The Mena weekly star., 1909-04-08
MICHAEL QUIGLEY, CONTRACTOR.
Prominent Magazine Refers to His Life and the Big Work He Is Doing.

 of the leading mag gazines devoted to the great contracting interests of the country, reproduces an eX- cellent likeness of K. NJ. Quigley of this city and prints the follow ing sketch of his life as a con- tractor and of the immense work in which MT. Quigley's company is now engaged:
 Some time during the sixties there was born in St. Lou!s a live contractor, and he IS still alive. He has been one of the the most progressive live wires in the contracting business. His name is Robert Michael Quigley. He was educated in St. Louis and a graduate from the Wash lugton University of that city. Proba bly there is no man In the contracting business who IS more methodical (to the nlinutest de- tail,) a great organizer, and when once his organization is complete, he works to his or ; ganized plans as rellgionsly as if his life depended upon 1t.
 This close application to his laid out plans Is in a great measure
 the secret of his wonderful suc- cess. Mir. Quigley's operations
 have mostly been in the South.
 He has in twenty years built
 over 25 per cent. of the railroads
 in Louisiana and Arkansas. The
 last large contract that Jay
 Gould signed for the H.C. Ak N,
 K. R., which is now a part of
 the Missouri Pacific, was execu-
 ted by MT. Quigley at the
 southern terminal of this line
 which is at Alexandria, La. Ht
 met and married Miss Josie Fer
 guson, considered to be the mos
 beautiful an d accomplished
 young lady ia the South. Sht
 came from one of the oldest ant most aristocratic families, al accomplished musician, devoted z church worker, and her acts O charity are we'll known all ove the South. She, with MT. Qulg ley, has travelled extensively . both in America and abroad
 Their beautiful summer home a | Mena, Arkansas, is the mecc = for their hundreds of friends wh' /, are always welcome, and ar |, entertained with that true south
 ern hospitality that can only b
 dispens ed by the true old south
 eru blood. Mike and Josie wer lovers at first sight, and afte seventeen years of honeymoon
 ing they are more ardent lover u than in the beginning.
 !, MT. Quigley, in connectio u with MT. Kenehck and Mir. RusseI are just starting on contrac near Denver, which when com l pleted will be the largest cart dam in the world. ThIs dar will be 500 feet at the base, 700 U feet long and 40 feet high, wil contain 2,Oo0,0OO feet of tempo rary timber, 50,000 teet of stee . piling, 5O,000 yards of concret and 100000 yards of gravel ri rap. Their plant now in oper J atiou consists of three model h :. Marion, one Model 80, and on : Atlantic steam shovel, 90 West !, era F yard air dump cars, and 5 U 12 and 6 yard Oliver cars, 20 : teams, seven New Era graders : 100 dump wagons, two stear ] pie drivers, and ten miles o
 standard gauge track, with owe
 300 men now at work. I'm plant will double about the frs of April, when they have fnishe'
 their own electric light plant an' work night and day. The pres ent plant is putting Tn 1000 cubic yards each day.
 ! Tue writer has known M Quigley personally for the las wenty years, and knows him t' be one of the most exemplar, models of honesty, fair dealiug'
 md lovable characters. May
 the last half of his career be al
 successful both financially auC ,ciaIlv as has been the first half