The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-23
EnIToRLAL ooRREsPoNpENcE.


 The z9th annual meeting of the Ar kansas Press Association has gon into the records and lot of the edi 4ors. their wives or daughters are ol an excursion that will take them t points of interest, including El Dorad' and it's oil fields and Glenwood-on-the Caddo, made almost famous by Ora ham Burnham, poet and dreamer, an' where may be built permanent hom' for the newspaper men and their fam iIies-a place for rest and recreation On this excursion the editors will b' entertained with banquets, auto rides etc, at Philadelphia and Fl Dorado and will reach Little Rock at midnight Saturday. The Missouri Pacific fur nished the excursion train, and this vas run under the direction of c. K Boutwell,, assistant general passen- ger agent.
 The one incident of most direct in- feresf to The Star was the winning of the honor for Polk county of having the best weekly newspaper in Arkan- sas And this honor is the greater be- cause our state has some exceptionally good newspapers. Some years ago, in 2 national contest, The Star and one other Arkansas paper were placed among 19 of the best in the United States. The Monroe County Citizen and the Marked Tree Gazette were in second and third places in the state contest.
 ' Frankly the writer expected The Star to win two other blue ribbons, that for the best front page makeup and the best country correspondence section, but these honors went to, re- spectively, the Rogers Democrat and the Benton Courier, and here's a prom ise that the editor of The Star is going to study the product of the lucky com petitors and see if The Star cannot take step higher. One thing sure, the editor does not think county in Arkansas can produce better staff of correspondents than those on The Star.
 Besides bearing away the Blue rib hon for tie best weekly paper in Ar kansas, the editor was honored by be- ing elected third vice-p president of the association, with his good wife re- ceived innumerable pretty compli. ments. and the latter a much appreci. ated gift from the hands of c. s. Stout uf the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, who year after year attends the press conventions, goes on the ex. cursions and extends all sort of vel. come courtesies.
 The editor and his pal left Mens early on the morning of the 14th, ant nine hours later We're comfortably located ln the Come Hotel in Hot Springs. The first incident of off the triiT was being met at the gate of the Dur. ham home in Dallas by Miss Louise Durham and her father, A, L. Durham VI: ~s;s:s not not only only wished us most touch ing Codspeed, but delivered into oul hands young chicken, deliciousl. prepared to meet the demands of healthy appetites.
 Polk county roads via Opal wer' quite good, but on going into Mont gomery county feeling of deep re gret could but arise over the devasta fion of roads and farms that still werl so apparent from the rampage of tn usually serene and beautiful Cadd' river. This occurred more than year ago, but the marks long will re main in the ruin of the fertile acre that now lie deep under beds of gravel and 1t will be a good while before tn roads that were so beautiful are agail replaced. These roads were builde' by the National Forest forces, togethe with many culverts and severa bridges that are but ruins.
 While rolling along thru this sec tion we overlook an aged man, afooi He was a little lame, and on beinI saluted said he was going to Blacl Springs. Luggage was readjusted an place made for him, and he then toll us he was J. r. Jeffery, and that h had come back to his old home plac to visit friends and relatives, afte several years in Oklahoma. He pointe out several farms he once owned. hi land having extended for full mil along the Caddo. His father had set tied where Womble now is, and h was bern at that place in 1S47. Nj Jeffery knew many Mena people c whom he inquired, among them A. VI St. John, founder of The Star. H says he made a mistake in going { Oklahoma, and that he is coming bac to the Caddo country. As we dros along he happily pointed out a fir little lad and his sister whom he sal were his grandchildren. He was Tel at Black Springs, after giving muc pleasure by his "reminiscences of da, and people that are gone.
 That road over the mountain b tween Black Springs and Nit. Ida VI not as bad as it has sometimes bee but 1t is far from a joy ride. It's mo
 marked feature being deep mudhol fin both likely and unlikely place