Arkansas True Democrat, Little Rock CS
Manufactures in Arkansas.
There is a tobacco factory at Bentonville in Benton county which is said to be a paying institution. The tobacco crop is getting to be an important one in the northwest. There is a large cotton factory in Washington county. The cotton factory at Van Buren is a large affair and in addition to spindles, has cards for wool. Mr. Tobey, of Norristown, Pope county, has, or will soon have, his cotton factory in operation. There is, also, a cotton factory in Pike county. In Newton county they have large saltpetre works and are turning out large quantities. In Independence, and perhaps other counties, there are fine saltpetre caves which are being worked. The rich lead mines in Newton county are rudely worked. The Bellah mines in Sevier county are also yielding lead. We are told there is copper in that region and sulphur and sulphuric acid can be made there. Salt is made on White river and down near the Louisiana line. The salt works on the Ouachita are in the hands of enterprising men. There is an unlimited supply of brine and we are told that Messrs. Harley & Co., have commenced boiling and making salt. They have a foundry at Camden which turns out cannon and sent a battery under command of Capt. Reed, to Oak Hills. We have two foundries in Little Rock, one of which furnished grape shot for the army. At Hopefield, opposite Memphis, the machine shop of the Memphis and Little Rock railroad has been turned into an armory and is altering and repairing guns etc. Several extensive tanneries have been started at various points in the State where at hides are tanned by the process lately discovered. The Messrs. Dyer of this city have a soap and candle factory in operation. At the arsenal there is an armory under the control of the Confederacy, but the necessary machinery has not yet arrived. The Arkansas penitentiary has turned out gun carriages, caissons, wagons, boots, shoes, clothing and many other things needed for the army. A manufactory of coal oil is in progress on the Ouachita river. These are all enterprises that occur to us while writing, but there are, doubtless, others. We would be glad to have a full list of those manufactures and enterprises in operation or under way. We know that several are in contemplation but the continual low stage of water in the Arkansas and other rivers has prevented the bringing machinery to desired points. Will our correspondents be kind enough to advise us of any new manufactures started or existing in their counties.—While on this subject, we may remark that there is good coal at several points on the upper Arkansas, in Perry, Johnson, Franklin and Sebastian counties. In some places it is immediately on the river bank and when the river rises we expect the coal trade will become an important one, provided the river rises before the cold weather ceases.
We have omitted to mention that the railroad from Little Rock to White river is nearly completed and that two telegraph lines, one from Pine Bluff to Napoleon and another from Little Rock to Fort Smith, are rapidly approaching completion.
In addition to all this we have some fine large flour mills, that make flour equal to any made elsewhere. There is, also a factory in the southern part of the State where they make cotton gins, wheat fans etc.