The Mena weekly star., 1909-06-03
HOSPITAL FUND
 BEING RETURNED
Vouchers Received From Association for Amounts Paid for siis-SSon tributors Can Get Money by
 Taking Receipts to Banks.

The Kansas City Southern Railroad Employees Hospital Association has refunded the money paid for the hospital site and for certain other expenses, and those who contributed money may get it at the banks where they paid it in by taking their re- ceipts with them.
 This is the finale to one of the most disappointing things that has occurred to Mena, one that through no shortcoming or fault of her own, has done an irrepara- bic injury.
 The history of this hospital story covers almost three years. When the members of the hos pital association, employees of the Kansas City Southern rail- road, had supplied funds with which to build hospital to be maintained for the care of their sick and injured, a vote was taken on its location.
 More than 90 per cent voted to place it at Mena, because of it's central location and the health fulness and agreed bleness of it's climate, in all seasons of the year.
 At meeting of the directors in Kansas City in l906 the ques- ton was Id ken tip, and T. J. Clayton and w. H. Tobin, mem- befs of the board, received author ity from G. L. Lochridge, Dr. J.. k. Davis, Eugene Cox, c. A. Smith and F. N. Hancock, backed by the Commercial club, to guar autee bonus or s5,000, together with site, free water and sewer, paved streets, sidewalks, etc, as an inducement to locate the es- iablishment in Mena.
 This was accepted, and early action was promised. Then a question as to the ability of tue city to give title to Stiiwell Heights. the proposed site. was questioned. The association sug- pested, through its attorneys, first, getting release from all property owners adjoining. This was done. Then it was asked that Mena secure passage of an act by the legislature legalizing the transfer. It was done.
 Then two separate and dis tinct times the attorneys for the Kansas City Southern iu Arkan- sas, Read X McDonough of Fort Smith, decided the title was all right, and after the second the head of the legal department de- cided it was not--and there was an appeal from the arbitrary ruling.
 Without further ado the citi- zens of mena withdrew the Still we'll Heights site, and informed the authorities for the hospital association that they would at once purchase a site, the title of which could not be questioned. One was found, eight lots in block l07. Representatives of the association accepted the site, deeds were made ana everything promised we'll.
 When the next meeting of the hospital board was held, the pam ic had come, the railroad working force was reduced, the income of the association curtailed, and the board voted 4 to 3l against con- structing the hospital until re- turns of better times, " the repre- sentatives of the railroad voting solid against those of the em- ployees for immediate construc. ton.
 Chairman Coughlin of the board then advised Mena that there was not any immediate likelihood of the hospital being built, and saw no reason why the money which had been raised for bonus and 10 buy new site should not be returned pending further action. After a good many months of unwinding red tape, this has been done.
 la the meantime, for more than two years, business men of Meua, as well as many small contrib tutors, some wage earners, have had money lying idle in the banks, and with such condition il was hard indeed to start any movement ot consequence for