Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1912-09-11
BUSINESS MEN Sl WILL CLOSE STORES Great Interest is Being Manifested in the Pack ing Plant and Meeting
 For It. THURSDAY THE DAY No Money Will Be Asked For or Subscriptions Sold Says the
 Fiscal Agent.
THURSDAY THE DAY


 will have upon the out-of-town stock hc]ecrs and others who will come to FlGe Bluff to attend the meeting of the stccF holders of the Arkansas Pack ng Company which will he held Thursday afternoon at the Chamber pf Commerce, a petition circulated by for tte packing company, yesterday requesting business houses in the city to suspend business from 1 30 to 8 o'clock Thursday afternoon in order that the heads of firms and their em- ployees might attend the meeting and was signed by every business man to whom it was presented
 Judge Gould will visit all other business houses in the city today and is confident that they will readily sign the petition.
 i According to MT. Gould his object in asking the firms in the business section tC close their doors and at tend the meeting is twof old. The first aud most important to bring to taa attention of every man, woman and child who has the interest of 1 Pine Fluff at heart, the great oppor- tunity that is now at the threshold of the city. The second reason, which is just as important, is to show to the out-of-town stockholders and Vii sitors that Pine Bluffians are anxious to advance the interests of Pine Bluff and southeast Arkansas, which will have the desired effect upon the strangers.
 Not one cent will be asked of any one who attends the meetini," de- clared juige Gould, nor will any tCdy be asked to subscribe for stock in the project. want to- if possi ble, impress Pine Bluffia11s with the magnitude of the propect and what the erection of the packing plant will mean to this city in an industrial and financial way. I venture to say that the shops Of the Cotton Belt rail- road, with ail the residents that that big plant holds in the city will not be of as much value to the upbuild- ing of Pine Bluff as the erection of the new industry.
 But one point I wish to impress is this: Those who attend this meeting are in no way subject to request for contributions or stock subscrip- tlCns and every man, woman and child, who is hoping that Pine Bluff will one day be one of the best cities ill the state, is earnestly requested to be present"
 Never before has such a request heen made in Pine Bluff and it is doubtful if ever before was there an occasion that demanded the inter- est and enthusiasm that the project concerned should receive. The inter- est shown by those business men visited yesterday, who readily signed the petition, is typical of the inter- eSt thdt IS IldHlleSleQ Dy every DuSl- ness man of prominence and foresight in Pine Bluff.
 Since Judge Gould took hold of the packing plant project the stock has been sold rapidly Many business men 1 in the smaller cities have realized what the erection and operation of the proposed plant would mean to the contiguous section.
 When Judge Gould has fin shed l with his tour of the city and presen tation of the petition this afternoon it is doubtful if there is a firm in the city whose name will not appear thereon and tomorrow afternoon tho business section will have the ap- pearance of Sunday while every Pine Bluffian is attending ine meeting at the Chamber of Commerce.
 Among those who will be present II at the meeting are w. J. Doyle, in- dustrial agent of the Cotton Belt; w. R. Beattie, agricultural commission CT of the Cotton Belt, ard D. E. Washington, practical packing