davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mena weekly star., 1897-08-18

The Babes inAth Woods" Little
 Mary and Blythe Doyer at Play. largest counties in Western Arkansas.
 Portions of the county--in tho rich est valleys have been settled many years, but so rugged has been the topography of the country surround ing that no railroad has ever been built within it's borders or nearer than eighty miles from Dallas--its county seat. The building of the Kan sas City, Pittsburg X Gulf road has changed al this and opened up new empire capable of sustaining vast population, saass.. @hhe.. seesnss pared te that which has previously claimed home here
 Dallas. the county seat was estab- lished at the head of rich valley. now peopled by thrifty class of farm CTS. but since the advent of the rail- road and the building of MeDa, which is rapidly becoming the recognized metropolis of Western Arkansas. and it is generally conceded that the people of the county will soon ask to have the county seat moved to Mena
 The opening up of this country has natu ally attracted large immigra- ton, and from the timberless plains of the Great West .and the ice bound regions Of the North comes the cry. We are coming to Polk county and Western Arkansas an hundred thou sand strong" And to those who con- template coming, we say:
 If you are looking for a country where there is one unbroken prairie plain, where timber does not grow and water does not fun, where the winds are fierce and scorching hot in summer, and rage with frigid and pitt less fury in winter. you will not find such country and such conditions in Polk county. Neither will you find the mountains brown and barren, and upon so grand scale as in other DOT tions of the United States.
 The highest mountains are not over three thousand feet above the sea, the average height being about thirteen hundred feet, and they are all covered with dense timber whose rich luxur- iant foliage IS a never ending charm.
 There is no flat land in this country, scarcely an acre that does not slope in some direction. It is land of noun tains, valleys, plains, plateaus, elevat~ ed slopes, glens, glades, gorges-a regular waving landscape like the bill lowy surface of the sea, rising in
 Continued on page 10.
The Mena weekly star., 1897-08-18

tains by a distance of one or two miles. Between these two ranges the headwaters of the Washita and Noun tain Fork have cut a narrow gorge, and through this gorge runs the rail- way, twisting and turning and climb ing to Mt Mena Station, where the waters from the same spring divide, the one part flowing into the Wash lta rlver toward the eastern part of the state, the other part ripping toward the west to join the Kiamichi river, and south until they mingle in the terra cotta tinted flood of the Red river
 The top of the divide at this station is the highest point on the KansasCity, Pittsburg & Gulf, 1,6o9 feet above the sea level. Here is a place where pass engers may alight before they make the ascent to Mt. Mena
 The topography of the summit of Rich mountain is peculiar. The noun tain is flat topped; narrow strip of almost level land extends from one end of the mountain to the other, varying in width from several hundred feet to half mile.
 Mt Mena is the coolest summer re sort south of Minnesota, east of the Rockeys. west of the Alleghaneys. It's coolness is chroni C and perpetual, not intermittent and spasmodic' it is cool at midday as we'll as midnight. get strange to say 1t ise only few hours ride from the warmer portions of the country. It's position with ref erence to the north and south currents of air is largely responsible for this seml- Alaska characteristic of this mountain. 1t rises like gigantic bar rier between the north and the south to height of 3,OO0 feet above the sea. It is ?, 500 feet higher than Poteau, l. T., forty miles north, and 2,06s feet higher than Rust, seventeen miles south. As it is placed, it interferes with the normal circulation of the air currents between the north and south, which are coat nually contending in a perpetual tumult over its summit.
 The Rich mountain range has long been known to the people of Arkansas as cool resort for camping parties. Years ago when north and south air line was dream instead of the sub- stantial reality, that it is now, when no one dared forecast that the rails would climb the gorge between the Black Fork and Rich mountains, peo- pie made long journeys in the sum mer time to Mt. Mena's cooling crest.
The Mena weekly star., 1897-08-18

convenience of the people.
 The company in laying out the town provided for the pleasure of the peo- pie by dedicating two public parks to the city. One comprising ten acres, near the business eenterc cf the town, Nnown as
 The Janssen Park being surrounded by substantial fenre and having near it's center a
The Mena weekly star., 1897-08-18
IS RICH IN NATIVE RESOURCES.
I5o,ooo ACRES OF UNEMPLOYED
 GOVERNMENT LAND.
We'll Watered, We'll Timbered and Very Rich A Splendid Climate and UnexceIIed for
 Fine Fruit.

