I
put il. this Is no joke. There is not ,
very much OF II visible from Memphis
Just At present as the Miss ssippi r.vyr !,
has spread out over all OF it except tue F,
tops Of tho trees, like a wet blanket I
took a ferry boat NJ $3.50 AZ tho !
i5harf, Of course IL wasn't mine, but the |
captain said could hav' IL II ho wcns /
along to manage It,, and ! loft IL with !
nlm wuen we return d. The boat !
steam Q out into tho Mississippi and |
them came tho battle between man and |
the mighty current. In some places, at !
HuVefeld spuciAllV where we made
landing. tho boat could hardly make
Roadway but finally ID, HopcA Id is
in Arkansas, just across from Mem his.
and Hope is all there is left OF 1t as tho
field is about three feet under water.
We went up the main ,htnnel abIut
six miles and cut across the cOun ry Tor
town called Marion which Is th" cuun-
w seat of CuttendOn county. ! TN sOr-
ry to say il but the pilot ruined le.rty
all Of tie young timber in that sacuon
OF Arkansas. He had been there sever
al times before lately, and ! motto
that every tree on the road was cit er
broken or skinned up badly. H. ptu
no attention TO them but ran right " r
them when they happened To he IN Tue
way. Inst ad of keeping in the m ddle
of the road, tue boat would shy oil &C.
casiOnally and run into tho bushes.
Tho road fOrked about TWO miles
above where We started through tn"
woods and wo look the left hand and
rounded u country 3 ore on which was
| sign that inform d MS that it was
| tho Mound City, Ark. IL was nearly az
/ large as Nouns and had q string Of res.
! licences on the street just back of Il. We
steamed up the street a short distance
and then took wagon road across lots
| OF the town where we struck high
ground. In fact, ut this particular timo
you can only hit the ground over in A.
kansas in tho high places. Tnis high
ground may not have zen discovered
by dove sent out from Mound City,
Ark, as IL was in sight, but the animals
from tho ark were ali on 1T waiting for
the flood to go down. There were hors-
es, mules, COWS, goats, dogs, chickens,
negroes, and few white folks, presum-
ably members OF tn" ark's crew, all
walking around ON an old Indian mound
about twenty feet above The water, and
about the size Of a South PitJsburg
town lot. Our boat ran her nose into
this mound and unlOaded some hay and
other provisions for the ark family and
then took her way up the road. We
passed q number OF residences from
which tho smoke Issued and casional-
ly would see The occupants standing in
the door, or the man OF the family pad
ding around the barn in dug out
We reached Marion after while and
it is a modern Venice. Tho water COW
cred the first floor OF every residence and
business house IN tue town and WAS
about foot deep in the court no I3e.
When the whistle blew all kinds of rJn.
dolas came sailing down the sire = to
the landing. don't think thore was a
single description of row boat except
the b rich bark canoe that was OmiJlel
the wharf boat was crowded with these
canoes by the time we reached it and
after the cargo was unlOaded 1T wa.
transferred to the boats and delivered
The hotel porter was on hand and re-
ceivcd several passengers. The hotel
, was just across the street and he landed
, alongside tue fence on top Of VIII Oh was
plank walk. The passengers climbed
onto this and edged themselves along
until they reached the main walk
which was broad enough to establish
: confidence in the minds Of the public
One lady had a little baby and nurse
with her. The genJlemanly proprietor
, OF the hO.cl. who was an expert AZ walk
ing tue top rail, carried the baby while
= tho lady's husband led her to the broad
er walk Tho nurse lost her nerve and
i ",Uoned iL' along the fence, while The
Z gallant porter kept his boat by the side
Of her to rescue her in Case of accident
= After staying at Marion for d short IF
= teen minutes we went further up the
, road to little box house quarter OF {
l mile above town where we ran along
side of fenco and hitchod at the from
) CATO whilo the roustabouts went GU
+ and chased a COW down and brought hel
= ON bOark. There was Bug log near tue
: house on which two dogs were aslee[
y and the pig pen occupied by a SOW and d
. half dozen pigs a week old, was bull
J upon pile of ra Is.
. Going up and returning | noticed soy
d cral gardens VITA new fence pallng!
i around them and as they were very
close together 1 thought IL was done fo
D some special reason but unless it was Il
Z keep the fish from eating up the younl
5 gardens, | don't know what it cOulC
e havo been for. We had fine trip bach
il and must say that / enjoyed the seen
= cry OF Arkansas worry much. 1t is
d great country over there and duck an,
l. fish farming would succeed splendidly
II IL. Baker, Jr., in South PittsburI
Ropubl can.