The Mena weekly star., 1908-10-01
WHAT IT TAXES a
 TO BUILD A TOWN
Prof. Wootton Gives His Views as to How to Best Develop Mena,
 the Garden Spot of
 4sN the 0zarks. 3f

au advocate of and for Meua, ,
 writes the Star as follows.
 I desire to express my views
 on an important subject. I have
 watched the growth of Mena for
 the past tour years and itis re-
 markable indeed. but there are
 old dilapidated huts standing ou
 corners and la the most pub
 lie places which should demand
 further development; and that is
 not all, There can be seen now
 and then a vacant house which
 IS not in harmony with the nat
 ural design of this location.
 This is a season when every
 building in town like Mena
 should be filled to it's utmost ca.
 pacity. Do you know what is
 tue matter2 I think do. You
 may not accept my views on
 what it takes to build real
 town. We all know, in a sense.
 It takes railrood for one thing.
 We had rather lose everything
 in Polk county than to lose our
 railroad. A hospital would help build town. We proposed to donate five acres of the best land
 we had and big pile of money
 to get the railroad hospital here. Was 1t because we were anxious to give something away? Not that. We knew 1t would help build the town. I could name many things that would help build, but 1 want to say to you, friends. that good schools and churches will go further to build real town than anything else. I would not make the assertion had l not strong. proof to back me. ~ ss.
 In 1883 body of school men united their forces and established training school in Crenshaw county, Ala. They pnrch hased land on the mountain top at fifty cents per acre, and that was more than it was worth. It mad been utilized for years and years for nothing but to grow ptne sap Iiugs, and there wasn't a railroad within Is miles of it. They erect ed fine school building and gathered material from all parts of the state.e 1t merged into a. college in 1880. It has been rap- idly growing ever since, and now 1t is blooming city with rail- roads running through it's center. The railroads did not draw the school, but tho school drew the railroads. That IS true. The school will draw the railroad ev- cry time. If you were to go there today and price property you would be startled. You can go to the city of Birminga aam, the great commercial center oi that whole state, and buy home almost as cheap,
 1 have travelled over the mala- rial districts and heard hundreds of wealthy people talking of nov ing to hig her localities for health, and their first inquiry, invaria- ply, was about the schools and churches. 0a.
 Friends, there IS no use in talk ing. Meua will never be what it ought to be unless it wins the honored name of ''school town. nl Do you think Il n reach that point? Itif asSS EopQsitiou. There are Do Alte& Ntrs all over this country aud " haven't thing to do but go out and tell of the natural advantages that bless this town. Hour educators knew what wonderful facilities are here for schools and colleges, they would gather like flies around honey. I have been reading the papers recently and l never saw the like. Arkansas children are beiug sent away to schools in 1 Tennessee, Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia and all over the Union, and we have the garden spot of the world right op here la the Ozark mountains. This is l a pity. Gan we stand it7 It is 1 said that What is everybody's business IS nobody's business" but that won't build schools. If move that every euterprising cit { izen in this town put his shoulder 1