The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1919-07-31
POLK COUNT|ANS
At STATE CAPITAL
neleqation Present at Convening in
Extra Session of General Assembly
Muddy Roads Most Interesting
Discovery on Homeward Trip.

Rock to be present at the convening
Of the special session of the General
Assembly, nine reached home Tuesday
afternoon about O'Clock, having
made the drive from the capital city
during the day, coming via Hot
Springs
Those returning were Sheriff ]. A.
Thornton, with two deputies, w. E.
Anderson and Willis Hungate, A. A.
Zachary, Will Alexander and J. C.
Allen, and Ira o. Smith, Clyde Gun
ningham and v. w. St. John.
County Judge H. w. Finger, Judge
]. |. Alley, Prof. George B. Cook and
John Harkey in the latter's car, did
not leave Little Rock on Tuesday
morning and it is expected they will
remain until the final decision by the
General Assembly on the proposed
extension of the session to take up
remedial road legislation. 1t was ex-
pected this would be decided Wednes-
day, according to the latest report,
the Senate, as stated elsewhere, hav-
ing acted favorably on the PROPOSE
tion Tuesday.
There is strong demand for this
step from over the state, it being
stated that more than thirty of the
seventy-five counties being interested.
The only obstacle in the way early
in the session seemed to be the wish
on the part Of some lawmakers to take
up general legislation, and the fear
by some that such would be done. In
either case there was a chance for a
vote against the extension.
The most of the Polk county dele
cation was present at the organiza-
tion of either the Senate or House,
both being called to order exactly at
noon on Monday Public interest
seemed largely centered on the House,
where the galleries and aisles were
packed, while in the Senate Chamber
there probably were not more than
twenty or twenty-five present save
the senator's and employees. Polk
county's representative, w. b. Thom-
as, and senator, Ben Johnson, both
were on the job and both stood strong
" for the extended session.
Several of the Polk county party
listened to the discussion of the wom-
ans suffrage amendment, and even
cheered some of the futile efforts to
block the step, especially when one
red-faced and perspiring representa-
tive, in his peroration against the de-
gradation of womanhood by bringing
her into politics addressed the assem-
blage as gentlemen of the jury"
Among the women spectators were
several very active opponents of the
suffrage amendment, and they took
the inevitable defeat at the end even
harder than the scattering opponents
Of the male gender who GRATED against
it.
An exceedingly interesting feature
TO the returning Polk county folks
was the many miles of muddy, slop-
py roads, proof that the drouth of this
section had been very effectively
soaked during their absence. Run
ming out of Little Rock in deep dust
wherever the roads were not hard
surfaced, they found the same exist
ing for some miles this side of Hot
Springs. Then they ran into very
heavy rain, making the going exceed
ingly "touchy" for the drivers-and
somewhat nerve-testing for the 9TH
ers. Then came few miles of dust,
and again rain and dust in turn, until
before Mt. Ida was reached the mud
and water in the roads evidenced what
had occurred, and the condition was
unbroken all the way homeland, as
one remarked, it was the finest mud
he had seen in many day. Most Of
the corn fields seemed to feel the
same way about it, and there's going
to be a mighty good average crop,
tho there are some fields where the
lack of water has turned the green to
a pallid eolor--where plants have lost
courage and cannot "come back" Cot
ton evidently has not been much
harmed anywhere, but it is about the
only crop that has held it's own along
the route.
The Roads.
There is no questioning that this
season has witnessed some Of the best
road building that has been done in
FOLK county This does not apply to
either the Bethesda Springs road nor
the dump" road out from Mena, for
neither have had material attention
this side of the junction near
Nunley, and both should be thoroly
worked with machinery and then.
and then-given a little of the con-
slant attention that is represented by
tne stitch in time that saves nine, or
ninety.
beginning near Nunley the road has
nae attention and is generally
pretty good At the forking of the
roads short distance beyond Board
camp, there are two good pieces of
road, one leading to Opal, the other
the direct route to Big Fork. Either
is available, the first being the
s.noothest, but the second somewhat
shorter, in reaching Big Fork and the
route east from there.
Inc one feature that stands out in
roik county road work is the lack of
sound culverts end the utter failure
. do a finished job of grading and
arainlng in the low and bad places
lnese spots constitute the weak links
= otherwise good roads.
montgomery county IS very much