Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-03-09
MONTICELLO 10
 GET THE SCHOOL Agricultural School Board Declines to Rescind It's
 Action. FORDYCE PROTESTED
FORDYCE PROTESTED
Contest Was Warm OratOricaD Affair Full Board Membership
 Was Present.

members of large delegations which came here yesterday from Monticel- 10 and Fordyce to secure one of the four state agricultural schools, soon to be established in this state under a recent act of the legislature, the members of he Fourth District Board voted to sustain it's action at previ- ous meeting awarding the school to Monticello, Drew county. The ballot was secret and was three to one in favor of Monticello, Fordyee receiv- ing the one vote. w. M. Price, a member of the board, declined to vote, declaring that he was not suffi- ciently informed of previous proceed ings to decide for or against either town.
 The board convened promptly at ? o'clock at the circuit court room. Judge James Gould the chairman, presided with the following mem bers of the borad present: ]. A. Bird, Wilmar, vice chairman; H. B. Bow CTS, Jacksonville, secretary and A. s. sorrells, Ell Dorado, w. M. Price, the other member of the board was not present.
 Both the Fordyce and Monticello delegations were. large The Fora dyce delegation was headed by A. B. Banks, who was accompanied by T. D. Wynne, G. M. Hampton, J. R. Hampton, James Banks, w. J. Nor gan, Virgil Harris, B. w. Willard, Rev F. c. Sims, M. B. Love and Rev
 B. B. Thomas. MT. Wynna was spokes- man for the Fordyce delegation, as MT. Banks was ill, having left his bed to come here for the meeting.
 In the Monticello party were Judge z. T. Wood, chairman of the Citizens Committee of Drew County; J. c. Knox, Darwin Ahrens, G. w. Lam- bert, Walter Wilson, J. J. MoCloy, Vance Bordeaux, A. H. Gates Harry Hankins and J. R. Beale, J. c. Bain, of Hamburg, also came here with the Monticellonians.
 Secretary Bowers read the minutes of the last meeting of the board. The records show that the board had vis- ited Fordyce and inspected the site for the proposed agricultural school for the Fourth District The members then went to Monticello, on February ii, 1910, where the citizens offered a cash bonus of $40200, with 200 acres of land and an option on 300 addi- tional acres, which can be purchas- ed at not exceeding $15 an acre. On February r, the board communicat- ed with Fordyce citizens, after in- specting the Monticello site. and re- ceIing no offer, met and unani- mously voted to give the school to Drew county. Judge Sorrells moved that the board go into executive ses- sion before approving the minutes of the previous meeting. His motion was not seconded, and the minutes were approved as read.
 Judge Gould announced that the meeting had been called for the pur- pose of receiving bids and not to re- consider the action of the board rela- tive to the Monticello location. Sec retary Bowers asked for statements from Fordyce and Monticello.
 Judge z. T. Wood filed a written contract executed by the Wells Realty Company, of Monticello in which that firm agreed to donate 200 acres of ground, examined by the board, for the school site, the prop erty being the old Wells homestead in Drew county. Judge Wood also filed a certificate, signed by the Citi- zens Bank, the Monticello Bank and Trust Company and the Drew Coun- ty Bank, in which the institutions guaranteed the payment to the board ofssfhe $40,200 cash bonus. A protest from the citizens of Drew county against the resubmission of the mat +nr wos a1sn filed If was argued hy