The Forrest City times., 1894-09-14
ARKANSAS STATE NEWS.
The Hot sprines c rex.s L,pe.


 indebtedness aggregating in the neigh 5orhood of s7,ooo for grocery and other supplies furnished the railroad construction gangs. The new com pany, of which Col. Uriah Lott is the financial head, D. c. Rugg president and John Lonsdale secre- tary, is indebted to local firms for mer- chandise to the amount of some thou sands of dollars. Time checks of the employees have been selling for several months at 25-per-cent. discount, and in some cases even more. Still, work on the road has been progressing. and the people of this city have confidence in the integrity and financial stability of the management.
 COL. LOTT
 has been in the east for several months making certain deals, endeavoring to obtain funds whereby to carry the road to completion.
 Whatever has been the hitch in the roads financial affairs, the large con- tractors are evidently we'll satisfied as the result of their investigations, and are going right ahead turning out the supplies for the equipment of the line. The Illinois Steel CO has been delivering, according to contract, l,5o0 tons of rails per month at Benton, where the new road joins the Iron Mountain. and the new road has been completed as far as the Saline river, 8 distance of about miles
 THE ROAD IS GRADED
 and ready for the ties and tracks from the river to this city, distance of something over 2 miles. Rails can not be laid on the west side Of the river un- til the bridge is completed, and all tho piers for this have been sunk and are ready to receive the spans. which are now on the ground. The bridges are supplied by the Union Bridge Co. and three more bridges are now in process of construction at the foundries, to be delivered as soon as they can be com pleted. Eighty-five thousand ties are distributed on the ground along the line of the new road and ready to re- ceive the rails on the west side of the river. As soon as the road has been completed to Hot Springs from Benton work is to begin immediately from this city westward toward the Indian ter ritory, with Mister as the objective point
 Alleged Counterfeiters.
 A dispatch was sent from Little Rock the other day as follows: H. s. and Charles Wilson, of Piggott. have been arrested on the charge of passing counterfeit money. Both are wealthy and own two large slave factories at Piggott- H. S. Wilson is married and has two grown daughters It is now believed there are one or two others implicated in the gang. Charlie Wilson, it is said, has made a con- fession to Sheriff Broadway at Jones' boro. which caused the arrest of his brother Deputy Marshal White has arrived here with Sam Furguson, an other alleged member of the Nevada county gang of counterfeiters. Furgu- son lives near Waldo, Columbia county. Dr. Dave Nichols was arrested at the same time, but gave bond before the commissioner at Texarkana. Furguson waived examination and was put in the penitentiary in default of bail.
 Died at the Age of no.
 Charley Matthews, a negress no years of age, died at Little Rock. She was the oldest resident of Arkansas as far as is known. She had lived in Little Rock only eighteen months. hay ing been taken there by her son, who is 53 years old. and her only known de- scendant. She came from Claiborne parish, La, and was born in Perry county, Ala She was years old when Washington beca me president of the new republic, and remembered nearly every one of his successors She retained her vigor of mind and of body until a few days before her death, when she broke completely down.
 Death of Col. George Van Etten.
 News was received in Little Rock the other day announcing the sudden death at Asbury Park, N. J., of Col. George Van Etten. one of the wealthi- est and most prominent citizens of Lit tie Rock. Col. Van Etten was president of the Interstate Drill association, which held prize military drill in Little Rock, and much of the success of the undertaking was due to the ef- forts of Col Van Etten.
 Charged With Being Defauiter.
 Thomas T. Smith, county treasurer Columbia county, has been indicted by the grand jury, charged with being defaulter to the amount of S3,000. Smith has filled the position of treas urer of Columbia county for the last Six years.