Year: 1860

south ArkanSas-Roads 6c.

 The traveller through South Arkansas is ve- " liable to form an erroneous and unfavorable opinion as to the real value of our country generally, as our main or principal roads are located almost universally upon the worst or poorest portions of 1t. There being few to make or repair roads, the great desideratum appears to have been, to make them through that tract of country which would require the least work to open them, and consequently the barren and sterile pine hills have been the favorites of all our road openers, amongst which hills little is to be found to attract notice Or excite admi- ration. In consequence of being but slightly productive they are but thinly settled, and that by the smallest farmers, who seek such locations for health good water, (with which 1t abounds) and for stock-raising These pine roads soon become rough and uneven from use and by the operations of the rains upon them, having few to work or repair them, they neces- sarily become bad, and will continue to i'm. prove in this way for all time to come whilst depending upon such alimited power to prevent It. The location and condition of our roads have an important bearing upon the prosperity of the country; they are serious drawback upon It's settlement, when bad. From them all visitors see r, their opinions are formed very greatly from that observation, and their reports to other countries, for good or evil, are based thereon. We have small means at our com mand, 'tis true, but what we haue should be applied; and to insure inst and wise appca- ton, new system should be formed, correct ing the present abuses and deficiencies. Ger talnimportant highways should be made-those traverslng the country north and south, east and west, first and foremost-and let others come In as collateral. Appropriate your inter- nal improvement funds to this purpose; they cannot be thrown into better channel-one that will add more to the growth of the coun- try; and this, Tn most counties, they can accom- plish. Let bjg wild schemes aone,-give them to visionares, who have no mouey to spend. We must have roads, and if we cannot have such as we want, we must be content with others. All the wants of the country demand this, and we are assured that some of the coun- ties, Hampstead particularly, have abundant means to accomplish great good in this way Then let her and all others be up and doing; no one knoweth what a day may bring forth. Some visionary scheme may seize the public mind that will swallow their little improve ment funds in moment and all will be lost With good thoroughtares, how different would be the impression upon vistors-how changed would be their report. They have now a fought time of 1t indeed none can deny it; and we do not wonder that so many complain become disgusted and leave. They are sick at seeing such poor unsightly country; weary and travel-worn over bad roads, with worse fare, they sgh for the comforts and eniovments which they have left behind, amidst the i'm provements of thersmilng homes, their bloom ing country, and are ready to VOW in their hearts that if permitted once again to reach their land of internal improvements, Arkansas and hel rich cotton lands, shall be with them forever more as shadow, or something to be spoken | of, not desired. How unjust are all such opi nons, such reports of this rich and fertile coun- try, its wealth, its people, its society," intelli gence and morals But who can blame them | They do not malicionsly do it. They have nc such desire; they come to the country for different purpose; they come wishing and ex pectng to be pleased; they come to make citi zens--to make Arkansas their homes--to be come tillers of her lands. They are not to b cens1red or complained of, for they see nothin, but deformity and care not to risk the interior when we present so uninviting if not revolt ing all outside.

 In this connection we may have som ethihe to say about public hotels at no very distan day. We are anxious to correct all evils tha serve to retard the growth and prosperity of ou

 State, and those, if we cannot correct, we can eX

 pose. There are some establishments of thl

 kind which disgust visitors to our country, an'

 are a scandal aud shame