Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-08-02
ARCFNTA STATION OPENED MONDAY Double Daily Freight and Passenger Service
 Inaugurated. A BIG INVESTMENT Ten Thousand Dollar Monthly Payroll For Employees at Stations
 and Yards.
A BIG INVESTMENT

ceent new passenger ana ITelSuC Sld- tions in Argenta. Argentas indus trial dream is realized, for the Cot ton Belts investment there is about s50O,O00. The double daily freight service, which includes the 36-hour train to St. Louis, gives Little Rock direct connection with the main line, and is one of the speediest services out of here.
 About twenty men in the freight and passenger service and fully fifty yard employees faced their duties this morning and pay roll of over S3,- GOO a month was inaugurated.
 The first train in was the fast freight at 6 o'clock this morning. When SIS o'clock rolled around there were some 300 prominent citi- zens of Little Rock and Argenta as- sembled to see the first train with Engine No. 132 go out in charge Of II. B. Bosquet, conductor, and D.. Hope, engineer. Division Agent Ed win Stewart, Soliciting Freight Agent James Heston. Agent w. M Gregg and force were on the scene. Division Superintendent B. A. Peck, Assistant Superintendent B. Richards Roadmaster J. M. Gaunt and B. l.. Markham arrived to inspect ,he situ- ation and start operations off on the right foot. Superintendent Peck re- turns to Pine Bluff this afternoon, but Assistant Superintendent Richards and Roadmaster Gaunt will be here several days.
 Five Closed, One Opened. | c. l.. Joslyn, travelling auditor from Maiden, Mo-: J. B. Rogers, travelling auditor of Pine Bluff; G. B. VOor- hees, tariff expert of St. Louis, and J. l. Barnett of the general auditors office, St. Louis, were present and ,, active in the opening for business. The auditors closed five offices and opened one. The Little Rock freight office, two ticket offices in Little Rock, the Barring Cross ticket office and the Dixie Oil Mills office were closed, the Argenta station office abolishing them. The auditors will be here two or three days.
 Business Activity.
 Around the passenger station was much activity. The Little Rock Auto and Transfer Company had its autos, 'bussct and wagons right on the job. Express wagons were here, there and everywhere and an air of business was evident. All morning hundreds of people poured into the stations and the grounds. Fully 2,0O0 people had dropped in by noon. Mayor B. \. Ramsey and scores of leading Argenta business men mingled with the Lit tie Rock people who came over
 Besides the score of freight and passenger men and the fifty yard en- ployes the Cotton Belt has twenty four men for the double daily freight train crews and twenty for the pas senger trains.
 Yardmasier J. F. Hilton is assisted by Frank Adams, roundhouse fore man, and J. w. Buchanan, car fore man, w. A. Haley is foreman of the Switch Engine Mo- S9, brought up yesterday from Pine Bluff for per- manent service here.
 Speedy Freight Service.
 The fast freight service includes No. n local freight, leaving at 8:25; No. B at o'clock daily, exc\7t Sun day and No. 75, which is to be op- erated only on Sunday No. 72 ar- rives at 6 a. m. daily and No. "A in the afternoon.
 Supt. E. A. Peck stated that all equipment necessary for the Cotton Belts growing business would be sent here There is plenty of rolling stock on hand. but emergency situa- tions will be handled at any time.
 The Cotton Belt is working 100 track layers on the new sidetracks in the Argenta yard. Grading is being done for 20-mile yard of 15 tracks, of which five miles are to be complet- ed next week. The full 20 miles will ed next. The full 20 miles will $30.OO0 Water Plant. A new $3O.000 water station will be put in at once at the roundhouse. This will be probably 10000 gallon tank, as 50000 gallons will be used daily by the Cotton Belt. The road will sink it's own wells, erect steel tank and standpipe, a pumping sta