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4 Arkansas Timber. Consisting of Hard Wond and Pine, Estimated at 250,000,000,000 Feet Beard Measure; Os Which 80,000.000,000 Feet is Mer chantable Pine. Numbar of Railroads in Operation 29, Leng-th 2,000 Mlles. Length of Navigable Waterways of the State 3,470 Miles. Number of Counties in the Slate With Both Rail roail and River Outlet 39. Number of Counties Without Raii or River Outlet Only 23. Superficial Area of the Coal Fields of the State 2,500,030 Acres. Superficial Area of Iron Fields 1,593,000 Acres. Number Acres U. S Land In the State Approxi mately 7.000,000. Number of Acres of Land For Sale by the State 1,500,000. Area of the Marble District of the State 2,300 Square Miles, Etc. 7Y ZKZ tCSt S ASr Compiled by D. Mcßae. * P n r A ' By Direction of Hon. Simon P. Hughetf, Governor of Arkansas. >" SKETCHES OF COUNTIES- Continued from last Number, SCOTT COUNTY. CONTRIBUTED BY J. C. GILBREATH, ESQ; Became a county in December, 1833. Its bound aries have been changed repeatedly until 1881, when its boundaries were fixed as they are at present, Bounded on the west by the Indian Territory, on the north by Sebastian and Logan counties, on the east by Yell and on the south by Montomery and Polk counties. It has an area of about 1,000 square miles, is a typical Arkansas county, and one in which are found all the elements foi a prosperous and progressive community. The following are statistical data from county and United States records: Area, acres, 700,000; assessed valuation, $1,125,- 000; average value of assessed land per acre, $4; acres of land belonging to the United States and subject to homestead law, 278,000 acres; acres be longing to the State, subject to donation, 12,000; school lands, 16th sections, acres, 12,000; individual lands, acres, 150,000; annual rent of land, $3 to $6 per acre. The present population is estimated at 17,000, of which about 40 are celored. There are G 4 sehool districts in the county, in all of which are school-houses. The face of the country presents an undulating timber hills, valleys and table-lands, the titles being unquestionable and prices for lands ranging accord ing to quality from $2 per acre upwards. Home steads can be had by paying the United States fees and complying with the homestead laws, or can be entered by purchase at the price of $1.25 per acre, which is being done rapidly, and it is believed that Scott county has increasedin population more than any other part of the State, owing to the superior opportunities of obtaining homesteads and cheap lands. The roads ot the county run generally east and west, on account of the contour of the country. One of the main roads runs north and south, and is called the Line road on account of its close prox imity to the line of the Indian Territory, being the principal route for travel from the Arkansas river to Texas. * Four streams and their tributaries cross the county, viz: Petit Jean* flows an easterly course close to its northern boundary, Dutchess creek traverses for twelve miles its eastern pa> t. flowing northeast, and Poteau river, flowing thirty miles through the center of the county in a westerly di rection, and the Fourche le Fave river, which rises in the extreme southwestern corner of the county, and flows for fifty miles through, on its way to the Arknansas river, being bordered by rich valleys, with as good and productive land as in this or any other State. TIHE NEW WESTERN RAILWAY GUIDE. The average elevation of the county is about 700 feet in the valleys, and the highest mauntain point is about 2,000 feet above the sea level. Water is abundant for all purposes, including manufacturing, and water can be had by sinking wells from 12 to 15 feet, and there are many noted minerel springs equal to any in this State except Hot Springs. The soil is generally a sandy loam, and will pro duce anything which is indigenous between the tropics and the Canada line. Corn, wheat, oats, rye and barley grow well here, and so do all kinds of grasses, and as for fruit and vegetables the world cannot beat it. Many large orchards and vineyards in the county give evidence of the prodvetiveness of fruit in this county. SHARP COUNTY. (CONTRIBUTED BY SAM DAVIDSON, ESQ.) Is situated in the Whit® river valley, joins in its northernmost point the State of Missouri, and is bounded by Randolph, Lawrence, Independence, Izard and Fulton counties, has an area of 590 square miles and a population of 12,000, about 200 of which are colored people- The general face of the county is rolling, one-half of the county is hilly, the balance level and undu lating. Nearly one-forth is alluvial formation, but there are no prairies. The soil in the bottoms is alluvial and very fine, in the uplands it varies from the best to poorest. Two hundred thousand acres of all the lands are improved, of which 72,000 acres are in cultivation. The United States owns 136,440 acres, the State 20,000 acres, and 7.000 acres are the property of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & South ern Railroad Company. Improved lands can be bought from $2 to S2O, and unimproved lands from 50 cents to $5 per acre. The crops generally grown are corn, wheat, oats, rye, cotton, Irish and sweet