The Green Forest tribune., 1908-09-18

\ s'.~<saTFR E growing fewer every ~B -xsfars year. From the re- \ ->-I3 y ers tirement of quiet s.-..an.--1<xuxHszsS quiet homes a few of the early settlers look out on the hustle and rush of modern life with which they compare the times when there was no choice but to live near to natures heart
 With memories that cling fondly to the past they tell events of seventy five years ago as if they had happen ed but yesterday, and are never hap pier than when relating scenes and incidents of those early days of peril and of plenty
 One such narrator is a little blue eyed woman, who wears her thin, grey hair brushed smooth as silver satin across her brow, and whose hands are wrinkled and brown like delicate parchment.
 "We left old Missouri she will be- gin. away blackwell, away back for I was not yet four years old" And then she will give "reminiscences of pioneer life in eastern Arkansas,
 of to the Wids of Arkansas.
 It was an exciting time for the wife and ten children of James Holman when they were at last ready to leave the wilds of Missouri for those of the yet wilder country lying to the south known as the Territory of Arkansas of Ha1.in 0 and adventure, who had gone to Mis- souri from New York. Missouri was good but for him he believed the farther, wilder country would be bet ter, and so they came. No interest in a railroad iaunt across the conti- nent or voyage across the sea ever exceeded in interest the preparations for this journey. There was the big wagon-the prairie chooner-shapSd like a canoe and large enough to hold much of the household furniture. With it's tar-bucket swinging under meath and the tool-box containing ax, saw, hammer, knives, etc, last ened to it's side, it made familiar picture, and one never to be forgotten by the children. In addition to this large wagon, which was drawn by -four horses, there were two other wagons and a covered hack for the mother and the smaller children.
 In the big wagon there was wal nu: cradle, which was always un- loaded and immediately reloaded with a fat and active baby. It was tho task of the four-year-old child to rock this cradle Sometimes as sho rocked her little charge she caught sight of a bear looking toward camp from a distance, and @ long way off in the woods the scream of q panther was heard. But the little girl was never afraid. Faithful hounds and burning fire kept wild animals away, and if they had ventured near she would not have feared, for her father was a famous shot and in his trusted gun and steady nerve she had every confidence.
 After safe trip covering many weeks. James Holman reached his destination in the southeastern DOT tion of Arkansas Territory and pre- pared to build his new house on the banks of Little River.
 It was no Queen Anne cottage CT Colonial mansion that James Holman took his family into. The cottage ol pioneer days was of rough logs with one big room down stairs and lof' overhead. It had a wide stick-and clay chimney on one end, and { heavy door. This Colonial mansion was built of hewn logs. It had two down-stair rooms with a hall be tween. and a front porch. This sort o a home for q pioneer represented the acme of palatial home building anc marked the owner as man of afid ence.
 James Holman's was simple cabin but it was home. The gun was hung on the wall, the spinning wheel wa! taken from the big wagon, the irol Dots and kettles were unpacked ant the family meal was cooked on tho big fire in the broad stone fireplace after which the children scrambled to bed in the loft, safe from thu wolves which howled across the rive and the curious bears that came nos ing around the door.
 Farms Without Fences or implements
 James Holman's farm land la. across the river from his home, dow on the river shore where the soil wa rich and black and the cane grey tall and luxuriant There was II bridge or ferry ard the pioneer farm CT fashioned a canoe and went dail to work in this. He had no materia Cor fence building and no farming in plemefIE the first year, but the te chN1ren had to eat, and while tn weeds and streams were full of ifs axd game, corn bread was necessar. Accordingly the cane was cleared O the rich land, which was dug up an planted with corn dropped in grove made with bamboo rods. With thi crude beginning the virgin corn fiel nourished. It was not without il