The Mena weekly star., 1909-09-30
Enthusiastic Over Project and Agree to Join in Movement
 for Line to Hot Springs.
MENA'S PROPOSITION
Will Undertake to Give Right-of- Way 20 Miles Each Way, Terminals and a Bonus
 of $50,000.

nhSu" heS otuSu tuc o1 pdtuJ and is assured of the aid of that live, rustling city of McAlester, Ok, in an effort to secure the con. strnction of a line of railroad from Wilburton, Ok, to Hot Springs. The hustling Commer- clal Club of the Oklahoma town, iu response to a notice that we had called meeting for that purpose. sent ". B B. Beatty, big coal mine operator, and G. NJ. Chaney, a big merchant and ex-mayor, over to meet with us.
 The mass meeting held in the Davis opera house was the great est of it's kind ever held in Mena The call issued by Dan Watkins, president of the Commercial Club, for all who were FOR Mena to come out, developed the fact that pretty nearly every man in Mena was on that side. The house was filled by men-all there to learn what couid Ue uonv rv-..----.--Ax---a on up the ladder of progress. MT. Beatty and MT. Cheney, the latter accompanied by his wife, arrived on the Traveller, and were by reception committee taken at once to the Antlers hotel, where preparations had been made for them. After dinrer the visiting gentlemen were escorted to the opera house, where they found the hundreds of citizens listening to words of encourage ment and advice from leading citizeus of Mena.
 At the request of President W atkins, who presided, John Fl. Hamilton introduced the guests of the evening, Mr. Cheney com ing first. MT. Cheney told in few words of the conditions at Mo- Alester, and of the desire for another railroad, together with the vast amount of traffic that could be furnished such line from there and the territory this side, which includes the great coal de- posits as we'll as iron ore and timber. He spoke in a more or less general way, saying that his coming had been on notice of but a few hours. on request of the Commercial Club, and he had no chance to shape up any set proposition.
 MT. Beaty, who is one Of the largest, if not the largest coal operator in that section, operat- ing twelve different mines, fol- lowed with statements along similar lines, but stated that he was notified to come barely 25 minutes before train time, it hav- Ing been expected that a Mr. Million, president of McAlester bank, was to come up to that time, he being unavoidably pre- vented from doing so.
 Attention was called to the chances of interesting the Mis- souri, Kansas X Texas in tue proposed line, and the visitors enthusiastically took the question up, stating that it was known there that this line desired to get entrance to Hot Springs, and that it seemed entirely practical that a line could be extended through via Talihina and Mena from its present termiuus, Wil- burton, about thirty miles direct lily this way from McAlester. Among those who spoke for this were Judge James D. Shaver, John II. Hamilton, George Le. gate, J. w. Gardner. c. A, Smith, Eugene Cox and w. H, konemus.
 It was finally decided that tho first and best step to be taker was for Mena and McAles:er through committees 10 be ap pointed by the respective cont mercial clubs, to see what each town could do, then get iu touch with othe, towns on the proposed line and aak the same informa' |tiou from them, then committee