Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-07-03
ITO OPEN A NEW EMPIRE,i
THE PITTsBURG g. GULF WILL RUN
ABIG EXCURSION TO ARKANSAS.
Thousands of Acres OF Government Land
Ready for Homeseekers and Investors
Arrangements for the Jubilee
Railway News In General.
Kansas CITY Star. Juno Iith 1876

Kansas City Star, Juno 18th 1876
The Kansas City, Pittsburg q Gulf rail-
way will be completed and in operation be-
tween this city and Menn, Polk county,
Ark, the latter part of next month. Mena
is in the center of practically undeveloped
territory of $4,000 square miles. The town is
100 miles from any railroad except the Pitts
burg q Gulf, and surrounding it are 1,O43,-
1877 acres of government land open to pre-
empton. This is exclusive of school lands.
Polk county alone has 81 900 acres OF
government land ready for settlers. The
opening of this rich empire is to be cele-
brated by the Pttsburg Il Gulf railway
with big honeseekers' and investors ex-
cursion, and if the scheme of the company
is successful the rush for lands will be SEQ
ond only to the inavsion of the oklahoma
/ territory.
The excursion will be run about August
20 and will be known as the port Arthur
road Arkansas Jubilee" The Pittsburg &
Gulf will make extremely low rates from
Kansas City, and it is expected that all
other railroads from the North will send
through trains loaded with homeseekers
and investors over the Pittsburg & Gulf
tracks to Mena. Assistant General Man.
Pullman slcepers possible. AS many as can
be carried in sleepers will be carried that
way. An extra low Pullman rate will be
made. Tourist cars will be pressed into ser
vice, and every available means will be
used to handle the immense crowd com fort
ably and safely. Orders have been issued to
begin the work of building new hotel at
Mena, so that it will be ready for the ju-
loo - ,t,l tb,k e
ing will have to be laid to accommodate the
cars. Five days have been set apart for the
special celebration, namely: Editors day,
Arkansas day, Blue and Gray day, Horti.
cultural and Agricultural day and Kansas
City day. The governor of Arkansas and
the State and county officials will be invited
to attend the Jubilee
The Pttsburg e. Gulf management pro-
poses to make the excursion the biggest
thing of its kind ever held in the West.
Eminent speakers from all over this coun-
try have been invited to address the crowds.
Special arrangements will be made to pro-
vide tents 10 accommodate those who ha We
no beds in the sleepers or in the no tel. All
railroads will be asked to make reduced
rates, and they will probably be granted.
There are million acres of government
and State land along the line of the Pitts
burg d Gulf railroad, and the jubilee will
be in the nature of an opening of a new
country for settlement. The land depart
ment has been busy laying out the com.
pany's townsite at Mena. plan is now
under discussion for providing for parks,
boulevards and public squares, by collect
ing small fee when the title of the land is
transferred from one person to another.
The elevation of Mena is 1850 feet above
the sea level. 1t lies in valley twenty
miles long and ten miles wide, surrounded
by the mountains. The average elevation
of the mountains is about $500 feet above
the sea level. There are twenty five springs
on the TOWNSHIP of Mena. Until the Kansas
City. Pittsburg Il Gulf began building its
nearest town was Hot Springs, eighty-6ve
miles away. The population of Polk coun-
ty Is 10000. The inhabitants live on corn
bread and bacon; the women make their
clothes with the crudest spinning wheel;
they have had absolutely no commerce with
the outside world. Land values are at
minimum. The soil is adapted to the Guilt
walton OF wheat, corn, barley and oats and
small fruits.
Mena will be division point in the rail-
road. Work will soon begin on the depots,
roundhouses and repair shops. Engineer
Robert Gillian has a plan to put water
works IN the town by piping water from
the side of the mountain. The town of
Dallas four and one-half miles away, is
the county seat. Arrangements have been
made to put the matter of changing the
county seat from Dallas 10 Mena by the
vote of the people, and as everybody IN the
county is in favor of it, the change will be
merely matter of form. The mountains
about Mena are rich in minerals. For
urther information in regard to Mena and
he new empire surrounding her, address
:. A. Horn beck, Land Comm issioner, Kan
,as City, Pittsburg 4 Gulf railway, 7th., and
Nyandotte streets, Kansas City, Mo.