Polk county is situated on the vest ern border of the state, being bounded on the north by Scott county, on the east by Montgomery, on the south by Howard and Seviere counties and on the west by the Indian Territory.
 It contains 560,G40 acres. or s76 square miles of land, being one of the
The Mena weekly star., 1897-08-18

A Start for New Home in Polk County. place of resort, it's elevation and boun- tiful shade. making it d ool place for our people to 20 breathe the pure air and enj py themselves.
 Too much cannot be said of the foresight and generosity of the foun- ders of Meoa in providing these pleas ant breathing places and beauty spots
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

havoc with railroads In the valley east
OF Yankton. S, u. The water ls foot
higher and threatens TO take out
bridges and tracks. as the approaches
NJ both ends OF the bridges are cut
ting badly. Three miles and over OF
track OF the Great Northern. Mllwau-
kee and North western railroads Is now
completely dlaabled, thus cutting Yank-
ton on from the outside world. Farm
ers In the bottoms are moving out
with boats. Worl vas received ask
Ing for immediate assistance. and men
and boats are departing for the Hooded
district. The WI ~ stiil continues 10
rise at Yankton. The ice Is broken at
Grand Forks. n, D., and trouble Is ex-
pectod from that source, Easements
In Third street stores are cleared OF
all goods Above Grand Forks the Ice
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

The upper Mississippi continues TO
boom. the gauge showing eighteen feet
above low water mark. Il has been
raining constantly for twelve hours.
Dispatches from Aitkin, Sank Rapids.
81. Cloud and Little Falls indicate that
the river is stlll rising rapidly and that
all records ARE likely 10 be broken at
ST. Paul within the next forty-eight
hOura The loyee AZ James street, that
city, broke nt o'clock Sunday after
noon, sending the water an over that
part Of the city with a rush, The food
oncroached into the frc.githouso OF the
Chicago. Milwaukee a 81. Paul road.
The Diamond 10 passenger station "a
In danger OF floating away, and force
Of men are busy tying 10 TO the bank.
Several OF the manufacturing concerns
on the west side have been Obliged 10
shut down because water put their lres
out. The relief societies OF 81. Paul are
busy extending succor to the suffering.
The number OF people who have been
forced TO leave their homes Is about
1900, The wutor east of State street
has become so deep that several houses
have noatod from their foundations.
Logs to the value OF about 100000 iluat-
cd down the river sunday,
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

hntchio Counties. In the n'rthern part
OF tho state are inundated. and the
newly planted corn crops will be laid
In waste.
No loss OF life Ia reported. the In
hnbltants OF this stricken section hay-
lnr made preparations for Just such a
catastrophe as exists thert The con-
dition OF the poorer classes throughout
the flooded area Is indeed critical.
Thousands OF refugees are huddled on
leycos and spots OF land waiting for re-
lief The towna OF Rosedae and Tun-
len report that everything possible Is
being done Tor these poor people. but
that funds and provisions are fast be-
coming exhausted In the little city OF
Roscdale alone 1900 refugees are being
cared for by the citizens.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16
Tho riood. na,nges In lows.

dispatch from Sioux City, la,
gays: Residents OF the Floyd river
bottoms here are again dying to higher
ground. AZ Merrill, James and Hinton.
points above Sioux city. the stream is
out OF IFS banks and flooding the val
ley. Here the bank ~ higher and a
three foot rise will be necessary before
the floods OF fortnight ago can be-
repeated. The rise sull progresses.
however, at the rate OF two or three
Inches an hour.
Burlington. Ia. telegram: A huge
landslide fell from tho water soaked
blum between burlington and Fort
Madison. covering fhe Burlington hall
road track ten feet deep with clay.
rocks and trees All traffic was stalled
FOR several hours until big gang OF
workers could clear the track. There
have been u dozen bad landslldes In
this vicinity the past week on account
OF heavy rains.
Altod. H., telegram; Two feet more
Of water will stop trains on tho
Bluh Line, 81, Louis. Chicago and 81.
Paul, but II the weather remains clear
II may not 20 that hirh. Several OK
ira crews OF men were busy today pill
ing In rock to hold the weak places In
the embankment. whore tho waves
threatened to wash out the track.
Dubuque. Ia, specials The river reg
lstorT twelve feet above low water
mark. n rise " half foot today. Tho
water Is now within three feet Of the
danger line.
Special tclcgrams from points In
South Dakota. Iowa and Nebraska
bring word OF increased floods In all
the rivers. lain has fallen almost In
cossantly for soyenty-two hours over
an area Of more than 100 miles In radi-
us from Omaha. the fall being fully
four inches for that timo. This has
greatly increased the volume OF water
In the already swollen streams. Thou
sands Of acres Of farm land are I'M
der from four To six feet OF running
water. and many families have moved
from homes In boats.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16
Flood. In Minnesota.

