THE ARKANSAS GOOD ROADS
ASSOCIATION HOLDS SESSION
good roads bill adopted
measure provides for build
ing AND MAINTENANCE OF
STATE, DISTRICT AND
COUNTY HIGHWAYS.
Election of Officers Concludes One
of the Most Successful Meetings
in History of Association.
•**««***•*
* OFFICERS ELECTED. *
* __ .
* President—Judge Jesse Harp *
* of Fort Smith *
* Vice President—Judge Harry *
* A. Cook of Chicot county. *
Secretary—George R. Brown, *
* secretary Board of Trade, Little *
* Itock. *
**********
Little Rock.—The Arkansas Good
Roads and Drainage Association m ?t
in this city last week and held what
is declared to have been the most
successful session in the history of
the association. Several hundred
delegates, from all sections of the
state, were in attendance, and all
proposed plans for bettering the high
ways of the state were enthusias
tically received.
r
CONSTRUCTION WORK ON SKEEN HILL, HOT SPRINGS PIKE.
Governor Donaghey welcomed the
delegates on behalf of the state, and
Mayor Duley welcomed them on be
half of the citizens of Tattle Rock.
The association convened in thr
convention hall of the Hotel Marion,
and the hall was at all times filled
with good roads boosters.
Governor Donaghey proposed a plan
for good roads which was enthusias
tically received, and its best points
were incorporated in the bill finally
adopted by the convention.
Mayor Duley urged the consolida
tion of interests for the betterment
of the state, i>ointiiig out that the in
terrelation between producer and
market made for prosperity and that
such interrelation in this state hinged
almost entirely upon good roads.
Judge Greenfield Quarles, county
judge of Phillips county, addressed
the meeting and spoke of the “buck
short” roads in his county as exam
ples of good highways.
.1. 10. Pcnnybacker of Washington.
D. an assistant in the office of
public roads management, spoke on
“Road legislation." Mr. Pcnnybacker
gave as the basic elements of good
roads, "Law, Men and Money.” Ho
spoke strongly in favor of removing
the road from polities. “Have the
road men employes,” he said: “not
elective officers. No competent en
gineer wants a job if he has lo turn
politician to get it.” He advocated
state supervision of roads and the
system of cash taxation.
Judge Harp made an interesting
talk <>n the use of oil on roads, much
of the work having been done in'
Sebastian county in the past two
years, and stated that the improve
ment of the roads had doubled the
value of land in his county.
H. L. Remind of Little Rock spoke
on “The Value of Good Roads to
Cities.” He stated that Little Rock’s
increase of business since the im
provement of the county roads was
$27r.,000 annually. He urged strong
ly the use of durable material in road
building and deprecated any make
shift in a thing so important ay a
highway.
Woman Refused to Drink, Is Shot.
Paragould.—The trial of John Hip
py, charged with assault with intent
to kill, will be called here shortly.
On the evening of December 21 last
Hippy and Mrs. Lillie Laugh were
walking along the public highway
near Marmaduke, when Hippy of
fered the woman a drink of whisky.
Mrs. Laugh refused the proffered
drink, whereupon, it is alleged, Hippy
pulled a revolver and fired at her,
the bullet taking effect in her side.
Mrs. Laugh has since t»3en unable to
walk.
Hon. John B. DeBoise of White
county stated in an address that on
account of the condition of roads at
present the cost of transporting pro
duce to the local market was four
times the cost of transportation to
the general market. He urged the
members of the General Assembly to
carry out the proposed road plans of
the association, stating that the val
ue of lands would thus be increased
from $50 to $100 per acre.
Senator Dill of Washington county
concurred with Mr. DeBoise and
spoke disparagingly of the system em
ployed in some districts of “throw
ing the rocks in the road in wet
weather and throwing them out again
in dry weather.”
Judge W. M. Kavanaugh, in his re
marks, pointed out that Little Rock
is the fifth city in the South in
point of excellence of the roads sur
rounding her, and stated that her
property value, due to them, had in
creased in the last. 10 years from
$15,000,000 to $36,000,000.
