The Mena weekly star., 1910-09-22

the proposed branch to get the citi- zens to build the railroad.
 A. H. Scogein stated he had placed the very same proposition before President Edson last December, when other parties were Investigating the proposition and wanted to build, and he had been given flat refusal.
 To this Attorney McDonough stated the Kansas City Southern had never believed the people of Mena ever had any real intention of building the line, and he was asked by Mir. Pipkin to defer the petition for charter until October 20, when the present charter expires, and he would demonstrate the good faith of the people of Mena. The date of October IS was then fixed.
 A. H. Scoeein stated his people have got to have the road, and gave vent to his feelings by saying the Kansas City Southern had neither the inclination or ability to build it.
 Attorney McDonough replied that the Kansas City Southern was bound for business reasons to build up Mena, being the largest individual property owner there, buying the homes of the employees who moved with the ter minals to DeQueen and Heavener. He placed the valuation of the resi- dence property owned by the railroad in Mena at SIPS, ,000 or $150.000, and said the management was preparing a campaign to bring in immigrants and factories to build up the town, and the people of Mena should stand by the railroad.
 Attorney General Norwood asked Attorney McDonough if the railroad would not lose more than the value of this property if a connecting line was built to Hot Springs, thus giving the Kansas City Southern opposition. He spoke of the merchants at Mena shipping from Kansas City to Ash down and then back to Mena by local freight because they saved money by it, Ashdown being a competitive point.
 The reply of Attorney Mcdonald was that he was not an authority on freight rates.
 A. H. Scoggin advanced the infor- nation that the Kansas City South ern had not voluntarily purchased the residence property in Mena, but had done so to keep down general strike when the workmen were ordered to move their headquarters to De Queen aid Heavener. He said MT. Pipkin and himself represented property in terests in Mena several times that ol railroad.
 Attorney General Norwood stated he believed the railroad had the ability to build the road, but called attention to the fact the main line had been built in the time of panic, when rail road building everywhere else was suspended just on a suspicion that il would be a paying investment. MT Pipkin also called attention to the fact that c. c. Goodman had kept right or building such short lines, and the pan ic had not affected him. He stated at the time the Kansas City Southern acquired the short line charter there was no panic on but no effort was then made to construct the railroad
 It was agreed, on motion of Secre' tary of State Ludwig, to postpone ac ton until October IS to give the peo pie of Mena a chance to organize { company to build this railroad, il which instance Attorney McDonougf stated the Kansas City Southern would get out of their way.
 Attorney General Norwood voted for the motion with the understand ing that he would not vote for an extension of the Kansas City South ern charter on that day unless il came came iii with more than q pile of blue prints and a certified check fol 5 per cent of the capital stock of the railroad.
 The meeting then adjourned.