potato 's, sorghum and some of the cultivated grasses, such as redtop, clover and German millet. Tie average yield per acre of cotton on hill lands is 550 pounds, on bottoms 1,000 pounds of seed cotton per acre; of corn, from 30 to 50 bushels; of w k at. 11 bushels; oats, from 16 to 30 bushels; rye, from 10 to 12 bushels; Irish potatoes, 160 bushels; s.veet potatoes, 225 bushels; bushels; field peas 16 bushels per acre, and sorghum realizes about 110 gallons of syrup to the acre. Timothy and redtop bring about 2,000 pounds, clover, 2,600 pounds, and millet and Hungarian grass nearly 2 tons to the acre. Apples, peaches, cherries, plums, apricots, quinces and pears produce well, but peaches seem to suc ceed be Her than any other fruit, a failure in the peach crop being very rare. Os grapes the Con cord, Delaware and lona succeed best, but the Ives seedling, Salem and Martha have also been grown with success. Considerable attention has been paid for the last five years to the raising of cattle, horses, mules and sheep. The country is well adapted to stock rais ing, and a head of Durham and Hereford breeds have beei4 introduced. Sheep thrive well and are free from disease. Pine, all the varieties of oak, walnut, hickory, ash, sycamore and ceder are found in the county; a belt of pine timber in the southwest portion is covering an area of 15 miles in length and from 2 to 5 in width. There are as yet no facilities for the marketing of pine, but the railroad passing through the northern portion of the county affords good facilities for the marketing of oak, ash and walnut, which abound in that region. The Kansas City, Springfield & Memphis Rail way passes through the northern portion of the county. Cotton, corn,wheat,oats and all other farm products are grow n and make good crops. Cotton yields from 500 to 1000 pounds of seed cotton on hill and b >ttom resepctively, corn produces from 25 to 40 bushels, wheat and rye 10 bushels, oats 25 bushels, Irish and sweet potatoes and turnips from 100 to 250 bushels, and sorghum about 100 gallons to the acre. Timothy, redtop, clover and millet as well as other of the cultivated varieties of grasses produce well, and yield from 2000 to 3000 pounds per acre. Live stock receives increased attention, but the Durham is the only breed of cattle so far introduced. Fruits of all kinds succeed well here. Os grapes the Concord does best, Nearly all kinds of oak are found in the forests. The white oak grows all over the county in abundance, and pine cedar, wal nut and hickory are in some localities, but there is no cypress. The only facilities for shipping are furnished by the White river, the only navigable stream, there being no railroads in the country. Os minerals, we have iron and manganese, but these have never been developed. Water for domestic purposes, obtained from wells and springs,is both hard and soft. The Bon Air min eral springs, containing iron, are recommended for all diseases for which iron is used. Common free schools are in every district, and at Mountain View we have a high school. Bapiist, Methodist and other denominations have churches in every neighborhood. Our principal town is Mountain View, with 140 inhabitants, and the pop ulation of the county is 6000, of which 100 are ne groes. ST FRANCIS COUNTY. (CONTRIBUTED BY J. M. STEWART.) Situated within six miles of the Mississippi river on its eastern boundary, and in the St. Francis riv er valley, is bounded by the counties of Crittenden, Lee, Monroe, Woodruff and Cross, contains an area of 397,018 17-100 acres, and a population of about 12,000, 4000 of whom are colored people. The country is generally level,with about seven per cent rolling uplands, 88 per cent being alluvial and five per cent prairie. Twenty-five per cent of all the area is improved. 440 acres belong to the United States, and only 10,- 000 to the State, but the Memphis & Little Rock R’y owns about acres. The crops generally grown are cotton, corn, oats, wheat, rye, potatoes, turnips, peas and pumpkins; fn fact, everything which this latitude produces, The average yield of these crops is, on hill lands, for cotton, 1000 pouuds seed cotton, on botron s 1500 pounds; corn, 25 bushels on uplands and 40 bushels on bottoms; wheat from 10 to 18 bushels; oats, 25 to 35 bushels; rye, 15 to 25 bushels; Irish and sweet potatoes, 250 bushels; turnips, 400 bush els; field peas, 60 bushels, and sorghum, 180 gallons syrup per acre. All varieties of culivated grasses do well. Timothy and redtdp produce 4000 pounds, clover 5000 pounds, and millet 6000 pounds per acre. Pears, apples, peaches, quinces, plums, cherries, grapes are cnltivated extensively. Pears, apples and plums succeed best, and of grapes the Concord, scuppernong and Martin produce most abundantly. Very little attention is paid to live stock. The country seems well adapted to this business, having abundant water and grazing privileges, and some improved breeds have been introduced with marked success, the Jersey cattle doing well here. Our timber is abundant. Cypress, white oak, red gum, walnut and hickory grow everywhere, and the facilities for marketing lumber are also abundant. The Memphis & Little Rock R. R. intersects the center of the county from east to west, and