The bill prepared by a committee
named for that purpose, and which
will be submitted to the General As
sembly, was adopted, practically
unanimously.
The bill provides that public roads
except such as are maintaind by
towns and cities, shall be classified
by the county judge and entered upon
record as state roads, county roads
and district roads. State roads shall
be built and maintained out of the
state road fund, raised by a levy of
one-fourth of a mill upon all taxable
state property. County roads shall
be built and maintained out of the
county general fund, of the district
road fund, by free labor or by all of
them, at the discretion of the court.
District roads are to be built and
maintained in the same manner as
county roads as the court may direct.
Each justice of the peace is re
quired to compile a list of all per
sons between the ages of 21 and 45
physically able to work on the roads,
not residing in incorporated towns
or cities, nor in districts where the
free labor system does not prevail,
which shall be furnished to the road
overseer. Each person mentioned in
the list is then required to furnish
four days' free labor upon three days'
SWEET HOME PIKE, NEAR LITTLE ROCK.
Cut Completed on M., D. & G. Road.
Murfreesboro.—The big cut on the
Memphis, Dallas & Gulf railroad,
about three miles southwest of here,
has been completed and a new sche
dule has gone into effect. This place
now has two trains daily. Since the
contractors began work on the cut,
about five months ago, this place has
had only one train a day. Work will
begin immediately on the extension
of the road toward Memphis. Tills
will give the people a direct shipping
route for fruits and vegetables, for
which this section is noted.
notice from the overseer or to pay
$1.25 for each day. The quorum court,
however, may authorize the collector
to collect $3 from each person sub
ject to road work, exempting those
who pay. The county court has the
right to eminent domain in building
new roads or in changing the course
of old ones. A board of improvement
consisting of three men may be ap
pointed in each district by the coun
ty judge, who shall act with them in
maintaining and supervising the work
of constructing roads and bridges.
The remuneration or the members is
$2 per day, to be paid out of the
; district road fund.
Practical Engineer for Commissioner.
The state head of road building is
to be some practical engineer to be
known as the road commissioner, ap
pointed by the governor, at a salary
of $2,500 per year and a traveling
expense account of 5 cents per mi'e.
He shall reside in Little Rock, main
tain offices and may employ a step
ographer at a salary not to exceed
$1,200 per year. His salary and ex
penses are to be paid out of the
state road fund.
Of the fund raised by the one
fourth mill levy, provision is made,
that it shall he expended -outside of
cities of tlie first and second class.
The residue remaining after the com
missioner’s salary and expenses have
been paid are to he apportioned
among the counties in ratio to the
amount originally collected in eerh.
to be used upon what state roads
may be in process of construction in
them. The commissioner may, by
petition to the county court, name
any county road a state road.
. - K
Nearly all of the speakers urged
the use of concrete in building new
bridges and culverts, stating that it
was mope durable and cheaper in the
end than other materials.
Numerous photographs of good
roads and bridges were on display,
and these were illustrated at night
by stereopticon views.
The new executive committeemen
chosen by the convention are. First
congressional district, M. L. Patter
son of Augusta; Second, Judge K. F.
Mil wee of Clarendon; Third, J. H.
Hand of Yellville; Fourth, Judge W.
N. Martin of Mena; Fifth, William
Parkin of Little Hock; Sixth, Judge
W. D. Jones of Pine Bluff; Seventh,
Judge S. Q. Sevier of Camden.
Little Rock was chosen as the
meeting place for next year.
Immediately after adjourning sine
die. about 100 of the delegates were
taken over the Scott Station pike now
in process of construction about 11
miles from Little Hock.
Mine Burns at Spadra.
Clarksville.—The tipple and head
house of the Spadra Coke & Coal
Company at Spadra was burned a
few nights ago. It is not known yet
whether or not th“ fire was of an in
cendiary origin. However, it is the
second tipple to burn in this coal
field this season. The tipple of the
Pennsylvania Anthracite Company
burned about two months ago. None
of the mines in the district is work
ing at this time. The loss will be
about $50,000, partially covered by
insurance.