ortonyille. MINI, has been complete
ly cut on from communication with the
outside world A train cannot go 20
miles from this city IN any direction.
Lac Qui Parle lake, Minnesota river,
Big Stone lake and Lake Traverse
form one vast sea- The lake and rly-
or arc merged into one, rising at the
rate OF half an inch an hour A heavy
northwest gale is driving the lce,whlch
Is yet a compact and solid mass, out
OF Big Stone lake into the oyeriiowed
bottoms OF the Minnesota river. where
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

gross was calmly smoking q pipe on
the roof Of a log cabin. while a stream
OF water was running through the
doors OF her hut nearly up TO the caves
" the roof
what are you doing there. aunty? ?"
We hnll0cd.
else watered In. came the responre.
would you like VS. 10 take you In %
We offered.
NO. sab; IN be skilled out tcrcct.
iy."
Piaintlye howllngs OF dogs. cack-
ling Of poultry and squcaling Of pigs
keep the woods alive. aud graphic
soonos and Incidents crowd upon the
sight NJ every turn. There are dead
carcasses floating In the water. frag-
mcnts Of hou4fs and articles OF house
hold furniture oi every kind.
=. s.-A later dispatch aays that
Groonyillo has been swept away.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16
Ksrer,sr aath.r,nr N.~..

The Post Dispatch correspondent
went by skin from here to all points
possible by water In a radius Of fifteen
miles In every direction from this city.
says telegram from Grecnyille. Miss.
Il was a common sight 20 SEQ rabbits
or domestic fowls floating on drift
wood. deer on little Islands here and
there above the water. and the starry
ing creatures do not now fear the APP
proach OF man, In one instance a me-
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

Il IL likely 20 do great damage. Bridges
are gone In many places and boats arc
In demand In the vicinity OF the depot
and the railroad yards. Rain has been
falling steadily for n week. making
country roads impossible and keeping
farmers on their fields.
Every record since that Of is49 has
been broken by the Mississippi at
Anoka, MINI. Firoman's grove Is
filled with water and the Rum river
dam il expected TO so out Millions OF
feet OF logs are floating down the river
North OF Anoka millions OF acres OF
farms arc under from two to six feet
OF water and there are grave doubts
an to whether or not II can be seeded
this spring River men tonight say
that there will be a further rise here
OF at least six feet.
Tho Jim River Ov.rnows.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16
ME nreaL AZ Tiower Lah..

Another disastrous break In the ms
nlEsippl ieycc occurred Sunday morn
ing at o'clock ut Flower Lake. six
miles below Tunica, Miss. The ere
vase. while not yet Of great width. IL
fuzzy fifteen feet deep aud tho water
Is pouring through the opening with
fearful velocity. This will probably
BE- the most destructive break that has
occurred In the delta. The most fertile
farm lands OF Mississippi. lying In Goa
homa, Ia Florc. Qultman and ITALIA
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

washed out Three hundred people are
fed by the city. Boats are plying on
the principal streets. A. pincyllle the
Cumberland river Is rising three feet
per hour West Pinoville Is under wa
ter. The Cllnch and Powell Rivers are
flooding tho entire country.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

Terrible surerine ut Many Points
The foods Of the Mississippi valley
and lis tributaries continues TO grow
apace. Millions " dollars worth Of
property have been destroyed ana mill
lions moro must be Hwcpi away before
tho waters rcccdc. Hundreds Of lives
have been facrinccd and at least three
hundred thousand people have been
rendered homeless. The governors Of
Msslaslppl. Arkansas. Alabama, Ten
nossoc. Kentucky. Louisiana. Missouri.
Kansas. tho pakotaa. Nebraska and
Minnesota are receiving funds for the
unfortunatos In distress
Secretary Of War Algcr has forward
ed all tho available tents In the de-
phrtmont 10 tho flooded districts. but
these will BE- inadequate. lie has also
ordered the expenditure Of $4,000 cash
20 relieve the sunorlngs Of homeless
citizens and their families. This Is the
first time that the war department has
ever felt called upon to spend cash 10
relieve want outside OF tho regular ar
my.'
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