the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern crosses the cen ter of the county in a northerly direction. The St. Francis and L,Anguille rivers, running parallel to each other in a southerly direction, are navigable, and have many excellent tributaries in the county. On the Memphis & Little Rock, about two miles and a half east of Forrest City, is an immense mar ble bed, covering about 320 acres of land, and from 8 to 20 feet deep, producing a fine article. The general soil of the country is productive. In the bottoms we have buckshot and black sandy loam. Improved lands can be bought from $5 to S4O, and unimproved from $1 to $lO per acre. There are forty common schools distributed over the county, kept open from three to ten months, ac cording to the vote in the district in which they are located, and the Helena district high school is located at Wheatly. Thirty Methodist, Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Old School Presbyter an and Catholic churches are found over the coun ty and generally in all neighborhoods. Our water is principally hard, and is obtained from wells and springs, but a good deal of cis tern water is used for domestic purposes. The Stewart and Davis mineral springs have some rep utation as a cure for dyspepsia and diarrhea. The principal towns are Forrest City, with 2500, Wheatly 300, Madison 300, Melbrook, Goodwin, Palestine and Colt’s Station, with about 150 popu lation each. UNION COUNTY. BY S. B. BAIRD, ESQ.) With an area of 1080 square miles and a popula tion of about 15,000, one half of which belong to the negro race, is situated in the southern part of trje State in the Ouhchita river valley, which river forms its northwestern boundary. Other boundar ies are, Ouachita county on the north, Columbia county on rhe west, and the State of Louisiana on the south. The general face of the country is comparatively level, with no mountains, and only a few hills draining well towards the Ouachita river. About one-sixth of the county consists of im proved lands. 43,400 acres belong to the United States, 80,000 to 100,000 to the State, and 12.000 to 15,000 acres to the Mississippi, Red River & Texas R’y Co. The general character of the soil in the bottoms is sandy mixed with alluvial, in the uplands sandy. The prices for improved lands are $1.25 to $5, ior unimproved lands, 50 cents to $1.25 per acre. The principal crops of the county are cotton, corn, oats,peas and potatoes; of which cotton yields on Dill lands GOO to 800 pounds; on bottom lands 800 to 1.200 pounds seed cotton to the acre; corn from 12 to 15 bushels on uplands, on bottom lauds 20 to 25bushels; oats, from 15 to 25 bushels; tobac co, from 800 to lOOOponnds; rye from 7 to 10 bush els; Irish potatoes, 100 to 300 bushels; sweetpota toes about the same, peas about 7 to 12 bushels per acre, and 100 gallons of sorghum to the acre. Os cultivated grasses few are grown in the county. Peaches, apples and grapes are grown for domes tic purposes, the varieties of grapes grown being principally the Scuppernong. The timber of the county is abundant in all vari eties. Pine and whiteoak abound on all unimproved lands, and cypress grows along the margins of the streams. We have no facilities for shipping lumber to markets except along the northeastern boundary of the county, where the Ouachita river furnishes a navigable highway for all purposes. So far no rail roads have been built in the county, though it is expected that facilities of this character will exist at no distant day. While coal and iron ore is found along the mar ginal hills, no development except for private pur- ( poses has so far been made. The educational advantages here are as good as generally in thecountry. About 120 common schools are distributed in the different school districts, which are kept open about three months in the year. In addition we have the Eldorado and Blan chard high school, and another high school at Mt. Holly. The Baptists, Methodists and Presbyterians have about 60 churches. The principal towns are : Eldorado, the county seat, with a population of 500; Hillsboro 100, Blan chard Springs 150, Mount Holly 150, Lisbon 50, Three Creeks 75, New London 50, Champagnolle 75, Caledonia 50. ' Tne county is well watered by constant running streams and branches, which intersect nearly every portion of its territory. Water for domessic pur poses is obtained both from springs and wells, and is generally soft. Os mineral springs we have Blan chard’s, Wooley’s and Perdue’s Springs, the waters of which have been analyzed, and show valuable medicinal properties. VAN BUREN COUNTY. Bounded on the north by Searcy and Stone coun ties, on the east by Cleburne county, on the south by Faulkner and Conway counties, and on the west by Pope county. Area about 460,890 acres. Pop ulation nearly 10,000, about 100 colored. The south eastern part of this county is a plateau, some 400 feet high, while the balance of the lands are hilly and mountainous, with a few bottoms along the streams. To the United States belong 248,980 acres in the county, and may be entered under the homestead act. The Iron Mountain R’y owns now no land in the county. There are about 60,000 acres under improvement The principal crops raised are cotton, corn, oats and general farm