The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1904-05-20
SECOND LETTER
FROM REV. C. w. HARsHMAN, ON
THE WAY TO THE COAST.
While Journeying Through Arkansas
He Makes observations-Fat
Land and Lean Grave Yards.

Land and Lean Grave Yards.
Little Rock, Ark, April q, 1904.
On board the Iron Mount Route Train.
This morning on waking and looking
around saw many signs that we were
in the southland These were first of
all the sunshine-sweet, blessed, sum
shine, characteristic of this country;
next the houses, low one story frame
buildings, chimneys of brick or
"stick-and-dirt" built on the outside, a
verandah across the front, gallery"
or wide, open hall running through
the middle of the house from front to
back dividing it into two parts In
these galleries the people often sleep
on summer nights, but must be pro-
tected by mosquito netting. Other
signs are the prevalence of the turkey
buzzard, the mule and the negro.
There were some signs also in the veg
citation, but this here was not marked.
But anyone waking from a Rip Van
Wrinkle sleep and looking around and
seeing these signs might Know that
wherever he went to sleep he had
walked in some place In our own south
land. In no other place In the world
would he find them all. On inquiry
find / am in the state Of Arkansas (by
act OF legislature pronounced Ark-an-
saw and near Little Rock. This city
is the capital. 1t is fine city with a
population of about $4,000. 1t has ex-
cellent public schools, housed in mod
ern buildings. There are also several
institutions Of higher learning in the
city, some for white students, some for
colored.
asked travelling man whose home
for five years has been in Little Rock,
but who formerly lived in Chicago,
how he liked it here. He said "The
finest kind. There Is no severe winter
here; no snow at all last winter. Have
not had a doctor in the house since
we moved here, some of us were always
sick in Chicago. No money could in
duce me to travel Illinois and Michigan
again. My present territory is Arkan-
sas, Louisiana and Texas. Then like
the people down here better.
The people up north are nice people
but they are grabbers. They all have
pockets in the shrouds and expect to
carry their money with them. Down
here they are not SO. A dollar is
nothing. They get 1t easily and to a
friend they give ten dollars as cheer
| fully as two to a stranger"
what kind of country is this for
farmer?"
Splendid He can make more and
| live cheaper here than in the north.
Many are finding 1t out and moving
here from the northern states. The
Red River bottoms are the richest in
the world"
What do they raise there?"
"Cotton-cotton and 'niggers.' Don't
raise anything else-don't want any
thing else"
suggested they might be In frame
of mind similar to the Kansas farmer
who wanted more money to buy more
land to raise more corn to feed hogs
to get more money to buy more land
to raise more corn'to feed more hogs
to get more money to buy more land,
etc.; that apparently the Arkansas
farmer wanted more land to employ
niggers' to raise more cotton to get
more money to buy more land to en-
ploy more 'niggers' to raise more cot
ton. etc.
He admitted that there might be a
little of that spirit down here. Beyond
doubt there is great future for Ar
kansas. 1t contains $4,000 square
miles of territory, one-fourth more
than Ohio, has three thousand miles of
Manageable rivers and 10000 square
miles Of woodland. About half of the
forests are Of the valuable yellow pine.
There are also forests Of oak, maple
leech, birch, black, walnut, sycamore,
cedar, pecan and buttonwood.
The state is very rich in minerals
No region in the world exceeds Ar
kansas in deposits of natural marble
and chalk and the only chalk bluff In
tnt OullCu otutCo iioiu . oAsAt~AAS
cement is made Is found here. There
are zinc deposits covering 216 square
miles and Arkansas is the second state
In the union In the amount produced
There are aluminnm ores In abundance
and more gypsum Is produced thar
in all the rest of the states together
1t has good fruit, and has a splendid
ca IL, <Npt ~.
few exhibits that is nearly arranged.
There is good water In abundance
and land Is worth any where from 81
an acre up.
The United States census shows thu
death rate to be lower in this stat
than the average for the whole I'm
tied States.
G. w. HARSHMAN
The Eoxv title CuDId.