MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 249 



•field, Cedar Gap, Willow Springs, Olden, West Plains, Mammoth Springs 

 to Thayer, where it leaves Missouri and runs through the swamps of 

 Arkansas to Memphis. For this road, which opened a wilderness to 

 civilization and added many millions of dollars to the value of Missouri's 

 real estate and commerce, we are indebted to Geo. H. Nettleton, a man 

 whose energy, skill and sterling worth have won the love and esteem of 

 all who knew him. It was a proud moment for Gen. Nettleton when, in 

 the presence of 40,000 people, he received from the contractor the title 

 to the great three million dollar bridge. Long may he live to enjoy 

 the fruit of his labor. 



While in Memphis, we were the guests of Mr. Louis Erb, a wealthy 

 commission merchant, who, with his interesting family, entertained us 

 in a royal manner, and spared no pains to make our sojourn pleasant ; 

 took us in his carriage through all the principal streets o; Memphis, 

 many of them tine and lined on either side with beautiful homes built 

 in the latest modern style, and shaded with beautiful trees, among 

 which were many of the magnolia just in bloom, mingling their sweet 

 fragrance with that of hundreds of thousands of roses, not to be wasted 

 on the desert air, but to be enjoyed by the tens of thousands of visitors 

 who thronged the gaily decorated streets of the rejoicing city. 



On our return we stopped at Olden, where we were kindly enter- 

 tained by Messrs. Evans and Gano, members of the Olden Fruit Com- 

 pany. This company began planting their orchard ( largely of fine 

 peach ) eight years ago. They were pioneers in the business in that 

 section, and their enterprise was looked upon by many outsiders as a 

 great venture, but they continued planting each year till they now have 

 nine hundred acres planted in orchard, mostly peach. It is by far the 

 largest orchard in the United States, and has proved to be a great 

 success. The original cost of the land was $2.50 per acre, and last 

 year they sold $20,000 worth of peaches. Some of their peach orchards 

 net over $100 per acre. This year their yield of peaches can't fall 

 short of 50,000 bushels, while their thousands of apple, pear, plum, 

 cherry and quince trees will yield an abundant crop. The success of 

 the Olden company has induced many others to locate near them and 

 engage in fruit-growing. There are now over 200,000 peach trees 

 planted in orchard within a radius of two miles from Olden. There are 

 many line orchards at other points along the line of road — at Thayer, 

 Burnham, Willow Springs and Cedar Gap, where Mr. Erb, Memphis, 

 has a summer home, on which he has an orchard of 25,000 apple trees. 

 Mr. Erb has handled the finest of fruit from many states, but thinks 

 the fruit of the Ozarks unexcelled, and is proving his faith by his 

 works. 



