The Mena weekly star., 1909-12-02
VALUABLE PROPERTY IDLE AND WASTING
Strong Open Letter to Conference of Nj. E. Church, South. Calling At tention to Hendrix Academy
 and Asking Justice to Mena.

the NJ. E. church,I South, now in session at Philadelphia:
 About eleven years ago pr. A. 0. Miller of the Nj. E. church, South, conceived the idea of build ing au institution of learning at Mena, as an auxiliary of Hendrix College, at Conway. As the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company owned the towusite of Mena and wanted 10 advertise 1t, and did advertise 1t, as division point with numerous churches and schools, Dr. Miller secured the land from them as site for the proposed college, on the theory that it would aid the rail- road company in its sale of lots, and then entered into an agree ment with them that if he would get the citizens of Mena to pur- chase $10,000 of lots at regular prices, 1t weuld put up and pay for the buildings, the property 10 be deeded to the board of cura- tors, to be used in maintaining school of academic grade for period of fifteen years, after which time, at the option of the board, it could step out in the favor of the Texarkana district of the Little Rock conference of the M. E. church, South, under the ad- ministration of Dr. Stonewell An. derson, the president of Conway College. Without the knowledge of the local board of managers at Meua, which had leased the school buildings at Mena to Pro- lessor J. k. Wootton for two years, and which action in so leasing had been approved, Dr.. Anderson came here iu person and secretly entered into 99-year lease with the privilege of re. newal with ]. E. Wootton, recels- ing therefor fee simple deed to property of J. E. Wootton, valued at S5,000. In other words, sold, traded off and leased for all time to come, a piece of property held iu trust, every dollar of which was paid for by the citizens ot Mena. The act was so utterly fragrant that an order of court was ob- tained, setting aside the sale and deereeing the title in the Texar- kama district of the Little Rock conference of the M. E. church {, South.
 Now here comes the rub.
 By what sort of a tenure do these last named hold this prop erty?
 Have they nothing to do?
 Have they acquired something for which they have no use?
 Is this valuable property theirs to allow to go to waste, or is it not a fact that they simply hold 1t in trust--not to lie idle and go to waste, but to maintain a school?
 The railroad company secured all the benefit out of 1t which was expected or desired. 1t helped to advertise the division point. Meua thus became college town as well as division point.
 But what did Mena get?
 She bought the lots that fur nished the money to pay for the whole business.
 During all these years another church with less than half the communicants of the NJ E church, South, and without any aid from the city, has built good buildings and maintained a good school. The NJ. E. church, South, can certainly find some two or three consecrated women or men that has sufficient business ability and intellectual attachments to ope- rate a successful school in the best location anywhere in the Southwest. If it cannot do these things and thereby fulfill the trust 1t has accepted, then as a body of christian men aud women, 1t should ask the court 70 decree the property to the City of Mena- restore 1t 10 the people who paid for it-and then if they cannot get what the NJ. E. church, South, through it's agent, Dr. Miller, promised, they can get something for their investment by turning 1t into a hotel, santa rum or other institution of value and credit to the city.
 The writer does not intend this otherwise than as gentle re- hinder of the regrettable condi- tion that is responsible for the decay of valuable holding into useless property, caused by the failure of the fuifillment of a trust.
 We are making history. We have beautiful town. The school buildings occupy a com manding and inspiring location Standing in the campus and look. ing out over the city, you have a picture that will be remembered by every stranger who visits 1t,