Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1913-11-26
Big Mass Meeting Held By
Young Mems Progressive
Business League.
ROUSING S P EEC HE'S
VIII Have Big Public Demonstration
and T0rchlicht Procession
Shortly.

An enthsiuastic and largely attend
ed mass meeting was held last night
at the Chamber of Commerce assemb-
ly hall under the auspices of the
Young Mems Progressive Business
League, 1t being in the nature Of
celebration and ratification of the
success of the Free Bridge movement.
During the evening number Of
stirring addresses were made and
again the Graphics story of the sale
of the Free Bridge bonds, the deiv-
cry Of the money to Treasurer John
b. Speers, of the Free Bridge Dis
trict, and the awarding of the con-
tract for the building of the Free
Bridge was confirmed by w. G.. Hud
son. cashier OF. the Bank of Pine
Bluff, who was present when the
papers were signed in st. Louis last
Saturday, when the bonds were also
delivered and paid for, and who was
called on No state publicity that the
1t was during an address by Hon.
w. +. Coleman that Mr.. Hudson was
asked to either confirm or deny the
published story from st. Louis II
yesterday mornings Graphic, that
Mr.. Hudson arose and said:
I Yes sir the, entire matter was
closed up in st. Louis last Saturday.
The bonds were delivered, certified
to and paid for-$700,O This
statement was received with great
applause.
President Hunter II. Knox, of the
Progressive League, presided. The
first speaker of the evening was Mr..
Coleman. He began by paying
high compliment to the Bridge Conn
missioaers, declaring that the people
of Jefferson county were due them
much for their untiring efforts. They
are serving without pay and at q
great sacrifice to their personal BUSH
ness. Mr.. Coleman picked to pieces
the statement of T. j. Collier, who
in a card yesterday, would lead the
people to believe that the bond issue
had not been sold nor the bridge con-
tract signed, but that it was scheme
to influence voters at the polls on
next Tuesday. Mr.. Coleman said
that Mr.. Collier misrepresented
things when he said 100000 bond is
sue,'" when he knew that it was only
100000 bond issue and had stat
ed SO over his (Collier's) own sigma
ture. He could not understand why
he had to stick to the facts, when he
knew them to be facts. Compton and
Company purchased the bonds some
months ago. but they were never de-
livered to them until last Saturday
No misstatement about their sale had
been previously made.
| Mr.. Coleman said that the Free
Bridge movement was not an inter-
urban scheme, but that Mr.. Collier
was appealing to the prejudices Of
the people, The i1terurban people,
he said, had asked to be permitted to
Ense the Free Bridge for their cars
and to pay the required toll. The
Cotton Belt and the Pine Bluff and
Northern roads are contemplating
using the Bridge and would also pay
tolls for it's use. All public corpora
tons will pay tolls ii they use tAe
Bridge. Mr.. Coleman told Of tl5e
carefulness of the commissioners ~
making contract with the bridge con-
cer1. inserting provisions that would
save the taxpayers much money and
lessen the cost of the structure. he
also told of how the commissioners
had secured free terminal site On
either side of the bridge free OF cost
from public spirited property owners.
He added that he had great respect
for the opinion of some of those who
opposed the Free Bridge, that they
were entitled to their opinion, but
that it was a question OF matofafy
and it had been settled for all time
w. N. Trulock, one Of the pfoneer
advocates Of the Free Bridge. was