Though no metallic ores proper have yet been found in the northern part of Greene county, I consider the selenite bed (b) near Mr. Payne's of great importance, in an agricultural point of view; and it may hereafter be the source of no inconsiderable revenue to the county. It occurs in beautiful, small, transparent crystals, abundantly distributed through the clay, which itself contains soda, potash, and perhaps, phosphates and nitrates, forming a combination which will be applicable as a mineral fertilizer to a great variety of soils.
The underlying stratum (c) will afford a good, cheap, red, as well as yellow paint; for, by simple burning, the yellow ochre is converted into a red ochre; this latter can be used as a dyestuff for coarse cloth and yarn.
Potter's clay is in great abundance, and of excellent quality for common ware.
In the absence of more durable rocks, the ferruginous conglomerate may be used for the undcrpining of houses, building chimneys and walling up wells.
The alluvial bottoms, above overflow of the rivers and creeks, are very productive and easily cultivated. The elevated land between St. Francis and Cache rivers, known by the name of Crowley's Ridge, is somewhat broken, but highly susceptible of cultivation, producing all kinds of grain; it is particularly noted for its adaptation to the growth of wheat. Mr. A. Muckelroy, who lives on section 19, township 21 north, range 8 east, informed me that he had raised six consecutive crops of wheat on his land without any apparent diminution of fertility; in fact, all the farmers with whom I conversed, spoke in great praise of its wheat growing properties; and when by continued cultivation it may require renovation, there lies close at hand, in the gypsiferous clays, a supply of mineral manure that will keep it in good heart.
The settlers in this part of Greene county, are just beginning to turn their attention to agriculture; heretofore, the great abundance of game seduced them into a thriftless way of living; depending almost exclusively, for a livelihood, on the sale of furs and peltries, which constitute, at all times, a critical and uncertain means of support. As game is now becoming scarce, they are compelled to devote their time to agriculture, or move farther west, where wild animals are more numerous.
The projected railroad, from Fulton, in Texas, to Cairo, at the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, runs through township 21, range 6, and if completed, will prove of incalculable advantage to a region of country rich in fertile lands; as the want of a ready market for the surplus produce of the country, is one of the greatest drawbacks to its progress.
A plank road from the Chalk bluff, to Point Pleasant, on the Mississippi river, twelve miles below New Madrid, is under construction and will soon be completed.
This road will prove highly beneficial to Greene county, and is the best route for emigrants coming from Kentucky, Tennessee, and the Carolinas, who wish to locate in the northern part of Arkansas. The emigration to and through Greene county, during the fall and winter of 1857, was very great; and as the people of this and the adjoining county of Randolph, receive, from this emigration, no small amount of money, in exchange for produce, it is to their interest to improve the road from the Chalk bluff to Pocahontas, particularly the crossing of Cache river, which is in a wretchedly bad condition, and could be made passable at very little cost. In attempting to cross this river, our mules mired down and came very near being drowned in trying to extricate themselves from the deep mud. We were compelled to obtain assistance, and after disengaging the team had to get the wagon out by hand.
The principal growth of timber on the highland is large white, black, and red oaks, mockernut hickory, (commonly called black hickory.) and a few shell-bark hickories. On the alluvial lands of Cache river, are found, in addition to the above, large poplar, black and sweet gums, and in the sloughs, cypress.
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United States Engineer Office,
Saint Louis, Mo., February 6, 1871.
Colonel: I have the honor to submit the following report of the examination of the Saint Francis River.
In accordance, with instructions issued from this office November 2,1872, I proceeded to Greenville, Wayne County, Mo., on the Saint Francis River, and commenced the examination at that point. The examination was made at extreme low water, and the depths given are referred to low-water mark.
The Saint Francis River rises in the Ozark Mountains, in Saint Francis County, Missouri, and passes through Madison, Wayne, Stoddard, Butler, and Dunklin Counties, Missouri, and Green, Craighead, Poinsett, Mississippi, Cross, Saint Francis, Crittenden, aud Phelps Counties, Arkansas. The river is very crooked and has many short bends. With the exception of some few narrow places, the width between banks is from 100 to 250 feet. The bed of the stream is of sand or gravel, until it reaches the swamp region, when it becomes more soft aud muddy. Bench-marks referring to low water were established at intervals along the shore. Extreme high water at Greenville is about 24 feet.
From Greenville to Conner's Mill, a distance of twenty miles, there are 29 shoals varying in depth from 6 inches to 2 feet. In this distance there are 120 snags and 230 leaning trees.
The approximate slope of the river from Greenville to Conner's is 32 feet. The banks are well timbered with oak, hickory, poplar, elm, and ash. The bottom-lands are generally under cultivation, corn, wheat and other grains being produced. The hills contain larger quantities of iron, which is beginning to attract considerable attention.
From Conner's Mills to Indian Ford, a distance of fifteen miles, there are ten shoals varying in depth from 1 to 2 feet. The slope in this distance is about 8 feet.
At Indian Ford there is a largo deposit of iron-ore, said to be of excellent quality.
Soon after leaving Connor's Mills, the country on the left became swampy, although the river-banks are from 12 to 20 feet high.
About sixteen miles below Indian Ford, the Cairo & Fulton Railroad crosses the river.
