The Mena weekly star., 1919-04-10

provement district has been organized in Little River county, this to build 25 miles of hard-surfaced road.
 THE TURNING POINT FOR MENA
 The opening of Mena's handsome new postoffice building and all the good cheer that pervades the city to- day, brings back, in making that in- evitable comparison, thoughts of oth- CT days As The Star has, during each and every hour, day and year of Mena's existence, shared in and been a part of it's life, it may be pardoned for q brief backward glance at this time.
 The Star first was issued on Au- gust IS, 1896, day notable at the time because it brought an excursion train bearing people from the North. And, by common consent, this period was designated as Mena's natal day, tho at the time there were, mostly camped about in tents, perhaps 1,500 people on the townsite.
 And Mena, despite an existing drouth, had ambitions for bigger things from the start, and was not slow to put forth efforts that, within few years. developed a fine growth and a prosperous community.
 Some of the things that helped were county fair, a commercial club, and nice business in lumber and, biggest perhaps, a payroll.
 And, oh, that payroll. Most of our affairs and certainly most of our busi- ness centered around the 24th of each month, the date of the "ghost walk" for the railroaders. As that ap- preached, our merchants began to perk up, were liberal in the use of printers ink, and on tip toe to reap the harvest.
 Only few those days--sometimes lonesome few-thought of develop ing the farm lands, or of helping the farmer in his planting or marketing. The biggest effort along these lines was in seeking to develop fruit in- dustry, but with half-hearted support and mediocre success. And there was some "gophering" about the hills for minerals, but little or nothing ac- complished.
 But Mena, with her payroll and lumber mills and small industries kept growing until she put on a good many real city airs, and many a plan was laid and then laid away that had for it's aim ambitious things.
 But thru all the years, acting as a sort of kill-joy, a choker, black cloud hung over the city, to be got ten out and fourished over it's head whenever things did not just suit some railroad man or interest-and that was the removal of the railway division and the payroll. It was sort of bugaboo that was worked in season and out of season to the terror of the tiinid and the dis comfort of all. It was even a not-to- be-despised club m the hands of a boozing boomer brakeman who got all "puxed up" when some weak hearted merchant got insistent on getting his pay.
 Honest, it was frightl
 A3At GfGAY OltIG anu q Willtt liiC Commercial Club-we had one those days, too-or some prominent indi- vidual would appeal to the high-ups in the railroads official family, and would receive assurances that the railroad certainly never would do any thing to hurt Mena. And, parentheti- cally, perhaps it didn't--but it took a good while to prove it to our own satisfaction.
 Then the blow fell.
 The division was moved, but not until panic-stricken Mena had spent some thousands in an effort to hold it.
 The years following were pretty trying, mostly because so many folks, with the payroll gone. threw up both hands and quit. And you may be sure during these days no Commercial Club could be held together to boost the towns real advantages-the were not enough who had the grit to do it.
 But lot of folks stayed on the ship, and among them those who al- ways watched for the right moment to turn the tide the other way.
 As the day approached for the be- ginning of Mena's new postofFice. The Star insisted the psychological mo- ment was at hand. A real Comemrciai Club-the best Mena ever had-was organized, and the bali set to rolling. It soon was discovered that Mena really could do things. and was doing them. The jinx passed out.
 And now-today-we may be said to be celebrating the beginning of the real era of progress.
 There's ample evidence on every hand.