The Mena weekly star., 1921-06-30
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
 My last letter was mailed as we left Little Rock Saturday. morning, three days back, and with it's mailing we drove into country entirely new to us. And, the facts are, we did not know what the travelling would be like, or whether or not we could come thru on the route tentatively selected, which was Little Rock to Russellville, thence north to Harrison, west to Eureka Springs and then any old way to Joplin. But it was a wonderful trip, and with the exception of little more than twenty miles the roads were splendid. In fact, could hardly real ize there were so many miles of such grand and beautiful roads in Arkan- sas as we drove over. Interesting to us, not only now, but for time to come, is that we have quite complete log of the trip, including distances, char acter of roads, country, etc., even to gasoline consumption.
 i Leaving Little Rock at 6:45 a. m., we reached Conway 321s miles, at 9:25, being held up 36 minutes on this short drive by tire changes. It was rather hard to pass thru this pretty town without seeing a number of young ladies from Mena who are at- tending the State Normal, but the hour was unfavorable for visiting. At 1l:20 we reached Morrillton, a very beautiful little city, and soon thereafter were driving thru planta- lions, all unfenced, with splendid crops of corn, each third row in cowpeas, and then saw big fields of wonderful afalfa, perhaps 15 inches high, smooth snd even almost as a floor, and in i boom. Later we saw fields that evil duntly had been cut but recently, be- | ing 8 or 10 inches high. Before reaching Atkins we saw our first bad road, this being graded but badly rutted, and evidently almost impassa- ble when wet few days earlier. It was merely very rough for us.
 We drove into Russellville at 1:30 D. m., SPA miles from Little Rock. We drove slowly past the big agricultural school, where we saw many sturdy looking young men engaged in vari- ous outdoor activities We counted seven large and substantial buildings, two immense barns and a dairy building. And here the scenery was changing, with pretty mountains in view, and soon we were climbing. higher and higher, and for 33 miles we sped up and down and around over National Forest road, regretting on each turn the shutting out of the en- chanting view being left behind. Sometimes, evidently passing from range to another, the road would de- scend rapidly for a mile or more at a stretch, and then the climb would be no less. Back again on top it would. with occasional dips and turns follow the ridge for miles sometimes with an unobstructed view for great dis tances on either side
 At Lurton, mere meeting place in Newton county, the forest road ended and great county highway project began. This was new. the road unfinished and somewhat rouyh m places. We passed over mile after mile of this road, and realized that for county with no railroad and no towns of more than a very few hun dreds 1t was a stupendous project and yet it is one that will bring that country out of practical oblivion. We droxe for miles without seeing q house, and then meeting someone would inquire, and find that, all un- seen from the highway, there were perhaps twenty farms and families within a radins 1s sniie. and ner~ shHn one told as iisy ioves fhs --s-