HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 511 Butler county joins Arkansas on the south and it is divided into two parts by the Missis- sippi escarpment. Northwest of this part the country is rolling, while in the southeast are found the swamps of Black and St. Francois rivers. The county contains 716 square miles of territory, about one-half of which is allu- vial soil. A great deal of the land in the county is well timbered, much of it being very valuable on this accoimt. The principal streams in the eoimty are Black river and St. Francois river which run . adding machines. Besides these there are several flouring mills and other manufactur- ing establishments of minor importance. The total value of manufactured products in 1910 was more than $2,000,000. The railroads of the county are the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern main line; the Cairo, Arkansas & Texas branch of the Iron Mountain, and the Doniphan branch; besides these, there is the St. Louis, Memphis & Southeastern, a branch of the Frisco which runs through the county. In the Thick Timber entirely through it and which have many small tributaries, many of them being creeks of pure and clear water. The principal ex- ports of the county are farm products and lumber. In 1910 there were exported three million feet of lumber. There are some manu- facturing establishments, principally those in Poplar Bluff. These are principally wood working establishments engaged in the manu- facture of staves, lumber and heading. There is also a foundry and a factory for making The population of Butler county is 20,627 and the taxable wealth is $4,148,435. There are 78 school districts employing 118 teach- ers, and the school system of Poplar Bluff is one of unusually high rank. The principal town in the county is Poplar Bluff, which has a population of about 6,000. The other to^^ls are principally saw mill towns and small stations on some line of railway. Cape Girardeau county is situated about
