Page:1902 Encyclopædia Britannica - Volume 25 - A-AUS.pdf/684

 A R K A N S A S The mineral history of the state may be dated from selected reference library at the university. The Carnegie Library building, under construction, will receive the 1887, when the larger operations in coal began. The coal valuable Territorial Library collection of some thousands area covers 9100 square miles in the western part of the state, and extends into the Indian Territory over 20,000 of volumes. The Territorial Assembly meets biennially. A new square miles. Its quality is semi-anthracite and semiCapitol of granite and white tufa has been erected at a bituminous, and, being hard and smokeless, is valuable for cost of about $150,000. There have been fourteen dif- domestic and steam uses. From an output of 129,000 ferent governors between 1863 and 1900. There are four short tons in 1887, the production had swollen to judicial districts, in which court is held twice a year. 1,173,804 tons in 1898. The development is very rapid: One chief justice and four associates are appointed by the in 1901 the daily output was about 10,000 short tons, with an employment of 3920 miners. The production president. from the adjacent coal - fields of the Indian Territory The early Spanish colonists of Mexico were incited to the about doubles that of Arkansas. In the northern part exploration and settlement of the region by the reports of its of the state 2199 square miles of lead and zinc fields have wealth of precious metals and precious stones. In 1539 Padre been opened, the zinc fields undoubtedly constituting one Marco de Niza passed through the valley of the Santa Cruz, and was followed in 1540 by Coronado. A mission was established at of the richest deposits in the world. Between 1888 and Guevaiz, south of Tucson, in 1687, and thirty-three years later there 1892 Prof. John C. Branner made an exhaustive geolowere nine missions within the limits of the territory now known gical survey, the results of which have been published by as Arizona. The converts were mostly from the Pima tribe, and the state; and his account of the location, extent, and after baptism were called Papago. New Mexico, which included all of Arizona north of the Gila river, was ceded to the United economic value of mineral deposits has, in several inStates in 1848. The strip of country south of the Gila, known as stances, led to their practical development. His reports the Gadsden Purchase, was acquired in 1853. Arizona was set off show that one of the “ most valuable deposits of manganese from New Mexico and organized as a territory in 1863. in North America” lies in the north-east, that payable See Hamilton. Resources of Arizona, 3d edit. 1884.—Report quantities of iron are found in the same section, that of the Governor of Arizona to the Secretary of the Interior, 1899. 4450 square miles of marble equal to the best Tennessee For Grand Canon: Dutton. Tertiary History of the Grand varieties are situated in the north, that limestone valuable Canon District, 4to. 1882. U.S. Geol. Sur.—Powell. Exploration of the Colorado River. 1875. Cattle Industry: Cameron. Report for lime is to be had in inexhaustible quantities, that Gov. Arizona. 1896. Agriculture and Horticulture: Toumey. granites superior to any known exist near Little Rock, Report Gov. Arizona. 1898. (w. P. B.) that the finest novaculites and whetstones yet found are in abundance in the southern mountains, that antimony Arkansas, one of the Southern States of the and bauxites are found in abundance, that clays and American Union, situated between 36° 30' and 33° bT. kaolin fit for manufacture of the best grade of porcelain lat., and 89° 49' and 94° 30' W. long., and bounded on exist in great quantities in the south central portion, and the W. by the Mississippi, on the S. by Louisiana, on the that the greensand, gypsum, and chalk marls in the south, E. by Texas and Indian Territory, and on the IST. by if properly utilized, “ will be of more value to the state Missouri. Before 1875, because of the nature of its than all the gold dug within the bounds of California has physical features—being swampy in the lowlands, every- been to that state.” A large deposit of true chalk where covered with forests, and mountainous in the north- has been utilized by a company which produces Portland west—and because, too, of the political conditions after cement. Gold and silver are also to be found, but not in the Civil War, Arkansas attracted but little of the extensive or valuable quantities. The alluvial bottoms are exceedingly productive, and great stream of immigration that had peopled the flat lands to the north and the prairies to the south. The the soil and climate of the higher regions are peculiarly main development of the state dates from 1890. If a adapted to fruit-growing. The chief staple is cotton. In line be drawn from where the Black River cuts the 1899, 1,726,000 acres produced 770,000 bales, valued at northern boundary to where the Red cuts the western, east $30,800,000. In 1897, 922,000 were raised, and the of it will lie the lowlands and forests, and to the west will crop of 1900, with an acreage of 1,899,000, was estimated lie the mountains. North of the Arkansas river, in the at over 900,000 bales, valued at $35,000,000. Other agriregion of the Boston mountains and the Ozarks, the cultural products, in order of value, are corn, oats, wheat, country is very broken. The general elevation of the rye, hay, millet, fruits (particularly apples, berries, and land is between 800 and 1200 feet above sea-level; the peaches), potatoes, field peas, sugar-cane, serghum, broom mountains are scattered in broken ridges and spurs as if corn, and rice. It is estimated that in 1898 the fruit flung from a gigantic hand, and there are few peaks of and vegetable shipments were as follows :—Apples, 2400 imposing height, the loftiest being Boat Mountain and carloads ; berries, 1000 ; peaches, 500 ; and potatoes, 1200 Lost Mountain, each 2200 feet above sea-level. South of carloads. The fruit is of finest quality, especially the the Arkansas, the mountains lie in long high ranges east apples, to which the first prize has been awarded in and west, separated by low fertile valleys, and at times every competition since 1885, including the World’s Fair < rising into fine and imposing peaks. Magazine Mountain, in 1893 at Chicago. Lumber has been extensively cut, 2823 feet above sea - level and 2350 feet above the and in 1898 the shipments amounted to over 50,000 carsurrounding country, is the loftiest point between the loads. The annual output of forest products is valued at Alleghanies and Rockies, and in beauty and grandeur sur- over $20,000,000. The forests cover over 25,000,000 acres. There are 54 railways (including branches and leased passes the famous Lookout. Blue Mountain, 2800 feet, and Mt. Mena (Rich Mountain), 2750 feet, each rises lines worked under distinct names), with a total of 3052 2100 feet over its valley. The state is well watered, and miles, and an assessed value of $24,051,139. The there are 3000 miles of navigable rivers. Locks have been principal systems are the St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and constructed on White River, a fine stream, navigable 300 Southern, which with branches and leased lines has 1059 miles of its length. In its passage through the mountains miles; the St Louis South-Western, 412; the Choctaw White River may be compared with the Hudson for beauty and Memphis, 282 ; the Kansas City, Fort Scott, and of scenery. Its name it takes from the clearness of its Memphis, 162; the Kansas City Southern, 153; and the waters, which it remarkably preserves through the alluvial St Louis and San Francisco, 108. The total assessed value of real estate in 1899 was $127,062,908 ; of lands even to its mouth. 630