DRAINAGE SCHEME
TO RECLAIM LAND
60,000 ACRES TO BE REDEEMED,
WHICH WILL PRODUCE 30.000
BALES OF COTTON A YEAR.
Project Is a Big Undertaking, but Can
Be Done at Cost of 70 Cents an
Acre, According to Survey.
Conway. — A reclamation project
Tremendous in its proportions and in
volving a large portion of Faulkner
county, will be the subject of legis
lation to be brought before the gen
eral assembly within the next few
days. If the plans of the promoters
of the project are correct and the
legislature consents to organize an
improvement district for the purpose,
over 60,000 acres of the most valuable
hind ir, the county, lying on either
side of C'adron creek for a total dis
tance of nearly 40 miies, will be pro
tected from overflow by back water
from the Arkansas river and brought
under cultivation. Only about one
fourth of this land has ever been
cleared, and it is all subject to pe
riodic overflow, rendering it almost
valueless for farm purposes. If the
statements of the promoters are to
be-believed, a low estimate of the
productive capacity of the land it is
proposed 10 open up would be 30,000
bales of cotton a year, the vaTTfh of
which would exceed $2,000,000 an
nually. The plan is to construct a
concrete dam, fitted with locks,
across C'adron creek near the point
where it is bridged by the Iron Moun
tain railroad at Gleason. This dam
would prevent the upward flow of
backwater from the Arkansas, into
which the creek empties a few miles
below, and thus prevent the overflow
of the lands along both prongs of [he
creek for a distance far into the
northern and eastern sections of the
county.
The estimated cost of the dam is
small in proportion to the amount of
territory- to be included in the dis
trict. It is believed that the locks
and dam, together with about one
quarter mile of levee, can be con
structed for about $ bl.OOO, or less
than 70 cents an acre for all the
land it is proposed to protect.
The dam, as planned, will have a
sufficient width at the top to permit
a roadway connecting Faulkner and
Conway counties and'replace a ferry
boat now used to connect the roads
at that point.
BROTHERS ARE CLEARED BY A JERY
Lee and Newt Cates, Charged Wit1’
Murder, Go Free at Lonoke.
Lonoke.—The jury in the case of
Lee and Newt Cates, charged with
the murder of H. F. Cartwright, re
turned a verdict of not guilty. The
jury was out nine hours before a ver
dict could be agreed on. Cartwright
was killed April 30, 1910, following
the killing of a son of Jesse Stanley
by CartwrighL's son. Cartwright was
shot in the back while plowing in his
field. He lived long enough to say
that he saw three men when he was
shot and that the three were the
Cates brothers and Jesse Stanley,
father of the boy killed by young
Cartwright. Stanley was indicted on
a charge of murder at the same time
the indictments against the Cates
brothers were returned. He escaped
and has never been arrested.
Young Cartwright, who kilted Jesse
Stanley’s son, is serving a sentence
in the penitentiary. Young Stanley
was killed with a stick of wood in
the hands of Cartwright when the
two became engaged in a schoolboy
fight.
STATt PRISS ASSOCIATION MLCTS
Mid-Winter Gathering Considers Bus
iness of Routine Nature.
Little Rock.—-About 40 Arkansas
editors attended the meeting of the
State Press Association in this city.
It was tiie mid-winter meeting, and
only business pertaining to the rout
ine of newspaper work was discussed.
President It. E. Bradford presided.
Several papers of general interest to
the profession were read. Prank
Robbins of Conway read a paper on
“Newspaper Legislation,” which was
followed by an address by John P.
Stafford of Springdale on "The Result
Accomplished by Special Editions.”
“The Relation of the Press and Rail
roads in Arkansas Development” was
discussed by .1. N. Anderson, a rail
road immigration agent.. The citizens
of Little Rock tendered the editors a
banquet at the Hotel Marion at
night. El Dorado was selected as the
place where the spring meeting will
be held on May 24, 25 and 2G.
Mistrial in a Burglary Case.
Paragould.—The jury in the case of
Walter Thompson, son of Mayor J.
