The Mena weekly star., 1910-01-13
ON THE GROUND
 READY TO WORK
Guy $. Wood, Who Is Chosen 10 Han dle Kansas City Southern Prop eriy Here If If-Explains His
 Mission.

iermiu Is are ch irged, arrved in Mena Monday night and was talk. el around by Chief Clerk H. D. Raven scraft, of the Mena freight office, and introduced to mum Der of the business men of the city.
 Mir. Wood is pleasant gentle man. Fer many years he was a resident of this portion Of the state, his former home being in Hot Springs before going to work for the Kansas City Southern twelve years ago. He IS quite well informed as to the resources of this section of the country. He is a nephew of Supreme Court Judge Carroll D. Wood.
 Of course Mir. Wood is not here at this time to take over any of the railroad employees property. Under it's charter the Kansas City Southern could not take lne prop etty in it's own name and Mr. Woods states that no side com- pany yet has been formed to han dle this property.
 Until the case in court oyer tue removal has been decided, 1t is not probable that such company will be organized. Therefore, Mir. Woods only actual business in Meua at present will be to get acquainted with the conditions, the people and the resources of this section, unless p1ssibly he comes as au envoy of peace to an incensed people.
 As to the conditions, MT. Wood is probably gathering much tor reflection. He knows he is iu a hustling, good town of about 6,000 people, the best revenue producer 10 the Kansas City Southern of any strictly Kansas City Southern town on the line, and one which has grown to this point in spite of the fact that if firm wished to ship carload oi goods to Mena from northern points, if can ship 1t to a point 60 mlles south of Meua and back by local freight cheaper than it can to have it shipped here direct.
 He knows that there has been many other things, such as Lo- ree's statement in 1907 reg ardIng the central division point, which have caused the people of Mena to have no confidence in the pres cut officials of the road on thelr promises.
 However, Mir. Wood really seems to be here to do good if il IS within his power. He does not expect 10 have any railroad prop erty to take over until, according to his own statement, majority of the train crews have had their headquarters removed from Mena, and he does not attempt to say when that might be. On the as- sumption from the railroads side of the case that eventually this condition will come MT. Wood is going to work to induce enter prises to locate in Mena, especial y such as wagon factories, chair and furniture factories, cotton mills, etc. His salary is paid by the Kansas City Southern as will be his ayeliug expenses. and he is empowered to go any place in the country to work in the inter est of Mena.
 For his power to bring results he has two strong trumps-first, tue resources of Mena, and, sec- ond, freight rates which Mir. Wood says he has power to make. He has the absolute confidence of the officials of the freight de- partment, and states that he can make rates into Mena from the nearby coal fields Gin winch Mena is being held up now) and rates tor the manufactured products to the market which will bring fac tories here where the raw ma terial abounds.
 As to the fear that tbe railroad property would be dumped on the market at sacrifice, Mir. Wood speaks very positively to the con- trary. He says if the change comes he expects 10 be in Mena for years and expects to handle the property which comes into his hands in manner to make 1t profitable to his company.
 Personally, MT. Wood seems te be a man who could make good such an assertion, if given the proper backing. He expects Mrs. W ood and their daug hter to com. to Mena as soon as he can arra1g.
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