The Mena weekly star., 1921-07-28

hotel and onto the public square, in the center of which is located a nice courthouse. nice fenced lawn and smooth, level streets all around. On one corner is the hotel, substantial stone bank building on another and business houses taking up most of the intervening space-and, yes, good sized garage.
 And. listen, the actual total popu- lation of this county seat town is 24I. But. they are "some folks as you may see from further acquaint- ance.
 It is hard to get used to the idea that a county almost as big in dimen- sions as Polk and with total popu- lation of just about three-fifths as large should have capital, or county seat of but 241 souls, but that is Jasper, Newton county, and if you will look at the map you will see good many other towns indicated and at least several of these you might pass on the road without dis covering, and at most with no more than store and residence.
 Much what Jasper lacks in numbers it seems to make up in quality. On entering the town the second time the first two persons we met were couple of fine boys who had been most courteous to us when we first passed that way. They were Free man Sloan, about 15, and Ivan Sloan, about IT years, cousins. :.
 Quickly, then, we were approached by w. w. Moore, president of the Jasper bank-the only one in Newton also chairman of the highway com mission and, on the side, register fD the U. S. land office of that district. He also later confessed he had served two years in the state legislature, and might even have business over at the state capital in the future-this in the interest and for the protection of the highway being built. The partic ular feature in mind was the protec- tion of the big road from destruction by the numbering interests and other heavy freighting that inevitably must follow it's completion. Judge Moore declared emphatically, that the Newton county road would be protect ed, and that, if necessary, laws would be enacted regulating the size and kind of vehicles to be used, and the maximum loads, and levying such charge or tax aginst such as would care for the cost of road maintenance. He then gave an outline of the work that had been done, first naming Charles Smith. and L. w. Clark, also of Jasper, as the other commissioners in charge.
 The Newton county highway dis trict was organized under the Alex ander law, and included strip six miles wide and approximately 30 miles long, extending north and south thru the county. The maxi mum amount of bonds that could be issued was 82,000, and this was done. 1t is believed a sum amounting to about $25,0O0 will be obtained from the state aid, some of which already has been secured and used. No fed eral aid is expected.
 In the beginning contract was let for clearing the right of way and the necessary handling of earth and stone, at so much per yard, on 4 mile stretch, this not including the grad ing. This contract absorbed, we were told, $22,000, and it took no expert figuring to ascertain that at this rate the project was goner. The com missioners busted the contractors, and the engineer. They also found the purchase of grader, traction en- zines and general equipment very exhausting to road funds, but had to have them
 Then they selected a native citizen who had never seen good road, but had qualities in which they had faith, and put him in full charge. This man completed 18 miles of the road, clear ing the right-of- much in heavy timber, blasting down great lodges of rock, building retaining walls and cul- verts of native rock. making deep fills
 -all earth and rock removal and in- cluding a first-class job of grading, at cost of less than S3,000 per mile, and in the period between our trip north and the return had put the fin- ishing touches on the worst four miles of the project, from Mt. Judea into Jasper, and the cost was $10,000. We drove over this, and the surface was practically as smooth as that of Mena street, tho the grades were for most part heavy and some of the turns of "hairpin" variety. The last section of this cross-country project will be completed, it is said, not later than September 15, next, and then a regu- lar system of maintenance will be put in force. Incidentally, there is said to be but one man employed on the work not a bona fide citizen of the county, and Commissioner Clark spends most all hls time out on the work. The wages paid are S2 per day for com mon labor, $2.50 to $3 for rock men and S4.50 for team with driver, and the days begin at 6:30 a. m., with an hour and a half for noon, and end at G o'clock.
 Much of the success is attributed to the spirit of the workers which, un- like the usual imported labor, is all for getting the work done-everybod wants the road completed.
 In addition to the thousands of acres of virgin timber, pine, oak and hickory predominating; and the crys- tai clear streams, such as Big Buffalo, Little Buffalo, Big Piney, Mill Creek, Indian creek, Big creek, Henson creek and others, all of which abound in game fish Casper has a standing re- ward of S100 for the arrest of anyone dynamiting fish in the streams), New ton county has one feature that is all her own, what is known as Diamond Cave. It is owned in most part hy W. J. Fruit, Jasper citizen and mer- chant, and an auto service is operated for convenience of visitors. This cave has been explored to a distance