Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-04-01

cal travellers on the train said it was
| difficult to find Kansas farmer with.
| out money in his jeans, 1t made us
think that Providence was Gealing
very kindly with people that with
| stood starvation and privations of ev-
cry sort for so many years. Should
hard times again overtake the coun-
try the effects will not be felt by the
people of Kansas and Nebraska as
they were in the past. In the first
place the farmer has learned to pro-
vide for rainy day. and in the second
his resources are more varied.
A great many have asked us abou,
conditions in the state of Ar
kansas. Strictly speaking we
were unable to ascertain ex-
cept from observation. The district
Travelled over was mostly wooded
country. which was described in
former letter There is, apparently.
much in the way of improvement in
late years, Judging from newly con
structed buildings and others in pro
cess of erection. Back from the line
of the Missouri Pacific railroad are
large forests of both pine and hard
wood. and many sawmills are con.
verting 1t into lumber but the most
activity in the lumber business was
noted between Little Rock and Texar-
kama. where the pine timber is said
to be of the first order. There are
N nj <,f
some cutting as high as 100000 feet
of lumber day. The timber. which
was practically valueless a few years
ago. Is now proving source of great
wealth. and has accomplished more
for the state than any other of It's
resources. TheP there are some coal
mines between Fort Smith and Little
Rock which are worked quite exten-
sively.
Little Rock struck us very favora.
t,y. The population according to the
late census, lacks few of 10000, and
We should judge the enumerators did
no padding" The main streets are
well paved and adorned with many
handsome brick and stone structures
The display Of goods and evidence of
large stocks was a surprise. The
residence portion showed many at.
tractive homes with spacious grounds.
The Legislature was In session at the
time of our visit. In the same build
Ing which has served the state since
ante-bellum days The architecture
nhows 1t to be one of the early
day southern buildings. the same style
as the capitol at Montgomery. Ala,
where Jeff Davis took the oath of of
flee. The assemblymen. however. a
year or so ago felt that the old struc.
ture had outlived its usefulness and
a new capitol building Is now under
construction. Vegetation seemed to
be little backward for the season of
the year, The only signs of life were
green tufts OF grass and peach tree
blossoms which appeared lonely In
their desplation. We were told the
season was late. keeping step with
the states further north. which were
still snow and ice-bound. an the ef-
fects Of every storm nre felt clear to
the coast, the Nebraska-kansa bliz
zard of the 18th sending down chill.
Ing wind to Little Rock a day later
In the southern and eastern part o.
the state. the principal agricultural
section, the season is farther adyanc
ed.
Southern people seem to ENJOY III,
more than the people OF the west,
This IL noticeable everywhere. II
is probably due to early education and
climatic conditions. At any rate
they take life easy. although they dis
play more Of the western hust!ing
spirit than formerly. There is much
Yankee energy exhibited most ever,
place one goes, and Arkansas will
soon be one OF the thickly settled and
wealthy states OF the union, civiliza-
tion roofing out fever and aguc. the
razor-back hog and the malaria-af
fiicted portions,