The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1905-03-09
MOUNTAIN LIFE IN ARKANSAS
An Interesting PorusysI Of Customs, Con-
diiions and Prospects.

oftf0ns anu rfospetS.
DEER Arkansas, March 2, 1905.
Here | arr again, elamoriRg for space,
aud with the editors permission, will
10, down few scattering remarks.
Grim King Winter, With his adyan-
tages aud disadv vantsges. whose reient-
less sway has covered 10 many weeks.
Is loo,eninc his despotic grip and yield
ing 10 the softening graces OF gentle
Spring. aud ieel like being escaped
from region Of perpetual darkness,
since can once more throw open the
door and admit the glorious sunshine.
Spring. at last, is at hand; We can
feel her warm breath upop our cheeks
as che whispers promises of good things
she has IN store for US. The birds are
here, awakening the earth 10 gladness
with their merry songs.
The hustle and stlr which naturally
follow the breaking up OF winter, are in
nowise missing here. People are be-
ginning 10 shake the dust from their
last summers sun.shades, and 10 scrape
the rust from various farming imple-
mcnis, preparatory to wrestling with
the rocks and stumps that render farm.
ing 10 the Boston mountains a pleas.
ant = occupation But despite these
impedimeDts the soil, especially on the
northern benches. is very fertile. aud
when properly tilleG. gives the farmer
good returns for his lnbOr. The more
euterprisiag farmers here have large
I meadows Of clover and timothy. and
/ the soil is particularly well adapted to
this crop, consequently bees, both wild
aud tame. thrive, laying up stores OF
delicious honey.
I Y heat is not raised On the noun
tains, there being no way TO get it
thrcshed. No thresbing machine has
ever. TO my knowledge, attempted the
ascent Of the mountains. Sawmills
there are in plenty, and were the farm
crs sufficiently interested in wheatrais-
ing. /, seems to me that threshing ma
chimes could be brought here with
equal facility: but as am quite young
"Arkansaw!er" / may err in stalking
my judgment against that Of veterans.
Fail range here is excellent, consist
ing mostly Of 'beggar lice" and wild
peas, on which cattle thrive and fatten
Spring range is not Of 80 good quality,
Hogs do well, living the winter thro
without grain Of corn. and are driven
IN of the mast ~ good shape for butch
ering ut any time during the winter
The past winter has been an exception
however, the snow lying on 10 long tha
hogs that have not been fed are reduced
= 10 mere shadows. Tho principal mas
is chincapin and beech nuts There il
a heavy yield Of the former each veal
while Il large crop Of the latter can no
) be quite 70 regularly depended upon.
Shcepraising would be a profitable
Industry II properly managed Sons
! families own small hocks. but do not u
into the business on sufficiently large
scale TO make it really paying.
These mountaiDs, wild and densel!
, wooded though they are, afford but lit
tie game. This fact considerably al
toDished Te, as | had always heart
, that the Arkansas man obtained bi
meat by hunting. while his poor wifi
did the piowing. True enough. man.
women here follow the plow through
, the field from daylight until dark, bu
! / believe that she and her husband toi
side by side. for the turkey and dee
are thing Of the past. Rabbits, toe
are quite scarce. Squirrels are NOR
numerous, but as they sway In the top
most branches Of the lofty trees the
are comparatively safe, even though
"brag" marksman has designs on thei
b heads.
Wild animals, "varmints," they say
are frequently seen. The old settle
b delights 10 relating thrilling adven
ures - -bloOd.curdling accounts Of hail
breadth escapes from the ferociou
' wildcat, panther or, perhaps, beai
Ones blood almost coDgeals in his vein
as the story advances and the narrato
, gets himself into such close quarter
that escape seems impossible: bu
much 30 the listeners relief, the uner
ing rife invariably comes 10 the rescue
the ferociOus beast closes its eyes I
earthl scenes, and the hunter has wo
for himself name. After listening
the tales Of the grizzly hunter one fee
that moonlight scenes have lost the
charm, except when viewed from III
. window should you be fortunate enoug
~ possess such a luxury, as many bel
are not.
There is quite little colony Of em
grants from Taney living within a rad
US OF few miles Of Deer Many r
publican readers will doubtless remer
I'd Der the Manus family, who soma fiitee