products, the highlands in the south being especially adapted to the growth ot oats and wheat. The soil is generally good, of a silicious character, , and having, a clayey, retentive subsoil, is not affected by drouth. Cotton produces well, and will yield, on the table lands, from 600 to 800 pounds of seed cotton to the acre, and in the uplands, where the soil has an admixture of sandy loam, it will produce 800 pounds on an average, which increases to 1600 pounds in some of the mere fertile bottom lands. Corn yields in the same pro portion 20 to 35 bushels to the acre, and wheat 15 bushels. Cultivated grasses do well anywhere in this county, and will harvest from one to two tons per acre. Fruits of all kinds, especially grapes, do equally well. For stock raising this county seems especially adapted, and though but little has been done to try the improved breeds, wherever the Jersey, Durham and Holstein were brought it has shown the climate and condition of this section to be favorable to their growth and continuance. The timber of this county is varied and abund ant. In the southeastern part of the county are luxuriant forests of pine, and oak, hickory, sweet and black gum are found along the streams in large belts. Van Buren has no railroad or navigable stream, and the marketing of her timber resources is therefore out of the question. Otherwise the coun ty is well watered, being intersected by numerous clear and beautiful streams, bordered by rich pas ture lands. In the northern portion we have o*l Fork of White river with its numerous little tribu taries, flowing in an easterly direction. In the cen tral portion, running east, we have Little Red Riv er. In the southwestern part are the headquarters of Point Remove creek, and southeast the north fork of Cadron creek heads in the county, flowing twelve miles towards the south. There are many good mineral springs of good healing qualities. Those named the White and Black Sulphur and the Price springs are most favorably known among them. Coal is found in the county,and is used for black smithing and other purpose*. We have fifteen common schools, and many church houses are distributed throughout the county. The county seat is Clinton, with about 200 popu lation, towns arid villages.’ are Liberty Springs, Chdctaw, Scotland, Oak Flat and about 12 postoffices. WASHINGTON COUNTY. (CONTRIBUTED BY J. P. CARNAHAN AND F. R. EARLE, ESQ;) The area of this county is 890 square miles. It is situated in th£northwestern corner of the State, and is bounded on the westby the Indian Territory, on the north by Benton, on the east by Madison and on the south by Crawford counties. The gen eral features of the county are broken, being about one third mountainous, one-third hills andone-third level land. Originally about one-fifth of all the land was prairie, including the highest hills. About one third of the level lands are alluvial, especially all the valleys of the streams. One-half of all the lands of the county are improved. 35,000 acres be long to the United States and 10,000 acres to the State. Practically no lands in Washington county belong to railroads. A few scattered forties, how ever, were selected by the Little Rock & Fort Smith R’y Co. The soil of the county is generally good, in the bottoms alluvial, in the uplands a clay loam with a red clay foundation, and in the mountains sandy loam and clay loam. The prices of land are, for improved, $4 to $25 per acre, and for unimprov ed from $1.25 to $lO per acre. This is strictly speaking the grain raising portion of Arkansas, but nearly all crops which are raised between the cotton lands and the British possessions will grow here. Corn will yield from 20 to 50 bush els, wheat 8 to 16 bushels, oats from 30 to 40 bush els, rye from 8 to 15 bushels, Irish potatoes 150 bushels, sweet potatoes 200 bushels, turnips 200 bushels, and sorghum 150 gallons to the acre. The cultivated varieties of grasses do first-rate. Redtop, red clover, timothy, blue grass, millet and Hungar ian yield abundant returns. Timothy 1500 pounds, redtop 1500 pounds, millet 4000 pounds, clover 3000 pounds, and Hungarian grass 4000 pounds per acre. Where alfalfa has been cultivated it has produced 3000 pounds to the acre. This county by its climate aud soil is one of the safest and most productive fruit ragions on the con tinent. Apples, peaches, pears; plums, strawberries, cherries, raspberries, gooseberries, yield handsome crops and profits. Grape culture is being tried with success. The Concord and Norton’s Virginia are doing best, but others, such as the Neosho and Del aware, have been tried with promising results. Stock raising receives more attention from year to year, and the country is well adapted to this pur pose, especially to tne raising of hogs and sheep. II )gs have been improved generally. Horses, cat tle, mules and sheep have been improved only par tially. Shorthorns, Jersey cattle, Berkshire hogs, Norman horses and Southdown and Leicester sheep are among the breeds imported. Whiteoak,cherry and walnut are found in paying quantities, but whiteoak timber is more abundant than any other. There are no facilities for ship ping. Freights on the railroads amount almost to prohibition thus far, except on railroad ties, millions