The Monticellonian., 1907-06-20
ein Iust com ptnSa tIOfl. .
Hollywood PIa1.ation. on Bayou Bar
,hoimeew. Ark, June II, '07. Hon. James R. Gotham,
 Monticello, Ark.


 Hon. James R. Gotham,
 Monticello, Ark.
 Dear Sir:--ln your article about the North and South Railroad, you state that Pine Bluff is indifferent about the building of the road. This came about un account of the survey boing put through the hills instead of up Bartholomew. What your town and Pine Bluff needs is s good road that will go into the rich bottoms of Town ship H. South, Range 1, West. and contin- ue in the bottoms until Pine Bluff is reneh- ed; then both towrs will be benefited. There is no comparison between the busi- ness done by A road in the hills and one in the bottoms This can be seen each day at Pine Bluff, where roads run both in from hills and bottoms.
 It will be well for Mon ticello to get a road to and up Bartholomew, and get local trade, rather than q zigzag road to the i North.
 Of eourse in few years. all roads will be operated by the government and there will be no competition. but fair rates. Col. Parker is influenced by those from whom he gets his money, and it seems they want straight roads between points. If Col. Par 1 ker will put the Monticello road in Bsrthol- omew bottoms there will be no trouble with l Pine Bluff's contribution of a thousand dol lars A mile for each mile in slluvial lands.
 Yours truly. \. x. X.
 The above letter from a prom inent citizen and large property holder of Piue Bluff indicates that Pine Bluff wants the North and South railroad, but wants 1t to run over a different route than the one of which the prelim- mary survey has been made. It is immaterial to the people of Monticello just where the road runs, so 1t gives HIS a ready and rapid communication with the northern and southern markets. l If Pine Bluff can induce Mir. Par ker to run his road up the bayou Bartholomew there will be no kick coming from Monticello. Our town certainly has no preju- dices against Pine Bluff, as the evidence of it's subscription be ing based on the building ot the road to Pine Bluff clearly shows. Whether 1t would be a better or more paying route to traverse the bayou bottom lands, men toned bv our friend, than the higher lands already in contem- plation, IS a matter for the rail road builders to decide for them. selves. The road is coming through Monticello. and wheth. CT Pine Bluff gets it or not is d matter betv cen 1t and the pro motors. That city has appar- ently been inactive thus far, and owing to such inactivity and in- difference has caused our people to believe that Pine Bluff was vNt a,x,a.c for n ca,,act.np with our city, by means of this north and south road. If the people of Pine Bluff really want this road it is high time they were taking some reasonable steps to secure it, and not sit by and wait for other towns to build 1t to them. Monroe. Bas- trop, Hamburg and Monticello have all contributed largely to the enterprise, and each of these places will soon have the road. and If Pine Bluff wants this road 1 1t IS only just and fair that 1t contribute it's prosata to the building of it.
 We are too good a Democrat to take much stock in our friends standardization idea that the Government will soon own and operate the railroads. It is barely possible that such will be the case, but that time. let us hope, will be far in the future, since such a step would be the entering wedge to the overthrow W of our republican form of Coy ernment. But as we are writ ing of railroads and not of poli- tics we will desist, and suggest to Pine Bluff that if 1t desires to keep in reach Of the great me tropolis of South Eastern Ar kansas, it must get busy.
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