It. Thompson of this city, under in
dictment for grand iarceny, failed to
agree on a verdict, and Judge Smith
discharged the members of that body
and reset the case for another trial.
Plaintiff Takes a Nonsuit.
Port Smith.—The $48,000 damage
suit of .Mrs. Fannie Conarty of Van
Buren against the Prisco railroad
ended in the United States court a
few days ago with the plaintiff tak
ing a nonsuit without prejudice.
This1 allows the case to be filed again.
Mrs. Conarty sought damages for the
death of her husband, who was
killed in the Prisco railroad yards
here last November while employed
by the road. The petition attempted
to hold the road responsible for bis
death.
TEACHERS ARE TERMING TO ARKANSAS
Pedagogues Seek Informaton of This
State’s Opportunities.
Utile Rock.—-Prof. ffeo. B. Cook,
superintendent of public instruction,
states that as a result of the adver
tising that has been given Arkansas
within the past two or three years,
there is great demand made upon liis
office for information concerning tho
opportunities for school teachers in
this state. During the last few
months in particular correspondence
from all sections of the union has
been flowing into the office, but par
ticularly from the middle west states,
where interest has been drawn this
way. There has been an unusual de
mand for competent school teachers,
it is reported, and there are now
more than 9,000 engaged in that pro
fession in the state. Ten years ago
there was one teacher to every 72
pupils, whereas now there is one
teacher to every GO. The force of
teachers has increased more than
2,f>00 in the past 10 years.
IIGHT IRANCHISE HAS BEEN REPi Al ED
Eureka Springs City Council Takes
Action Against Power Company.
Eureka Springs.—Alleging that the
concern had violated its franchise,
the city council unanimously passed
an ordinance repealing the franchise
of the Eureka Springs Electric Light
& Street Railway Company. The or
dinance demands that the company
remove its poles and wires from the
streets within GO days or the city will
remove them. In a, statement in the
form of a resolution adopted by the
council, it is asked that the citizens
refuse to patronize the company and
use some other kind of lights, heat
and power until some other company
will come in and treat the consumer
properly. The resolution classes (he
company as an "outlaw” concern.
One of the chief protests against
tho concern is because it now refuses
to operate its plant during the day,
only operating at. night. The com
pany will resist the action of the city.
B!G EREE BRIDGE Al MOST COMPLETED
It Will Be Ready for Traffic Some
Time in April.
Van Huron.—Work on the sub
structure of the big free bridge here
is progressing rapidly and the contrac
tors hope to complete their task ear
ly in April, and, if they succeed, will
have established a new record in
bridge construction. Conditions have
been most favorable for such work,
for they have not lost a single day
since beginning work early in No
vember. Neither have they lost as
much as a stick or timber or been
delayed an hour by the waters of
the Arkansas river. The construc
tion work is now being pushed from
both sides of the river with day and
night forces of men and much great
er progress is now being made.
Heating Plant Explodes.
Little Rock.—With a roar of water,
a crash of machinery and screaming
of 75 employes, mostly girls, the hot
water hearting apparatus of Frank’s
laundry exploded, and though a panic
ensued among the women employes
at work within close proximity, none
was injured. The heating apparatus
had just been installed and was be
ing given a test. The power of the
steam was no more than under nor
mal conditions, and everything was
apparently as safe as usual when the
explosion came.
Fire Follows a Warning.
El Dorado.—Following the receipt
of a letter addressed to Mr. Perry,
warning him not to act as one of the
judges of the city election, held a
few days ago, a fire occurred at 2
o'clock in tiie morning that destroyed
a row of buildings, one of them be
ing occupied by Perry & Curry as a
meat market. Mr. Perry belie res
that the fire was the result of his
acting as a judge ;n spite of tho
warning.
Three Persons Injured in a Runaway.
Mena.—Three persons were injured,
one seriously, in a runaway at Nun
ley wiien a team of horses belonging
to Thomas Gatlin took fright. Mrs.
