The Mena weekly star., 1911-05-11
TWO YOUNG WOMEN
CONDUCT BIG SAWMILL

zette, and is good reading to say
nothing of the added interest 1t VIII
have to Mena people because OF the
relationship of the young ladies' Of
which it speaks to a prominent
Mena family. The father OF the
Misses Beulah and Lulu Shaver,
however, was full cousin and a
halp nephew of General r. 6. Sha-
yer, instead of brother as stated.
The Star leaves it TO readers with
time resting heavily on their hands
to figure out the exact relationship
of these young women TO General
Shaver and Judge James d. Shaver
and his family:
Swifton, Ark. - Aristocratic by
birth and breeding, expert horse
women and well educated, the
nieees of Brig. Gen. R. G. Shaver
and who own and operate a saw
mill on White river, where Straw
berry river empties into it, have
lproven themselves capable man
ayers since their father died and left
them TO supervise a large estate.
-Four years ago Capt Fred Shaver,
brother Of the distinguished Gen.
II. G. Shaver, died and left his wife
and two daughters olook after many
acres of timber lands and farms be-
longing to him.
On White river stood 6 big saw
mill, with all its money making
machinery, lying idle and coating
with rust, and no one to set the saws
to whirring. Misses Beulah and
Lula Shaver, the one 10 and the
other 90, moved with their mother
out into the heart of the primeval
woods, and with their mill on White
river are making from $25 to $40
each day the mill runs. One Of
the young women runs the mill and
sometimes even takes a hand at OPP
Grating the big saw, which requires
considerable skill and experience
while the other keeps books and
runs the commissary.
Emigratcd to Arkansas.
The grandfather of Misses Lulu
and Beulah Shaver was David
Shaver, a native of North Carolina,
who emigrated TO Tennessee. In
1870 Gen. r.. G.. Shaver and Capt.
Fred Shaver, while still young men,
emigrated to Arkansas from Bloom
willie, Tenn, coming down the Miss
issippi river to the White river and
thence up The White river from
Batesville. Both brothers after
wards became distinguished as
officers in the Confederate service.
Misses Lulu and Beulah Shaver
were both born at Shelbyville, one
% and the other 10 years ago. Their
mother is a native Arkansan, being
the daughter of Rev. John Gardner
of Sharp county, baptist preacher,
who emigrated to Arkansas from
Tennessee In 1882. Both young
women received complete edu-
cation at colleges in Arkansas and
Missouri, and have since the death
of their father mastered many of
the details of business that the
gentler sex usually SHES at.
The main Office and home of the
Shavers is at Swifton, but they live
at the mill when the cutting season
lis on. They have fitted their cot
tage up in coy, home-like style,
and often entertain visitors who are
Interested in their pluck and per-
severance. They employ about 20
men at the mill on an average, and
while they have a competent fore
man who looks after the details Of
the work, the hands at the helm
are the dainty hands of the Misses
Shaver. The foreman and men
swear by their employers, and
strive to make their success COM
plete. But from sunrise to sunset
the neices of Gen. Shaver guide and
direct their work with the precision
and determination of their father
and uncle who led their commands
Through flveyears of bloody carnage
In them is renewed the old spirit
of determination to carry out
given purpose.
Il am sure many people wonder
why we bury ourselves out in the
wilderness" said Miss Beulah, with
an arch smile, to visitor recently,
but to us it means from $25 to $40
each day we run the mill"
THE mill is sure making money
for the young women" the fore
man afterward conhded to the Wis
itor also. That's why we are here
for
Scenery Is Beautiful.
The scenery. however, is one of
the prettiest in Arkansas. Along
side the mill runs White river, one
OF the prettiest streams in the
whole state, navigable to small
The Misses Shaver own
about 1000 acres of the virgin for
est, which contains timber of all
kinds, oak, elm, ash, hickory. per-
simmon and gum. They derive both
pleasure and benefit from their stay
at the mill, because beth are hunt
ers and fisherwomen, and are fond
Of all outdoor sports. They be-
lieve in the old maxim, work while
you work, and play while you play
Recently Brig. Gen. w. X. Sur
rtItrn x.tas4oI