The Mena star., 1898-09-14
MENA-pAsT, PRESENT. FUTURE.

being among the NUMBER VINO caiuc
to Mem when it was almost wholly OF
time yet to come. and having returned
for the first time on the Second ami
versary of the founding of the city,
write, by request, of the facts of the
past and present and OF what the flu
ture seems to promise for the young
city of Western Arkansas.
But little over two years ago the
present city of Mena was only city
on paper. A townsite company had
been formed in co cooperation with the
Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf railroad
and a site for central division point
of that road had been chosen. The
highway of steel had not as vet reached
the site OF the city to be, but the work
of building was being rushed to
city had advertised great excursions
for August Is and 49, and every energy
was being devoted to the work of pre-
parlng for the coming of the expected
multitude. About 1880 people were
already on the. gronndv camping about
in tents and in afew of the crudest OF
sheds for shelter. Sawmills were
being started, all carpenters and
builders were being put to work as
fast as materials could be secured and
it was the lucky hustler who secured
sufficient lum Der to construct cover
ings for the stocks of merchandise and
other of the requisites of city that
were to arrive by the first trains
over the new track. For miles up the
road the sidetracks were burdened
with loaded cars of freight of every
class awaiting the laying OF the last
rail into Mena-
Into this picture of busy life an ele
ment of great encouragement was
present--an element that would have
proven fatal to an enterprise less firm
iy based ON substantial foundation
In common with Missouri, Kansas, the
Indian Territory and other states IN
the Central West, Arkansas was atfiict-
ed with the worst drouta that the
history of the state records. Crops OF
all kinds were almost total failures,
and the live stock in many instances
as suffering from want of food and
water. On the mountain sides. all
covered with fine Der, patches OF
trees were seen to be dying, the leaves
turning yellow from want of moisture.
IN this time Of trial Mena was blessed
indeed. for in spite of the terrible
drouth, the fine springs on the town
site were yielding an abundance of
pure water to. supply the heavy de-
mands of man and beast, and when.
ever more Convenient supply was
desired. well from IS to 30 feet deep
was all that was required.
The sun on these days poured its
rays down upon the dust begrimmeo
homeseekers, many of whom were
from the North, in a manner dlscom-
forting, yet, as all were qnick to note.
once in the shade, under tree or roof,
the pure. cooling breezes drove away
almost instantly the feeling of oppres.
sive heat and brought comfort to the
the shadows of the hills and tai, trees
began TO lengthen and the shades of
evening to gather about the scene,
then indeed did nature show the
beauties of the surroundings and the
comforts of the climate. Men who
had come from places where the nights
had been sultry and hot, where sleep
was almost impossible, found rest and
peace and JOY in the nights so cool and
the air SO refreshing.
Such was the condition when, on
the heralded time, the first homeseek-
ers' excursion reached the terminus of
the northern division of the new rail-
road. Not nearly so many came as
was expected, and those whose inter
est in the immediate future was great
est were thankful that it was So OF
those who came but few remained but
those who did have in the large major
ity been very thankful. This refers
particularly to men who came to build,
TO work, to establish business and
make homes. AsSin all cases where
numbers of pushing, energetic men go
to open new fields of industry, there