Miriam McFate Travel Journal - 1926

Sun, Nov 7, 1926

Did not get a very early start this morning. The boys raised the front springs. Do hope this proves our oil saver. Started 10:30. Crossed the St. Francis river near this town. This is about twice the size of the Iowa river. The water is very clear in all rivers and streams. After crossing the river the country is rough. Our road is winding and level, but on both side we have timber. Drove into the hills just before entering Forrest City Ark. These were the first hills we have had for three days.

Not much farm land between here and Palestine, 8 miles distant. This little place is just ready to leave the Map. It is such a tumble down affair, more kindling wood than anything else. The roads are good but awfully dusty. We’re riding with curtains up and sweaters off. It is like a warm September day in Iowa.

Drove off onto the level again. Better farm country. We seen a threshing outfit, first since leaving Illinois. Lots of small grain and hay thro here. Quite a number of cattle here to. Acres and acres of wheat in the shocks. Not much cotton here.

As we drive along can see threshing machines everywhere. They do not stack straw here. Just blow it with a blower like we do sometimes. It is not so thickly settled thro here. Better buildings where there is any. Suppose these are more plantations if we only knew it. Elevator built right along the rail way tracks here. Look like new ones.

Eat dinner at Wheatley Ark. On again at 12:30. Have left the wheat fields. More cotton raised thro here. We are 73 miles from Little Rock. Drove along ways thro the timber again this afternoon. Timber on both sides. We saw a big blue Heron rise up out of the swamp along the road. It sure was a big bird. Water all along the ditches. Looks as tho they had had plenty of high water. This is near the White River. After we left Brasfield Ark we came into a cotton district again. This is a sandy clay soil here, yellow as gold. Charged us 75 cents toll to cross the bridge over the river. This close to the mouth of the Cache and White River. It is as large as the Missouri river. After we left the bluffs along this river we came upon a very flat section. As we drove on we noticed derricks that looked like our old wooden wind mills without any wheels. We wondered what they were. As we came nearer could see field after field full of shocks again, It did not look like wheat, so we stopped and got some. We noticed the fields were wet, and water along in deep ditches by the road. Found out when we got to Carlisle it was rice. They have a large rice mill here. After we found out what it was, we could see the irrigation ditches. You could tell where the main ditches were by the tall weeds. Each field would have 2 or 3 main ditches, then there would be deep furrows plowed out in circles about every three feet apart from these. It looked like a good crop. At least the shocks were thick on the ground. They cut and shocks this like we do our small grain. Found out later these derricks were pumping stations.

From Lonoke to Little Rock it is mostly all cotton again. Some very poor crops thro here. It is growing dark. Pulled into a filling station 3 miles from Little Rock. Most all filling stations have a small camp ground. We are 50 miles from Hot Springs. Looks rainy. Time 5:30. Got supper. Went to bed early.