The Mena weekly star., 1913-10-16
Fully POO Citizens Gave of Time and Muscle tO Cause of Civ
 iliZatiOn.
Business and Professional Men La bored Long Hours at Cutting
 Briars, ShOVeling Gravel, Etc.
BIC JOB WELL BEGUN
Judge Martin Promises to Have Everything Ready for a Grand Final Effort in the Near Flu
 ture-NoteS of Workers.

Mena has had her first real Good Roads day, and it was a hummer if the estimate is based on the num- Der who toiled and perspired and the spirit shown. And, considering the short time for preparation and or ganization, the results in active road building were all that could have been expected.
 The entire length of the old rail- road right of way from the Oak lawn fruit farm to the intersection of the Old Dallas-Nunley road at the Ben Thompson home is now cleared of briars and brush to an average width of about thirty feet. This task was in the hands of a crew of men ranging from fifteen to twenty who swung the heavy brush scythes, axes, grubbing hoes, etc., with all the energy at their command until the task was com pleted and w. B. Barton, the leader, led the way on the homeward march.
 The Biggest Job of the Day.
 The biggest job of the day was that of getting gravel on the road way. This was under the direct supervision of w. E. Watkins, the chief over the entire force. At first 1t was attempted to load the wagons from slips hauling onto a platform and dumping direct into the wagons underneath. It soon was discovered that this process was too slow. The shovel gang was so large and effective that it could load a wagon a minute and have time for
 breathing spells" At times two wagons were started at the same time down between the rows of shovelers and without checking the teams were fully loaded before they reached the last end. With from fifteen to eighteen teams on the job, as many as thirty-eight loads per hour were handled, and the esti- mate for the days work is between 300 and $40 loads. As Mr. Watkins feared the day before, there was a great shortage of teams for this work. This was in a measure due to the rain in the early morning hours, and again by the failure to get the bridge ready, thus forcing the use of'two heavy teams all day to assist in dragging the loaded wagons through a boggy place and onto the grade itself.
 A Costly Delay.
 Lumber for flooring the bridges had been ordered, and was sup posed to be on the ground before the work was to begin. The frame work of the bridges had been ex- amined and carefully looked after and all was ready for the flooring. About one-third enough flooring was on the ground for the most im- portant bridge, and when the bridge gang" got to work it was laid within half hour. Had the lumber been at hand the bridge would have been ready for teams not far from o'clock, and this would have added at least 100 loads to the gravel hauled
 All along the line were groups of men with tools and these spread the gravel as fast as it came, and could have handled several times as much. In fact, the gravelling force could have kept at least twice as many wagons going nicely.
 
 Plans for the Future.
 From the spirit shown there is no doubt but the two bridges will be ready for use within a few days. J. A. Cornell offers to thoroughly fix up the approaches, and is as- sured of ample assistance in doing so. The Rev. T. A. Park says he will organize a crew and see that the woodwork is done as soon as the lumber is on the ground, and Judge Martin asserts that there will be no material delay in getting the lumber. The same tactics probably will be pursued with the building of culverts and drains. While this is going on the graders are to be kept going, and the whole length of the roadway thus prepared for it's gravel dressing.
 Then Another Big Day.
 When these preliminaries are completed, and at some time closely following the coming session of the Circuit court, it is planned to have another work day, when the entire effort will be devoted to garveling the road. When the sun comes up on that day it is expected that not | only every available team in Mena, but many from the farms near will he found ready, and not less than Continued on Third Page.)