OF the 10000 carloads OF oranges
that will be marketed In California
uoXt season fully GCO0 viii be nayels.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

creeping up slowly but surely.
Levee ~ Helena. Ark. Gives WAY.
AdylcCs received tell OF a break n
tie ioyoo two miles south Of Helena.
Arh This ls the lCyce for which the
pdbpls Of Southeastern Arkansas have
made such a desperate HghI The wa-
ters from this break Hood a great area
and back zap into the streets Of Helena.
The relic. steamer ora Lee has ar
rived at Marianne. Ark. having made
aE expedition up the st. Francis River.
There were on board 100 refugees and
200 head Of cattle. The steamer went
mp the 81. Francis River az far as
Cut on, and then worked her way down
stream. rescuiug people from perilous
positions The suffering along the ST.
francis River Is appalling The wa
ter throughout the entire nelghboring
country ~ from Nix 10 fifteen feet deep
The relief boat had on board the body
Of Mrs McMain Of RaFglo City. Tho
body was found at Rargio and Il vsls
taken "a Mariana for burial. there
being no land at tho former place on
which TO give Il intcrment The St.
Francis h rising from three to i've
Inches daily.
A. points below vicksburg the river
~ rising. II is the general opinion OF
old river men here " the levces below
Vicksburg hold tho great volume OF
water In 10 REGULAR channel Il will be
little short Of miracle.
GOV Mclaurin. ~ Mississippi. con-
tinuca 20 make diligent inquiry touch
ing destitute flood sufferers. lie will
perhaps be- compelled to state to Sec
Rotary Of War Alger that the amount
Of 10000 mentioned In his telegram
will be wholly inadequate 10 alleviate
the want and suffering Hon. ]. W..
Cutrcr of Coahomn, n member Of the
Yazoo. Mississippi loyec district. states
that he does not expect the waters 10
abate before May rs.
-
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

A special dispatch from Trenton, Mo-,
says: Grand river Is sull coming up
and the bottoms are completely under
water, causing much damage. Well
don bridge. four miles north. was
washed out. and considerable timber
OF the Quincy. Omaha and Kansas CITY
railway extension has been lost. The
base ball park Is completely sub
merged Mr.. winslow. manager OF
the water works. has received telo.
phone message from the power station
that the water was running In through
the walls, and that 1, the food was any
higher tomorrow the men would have
to yacatc leaving the city without any
water supply SlN young men on horse
back attempted TO cross the bottoms
west OF the town today and were swept
from their animals. Three got safely
to land; tho other three foated down
stream and were rescued from the ueo
tops.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

IL stlll solid between there and Fish
or long rcsiic ON ,he Great Northern
went out sunday. lt will require n
week after the water has gone down
20 repair this line.
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

Mlddlcsboro. KY, ia again flooded.
The water Is four inches higher than in
the food five weeks ago Most OF the
stores In Cumberland avenue are flood
cd SiNty-Gye families have been
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

