The Forrest City times., 1911-06-09
REVIVAL MILITARY ROAD PROJECT


 Capt. Jas. Russell returned the first of the week from tript to Hot Springs, and exhibited the following letter, which he had received from Hon. Durand Whipple, Of Little Rock, while he was sojourning in the Valley of Vapors. Capt. Russell handed the letter to Messrs. J. W. Barnhart, :. P Mcdaniel and F. w. DeRositt, all enthusiastic and earnest good roads boosters, and these gentlemen at once proceeded to get busy. The letter, which we print herewith, has refer enee to proposed highway from St. Louis to Little Rock and Hot Springs, following Crowley Ridge on this side of the St. Francis river to Forrest City, and thence turning west to Lit tie Rock via Brinkley, Clarendon, Roe, Hazen and Lonoke, to destination. The letter in full follows:
 Little Rock, May 3l, 1911 Hon. Jas Russell
 Hot Springs Ark,
 Dear Sir:
 1 hoped to get to meet you yester- day in Hot Springs to talk over the project for the Highway from St. Louis to Hot Springs the route of which passes through Forrest City. This road, which is now known as the St. Louis-Little Rock-Hot Springs Highway, strikes Crowley Ridge a short distance below Cape Girardeau and follows the ridge 10 Forrest City whence 1t strikes west to Brinkley, thence 10 Clarendon, crossing the White river at Roe and reaching Little Rock by way of HaZen and Lo- noke. This road is already passab ble and John R. tordyce and i made the trip over II from St. Louis last summer.
 The interest in the road has now reached such q stage that it was thought advisable to organize com mittee 10 keep behind the project and see that the bad places in the High- way are gradually brought up to the standard. 1 have been asked To act as chairman of this committee while MT Fordyce and Capt. Robert E. Lee will act as vice chairmen, respectively of Arkansas and Missouri
 We want you to act as one of this committee. Your duties are to do all that you can 10 induce the county au. thorities and others to improve the road. There will be no financial obli gations attached.
 Such road as this, while ostensibly promoted as a transcontinental auto mobile highway, will be of the very greatest benefit to the territory through which il passes. It is ex. pected that the Memphis people will push the improvement of the road through 10 a connection at Wynne.
 There is to be monster meeting al Cape Girardeau on the l7th of June t6 further this project. Several cars of Good Road Boosters will go from here and Hot Springs to attend the meet ing. l possible we would like to hold meeting in Forrest City, probably OF the evening of the l4th, though the exact date will have to be determined later. Can you arrange for such q meetingE
 Please let me hear from you as sooI as possible. and oblige,
 Very truly yours,
 Durand Whipple
 After due dehberation and consul tation with other interested parties MeSsrs. Mcdaniel. Barnhart and De tositt decided to make little road scouting trip on their own hook, be fore making further efforts in behal of the road mentioned in the letter Accordingly, arrangements were made and the party started out Tuesday morning in MT. Barnhart's $ kisSel kar driven by Mir. Charley Me Daniel. t fFIn nA through St Francis bottoms to con meet with the old Military Road which is now open from Marion, Ark. near Memphis, to point on Blacklist Lake, This road 10 be pasSable al the way from Memphis to this city will require the clearing and rebuild ing of about ten miles of the old Milf. tary Road which if it can be done, will give d good clear, high and dry road from Memphis to Little Rock. through the bottoms, crossing the St. Francis riYer on the free steel bridge at Madison, and through the only gap in Crowley Ridge,
 Mir. Mcdaniel, who made the whole trip over the proposed route, tells the story of the trip as follows;
 We left Forrest City on the morn ing of Tuesday, June 6, in the kisSel kar, to look over that part of the Mill itary Road between St. Francis river and Blacktsh Lake. On the way our first stop was made at the DeRositt plantation on Fishing Lake, where We partook of the hOspitaltieS of the DeRositt Bros, in the shape of sub stantial breakfast, after which we proceeded 10 Mir. John Moseley's. where the Military road strikes the St. Francis river Here, through the courtesy of MT. Moseley, we secured the services of Ed NickerS and couple of saddle animals, and all proceeded over the old Military Road until We reached Hill Lake, where it was found necessary for the auto to re- turn, and Mr. NickerS and myself de- toured the lake to the road on the opposite side. Here we found high ground, and at one-half mile from the lake we found the road entirely fenced ir, farpaS for ahnpt fxua t,a flae