The Mena weekly star., 1896-11-25
NEW ROAD TO DEEP WATER. .

Under the above quoted caption the Kansas City World of recent date contains an article of interest to our reader showing the great wealth being developed along the line of the Port Arthur route, and the great advantage this road will be 10 Kansas City and the great west. We quote from the article asfollows:
 "A surprise IS probably in store for most Northerns in the development of the practically unexplored regions of the new South--the country lylng be- tween Northwestern Arkansas and the Gulf. Heretofore little was known, because of the lack of transportation facilities. The districts in Western Arkansas and Louisiana and in East ern Texas and the Indian Territory have. within few years, been found to be among the richest in natural re- sources in the United States
 All the wealth of this vast territory is being rapidly made accessible to in- vestors by the opening of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf railroad, which is now in operation to Mena. Ark, 3S0 miles from Kansas City. Between Mena and Horatio is gap of sixty-one miles. This will be closed up by the opening of the year. Then comes stretch of l90 miles of road in operation to Many, La From this point grad ing has already been done forty-fiye miles south and a branch is now open from Port Arthur on the Gulf to Beau mont. twenty miles north, leaving only l36 miles of track to complete the system, which will bring Kansas City 5cG miles nearer deep sea transporta- tion than it has been by way of New York.
 The territory traversed by the road offers greater diversity of conditions than any country of equal extent in the United States The track crosses the lowlands of Arkansas and twenty miles north of Mena reaches an eleva- ton of 600 feet above sea level. 1t trave 'ses the corn belt and the famous apple region of Missouri, the wheat belt of the Indian Territory and the great cotton belt of the Sou h. For 500 miles it Is shaded by magnificent forests of cedar. walnut. yellow pine, cypress and oak. Above Port Arthur it passes through the fertile Gulf re- zion of rice, oranges, figs, and peaches In the Indian Territory it skirts a marble deposit known to be over 300 feet deep and rich belt of land and soft coal. Near Mena lies mine of manganese ore, while north of Texarkana is the only chalk deposit in the United States, from which a grade of Portland ce- meat equal to the best imported artl- cle can be manufactured.
 Aside from these local features the new road will be of immense impor- tance to Kansas City jobbers in that it will bring them into immediate con nection with all the country directly to.the south and enable them to com pete on equal terms. at least, with St Louis jobbers Perhaps the most im- rortaut servlce rendered by the road will be to the exporter from this sec tion. Trarsportation rates by water from Port Arthur to Liverpool or Am stesdain will be practically the same as from New York to the same ports. w',i'e ip shipping by the Gulf port 566 miles of railway transportation will be saved And this is not the only ad- vantage Port Arthur will have over New York. for as is well known. stor- age and lighterage at the latter port amounts to between SIP and SIS a car, all If which will be saved the shipper at Port Arthur The opening of the new road should mean millions of dol lars to exporters of grain and meats in Kansas City."