GrssnNiils, Misa., ueinE swept Away
One-third OF Greouyille. Miss. u a
desert OF water. a scene Of dcaolation
impossible 10 describe. The water Is
IN nearly 200 houses and Is kept out
OF the stores In the heart Of the town
only by the protection 30 timely
thrown up by the citizens to stop iia
. destructive progress. Mall goes and
comes In akina. doctors visit their
patients In akiffg. social visits are made
In sklna. and akins are property equal
almost In value 60 what the mule was
n few days ago. The water Il deepest
In tho extreme northern limits. where
It has reached a depth Of about seven
fcot. From this point II shows grad
/ ual decline.
New Town. Miss. very thickly
built district peoplod almost entirely
by negroes. h undor water, the depth
ranging from few Inches 10 Ave feet.
The Belle Air. which contains many
pretty homes and WIS beautiful with
green lawns and blooming shrubs. IA
Venice. and the only means tho PEG.
pie have Of leaving or returning to
their homes IL by boats. which are.
numerous and various. The water "a
not AZ high as In 1890. but will soon
reach and pass that mark. Creenylllo
itself IN n city OF refugees OF from TO-
! 600 IN 2o.oO0 aouia. psitef boats from
the Interior are bringing IN nearly oy-
cry hour loads OF destitute food suffer
era suddenly caught by the waters and
driven from their homes Hundreds
and thousands OF head OF stock are
being driven In from every direction.
/ The back water from four creylces "A
| pouring In fearful floods oyory hour
and the situation IL growing rapidly
worse. AZ Helena. Miss. .ho river ia
still rising; Mt St. Louis. Miss. IL ia
rising and the Arkansas In threatening
l To rise IN n few days. Husinesa men
are blue, but try to keep cheerful. The
worst has not yet reached the Yazoo.
I Mississippi Delta. and tho half OF its
tale OF woe has not been told. Al soon
as the different towns and eltloa AL.
ready submerged are reached by bont
parties from Greenyillo and as soon
~ the remote districts and planta-
tons can be- heard from. there will ba
enough 10 saddcn the hearts OF those
far away who are now eagerly walt
Ing for news and hoping against hope,
The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1897-04-16

The Jim River Ov.rnows.
The Jim river is creating genera
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-11

Between the forty-nine and hfiy-fvo
mile posts on the Carolina Central
railway there Is a piece Of track for a
distance OF nearly six miles that pre-
nents a singular condition that 30 Tar
amounts to an inexplleable mystery.
All trains going and coming 90 &c
grinding and start a terrible squeaking
when they get on this six miles OF
track. The noise comes from not only
one car. but every locomotive. every
coach. and every car Of whatever Kind
sets up a grinding % n turning q
curve. Il Il something like the sereech-
lng Of an or cart that has no grease on
Il. and u is made by every truck on .
train. The track is perfectly straight,
and a. there q no curve al all, the
cause Of the grinding and squeaking
has myrtihed the railway people. Ev'
cry effort has been made 10 ascertain
the cause Of the difficulty. The loco
motives have been scrutiniEed, every
crosstle and every rail- has been In
spected. every Joint has been looked al
aud every foot Of the track has been
rtgaured. but no explanation could b
found. !, is one Of the railway puzz!e'
Of the age. and has been going on foi
twenty years During that time the
crosstles and rails have been replaced
several times with new ones. but with
out effect
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-11

John L. sullivan has changed ma
terlally IN appearance since he reached
the years OF manhood. when be was a
young man and had not achieved fame
a. a prirs-aghlcr his face was not 30
broad as Il ls now and his form was
sliehter The sunday World repro
duces a picture Of sullivan taken more
than twenty years ago. Il IL an old
fashioned daguerreotypo and shows
not only his face, but three-iourths Of
his body. as did most OF the daguerreo-
types taken at that time. As he grew
older and after he entered the prise
ring Sulllvan's face became broader
and his Jaw heavier. So much dld these
changes alter his facial expression that
no one would recognize the old da-
guerreoiype as being a counterfeit pre-
sentiment Of the creates, fighter Of
modern times.
The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-02-11

According to a writer In the contem-
porary, the sultan Of Turkey never
sleeps before dawn for fear OF assas-
slns. but sits up reading detective
stories A good French translation Of
sherlock Holmes would b. quite q
boon 10 him. OF the snltan's intel
lectual capacity. this illustration Is
given; Abdul Hamid Il impatient and
Of a hasty disposition: he cannot brook
any hlndrance to hia Intentions or ca
prices. when he has given an order ID
does not admit that events can develop
otherwise than In conformity with his
trade. A grotesque instance % this and
one Of very frequent occurrence may
be cited. When a Gre breaks out al
Consianiinopie or In the envlrons ths
sultan sends an aide-de-eamp with or
ders 10 the eommandant Of the Are
brigade 20 extinglulsh Il Al once. wher
the Gre bafies the Efforts OF the are
men and spreads. which happens more
usually than not. ether aldcs-de-camI
arrive In quick succession 20 announces
that 'EiendlmiE IL angry TO End hll
order d not ye, obeyed, and there Il
an trade that the Gre should cease I'm
mcdlalely."