The Sentinel=record., 1917-12-21
OPPORTUNITY F4R
 INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
Hot Springs IS Now Standing at the Threshold of the Industrial Oppor. tunity it Long Has Sought, With Additional Transportation.

tuhiV t Long Has Sought, With
 Additional Transportation.
 For many years Hot Springs has oeen seeking an opening for indus trial activity recommendation that would prolong our season of activity from the present brief resor season 10 an entire year Of prosperous ac- t.vity
 This opportunity seems now 10 be knocking at our doors-not only the opportunity to build up big indus tr!al plants in Hot Springs. but also to increase our railway facilities and transportation.
 Some days ago the Memphis, Dal- las & Gulf railway asked for a fran- chise that would permit them to build seventeen miles of additional railway line in a northeasterly direc- ton past the Mountain Valley Springs company.
 At the time the full purpose of the request was not realized, but it has now developed that this road has in view big opportunity for Hot Springs to become big manufactur Ing and shipping center.
 Briefly, the situation may be out lined as follows:
 For a year capitalists have been I ta irY,r nA~ nd hardwood timber tracts located about l7 miles northeast of the city. They now control a stumpage of more than 500, ,000000 feet of choice lumber, and tha tract lies contiguous 10 the Ma ional Forest Reserve which releases large acreage of timber for cutting each year.
 The plan Is to extend the Memphis, DGllas & Gulf lines to this point bringing this vast amount of timber to Hot Springs, where a gigantic mill will be located for It's manufacture Into lumber and wood working ma l terial
 The company, in addition to having holdings. also has obtained right of way for the line, as well as a large acreage in splendid manufacing sites in Hot Springs
 Parties familiar with the operation of such plants state that the mill itself will represent an investment of practically half a million dollars, and that the monthly pay roll of workmen would be in the neighborhood of S25,000 to S30,000 monthly This would be augmented by the larger number of workmen in the forests, all U whom would make Hot Springs their regular trading point
 Judge J. w Bishop, General Attor- ney of the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf railroad, and one of the incorpora tors of that road, in answer to ques- tions, said, in relation to the build ing of the seventeen additional miles of road from Hot Springs north, fol which a charter was granted by the Board of Railroad lncorporators of the state. last Saturday stated:
 "Of course the securing of a char ter 10 build new railroad mileage under existing conditions now obtain ing, and at a time the railroads of the country are suffering from paralysis due to too much legislation and regu- 1 lation at the hands of our great crop of statesmen. state and national, at tracts unusual attention. But for more than year past, capitalists have been quietly assembling large tracts of timber in this country, north and east of Hot Springs, with view of manufacturing this timber in this city Their holdings now aggregate | thousands of acres, and the NJ. I < ! C. railroad proposes to furnish main line transportation facilities for this timber. Spur tracks will radiate from this main line into the forests. Be- l sides. tho new roa vii enter the Ma tional Forest Reserve where certain amount ol timber is disposed of an nually by the government Careful estimates place the stumpase to be manufactured here at one-haH billion feet Our people not only propost to furnish transportation for the timber but also to donate valuable sites for ! tho erection of the manufacturing plants in the city of Hot Springs" As to when the road will be com pleted, Judge Bishop stated it d2- ponds largely upon securing at an early date an outlet through the city In this connection, Judge Bishop said that 1t seemed inexcusable for a few persons to oppose the grant of right of way along the streets to a steam railroad whose trains are not permitted to stand in the streets that street railroad lays down q double track and cars pass over same at intervals of only few minutes apart, day and night. whereas, steam rail- road would not use but a single track for only 8 few minutes once or twice a day. Some people want street i'm proyements, but don't stop to con sider that a railroad company whose