Forty miles below Indian Ford, by river, is the " Big Raft." At this place the river is choked with a great quantity of drift, which is piled up 12 or 15 feet high, composed of logs, trees, timber, and all the debris that would naturally find its way into the stream during high water. The raft is in two principal parts; the upper is about 800 feet long, 300 feet wide, and 13 feet deep; then an iuterval occurs of about 1,800 feet, which contains some drift, and is full of snags; then wo come to the lower portion, which is about 1,000 feet long, 300 wide, and 15 deep.
The raft has been accumulating a long time and each year adds to its dimensions.
Most of it above water could be burned oil' in dry weather. I fired it in a number of places and left it burning, but without assistance, it is doubtful if it did much good, as there was so much earthy matter mixed in with the drift. It would probably cost $30,000 or $35,000 to remove it.
About twenty-four miles by river below the raft, the stream crosses the boundaryline between Missouri and Arkansas, and after running a few miles in the latter State, winds back again into Missouri for a short time, and after passing Chalk Bluff', becomes the boundary between the two States, until it reaches the lower end of Dunklin County, Missouri, when it passes into Arkansas.
From Indian Ford to Chalk Bluff, a distance of sixty-five miles by river, the approximate slope is 42 feet. Thero are 17 shoals, 1,060 snags, aud 720 leaning trees in this distance.
Chalk Bluff is a small settlement on the right bank of the river, in Green County. Arkausas; it has about twenty inhabitants aud one store which does but little business.
From Chalk Bluff to Varner's River, a distance of eighteen miles, the river has about 14 feet slope. Tho stream here is very crooked and rapid until after passing Seven Mile Island, when it becomes much better, until the channel divides at Varner's River. Here the water separates, one part going through the channel known as Varner's River, and the other following the channel of the Saint Fraucis proper. They do not come together again for thirty miles. At the head of this large island is the commencement of what is generally kuowu as the " Sunk Lands."
I found the Saint Francis channel choked by a raft of drift, which threw most of the water into the Varner channel. On that account, aud as an attempt had been made to clear it out for the purpose of floating down logs and stave-boats, I coucludcd to take the Varner channel.
The weather was becoming very cold, (December 10,) and I feared the stream would freeze up and prevent the continuation of the examination, and as I could gain time by taking tho Varner chute, I concluded to do so. I havo no doubt but the description of either one would answer for the other. The water here never rises over 3} feet.
At the Saint Francis Mills, eleven miles below the entrance of Varner's River, where a point of high land makes in from the east, there is quite a little settlement, containing a saw-mill, cotton-gin, a wagon and blacksmith shop. One mile east of the mills is the town of Kennett. Soon after leaving the mills the highlands disappear, and we get into the swamp again, where it spreads out into a maze of channels, sometimes covered with tall swamp-grass, through which tho water spreads by numerous channels, at intervals of opening out into a fine deep channel from ti to 10 feet deep, and 150 to 300 feet wide; again it will spread through the cypress swamps with no channel developed. Through such places a " blazed route " has been marked out, which I found of great assistance.
Sometimes it debouches into wide, shallow lakes, covered with weeds aud grass, interspersed with cypress trees and stumps. These lakes are generally very difficult to navigate, it being very hard to force a skiff through the heavy growth of weeds, aud sometimes they are so shallow that it was necessary to push or drag the boat along.
Occasionally a tongue of land will shoot out from the high ground into the swamp, offering a welcome camping place, but when these were not attainable we had to be contented with what is kuown in swamp language as " donics," which are small patches of ground but little above the water-surface.
The waters of the Saint Francis and Varner's Rivers come together again about thirty miles, by river, below the point of separation.
To tho west of tho swamp region is Crowley's Ridge, a range of hills from 200 to 400 feet high. The soil of that portion bordering on the swamp is a rich sandy loam, well adapted to the cultivation of cotton, which is the staple product of this section.
During high water small steamers run up as far as Cortney's Landing, some forty or fifty miles up the lake.
Some miles below Cortney's Landing is Old Town, a small place on the right bank, with about twenty inhabitants, one store, aud a cotton-gin.
Abont six miles below Old Town the extreme cold weather caused a suspension of work by freezing up the lake or swamp.
I made a superficial examination of the remaining portion of tho lake to its foot, which latter lies in township 11 north, range 6 east, of the fifth principal meridian,
and found the general appearance the same, and made certain that I had joined the survey made by Mr. Koons, in 1870.
I estimated the slope through the swamp region by the channel at five-tenths of a foot to the mile, which is probably not far from correct, as Humphreys & Abbott's report, of the physics and hydraulics of the Mississippi River give the slope of the swamp region from north to south at seven-tenths per mile.
Although the river is susceptible of improvement by clearing the channel of stumps and snags, and dredging the shallow places through the swamps, combined with a series of wing-dams or levees, I do not think the commerce of the country will justify Mich an expenditure at present, especially as Mr. Koons, in his report of the survey of 1--70, sneaks of numerous bars between Wittsburgh and the swamp country, some of which have but one inch of water at low water. Respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. D. Mckown, Civil Engineer, Assistant. Col. J. H. Simpson,
Corps of Engineers, U. S. A.
Source- Geological Survey of Arkansas 1858