Gatlin was seriously injured. She
was thrown to the ground when tho
wagon struck a pole and sustained
internal injuries. A daughter Of Mrs.
Gatlin jumped and was hurt. Gatlin
was thrown from the vehicle when
the animals made a turn in the road
and sustained bad bruises.
Injured in a Mine Accident.
Greenwood.—Mert Bartlett was ter
ribly injured in au accident at a mine
near here, and there are no hopes for
his recovery. Bartlett was peering
down the shaft of the mine and was
struck on the hack of the head by
the descending cage. He was thrown
over tiie cage to the opposite side
of the shaft. The hair and skin were
peeled from the back and top of his
head and several teeth were knocked
out.
Extending Helena’s Car System.
Helena. The work or grading pre
paratory to the laying of the tracks
for the proposed street railway ex
sion has begun. It is the inreution
of the owners to push the work to a
hasty completion, and they expect to
have the new line working by the
first of May. When the extension la
completed, Helenians can ride all the
way from the south end of the line,
about one mile outside of tho present
limits on the city, to West Helena,
a distance of over six miles, for 6
cents.
AH Over Arkansas
ED LELAURIN IS AGAIN ARRESTED
Charged With Assault to Murder or»
Arthur Murray, Newspaper Man.
Pino Bluff.—Ed LeLaurin, who shot
and seriously wounded Arthur Mur
raj% editor of the Press-Eagle, in this
city several weeks ago, has been re
arrested here by Sheriff Brewster on
a bench warrant charging assault
with intent to kill, llis brother, Qua
LeLaurin, of Argenta, who was with
him at the time of the attack, will
also be re-arrested, and it was stated
that he was to return here imme
diately to make a new bond for his
appearance. Ed LeLaurin was re
leased on the same $2,000 bond made
some weeks ago. After weeks of
treatment in a local hospital, Mr.
Murray is able to be out again. The
cause of the attack by the two young
men has never been made public.
RETIRES I ROM THE DAILY BULLETIN
A. R, Guthridge Disposes of Interest
in Hot Springs Newspaper.
Hot Springs.—By the terms of a
comract signed by A. It. Guthridge,
who has been connected with the
Citizens’ Daily Bulletin since its in
itial number, and who in Juno, 1900,
became joint lessee with J. P. Burks
of the paper, has disposed of his en
tire interest in the business to his
partner. The paper will be conduct
ed in the future by the succeeding
partner, J. 1*. Burks. Mr. Guthridge
has not announced his intentions as
to the future, but it is probable that
ho will remain in the city.
Failed to Eliminate Arkansans.
Springfield, Mo.- Two factions
among the members of the Ozark
Fruit Growers’ Association were de
veloped at the meeting of the organ
ization here and ihe meeting ended
in a complete victory for the regu
lars. The intention of the insurgents
was to reorganize the association and
cut the territory down, making the
state lino between Missouri and Ark
ansas the southern line of the asso
ciation, cutting out the members re
siding in Arkansas.
Will Plant Peanuts Extensively.
Magnolia.— A number of the farm
ers o.' Columbia county have agreed
to plant a large acreage of peanuts
this year, with a view to the estab
lishment of a factory here to utilize
the product. Some of the more pro
gressive farmers have been making
experiments in peanut culture and
pronounce it better than cotton as a
staple crop in boll weevil times.
Medicine Kills a Child.
Rogers.—1The 3-year-old daughter
of William Tucker, living four miles
southeast of Rogers, died a few da>3
ago from the effects of a partial dose
of medicine she drank from a glass.
A portion of the medicine had been
given her grandfather. The remain
der was carelessly left in a glass,
where the tot got it and died five
minutes later.
Texan Stricken in Hot Springs.
Hot Springs,—J. F. Moore, a weal
thy real estate man of Fort Worth,
Texas, was stricken with hea-t fail
upre here and died before medical
aid could be summoned. Mr. Moore
had been in Hot Springs but a few
days.
Couple Married on Train.
Ronton.—Virgil Shneadley of Kan
sas City. Mo., and Miss Lillian Mas
ters of Mot Springs were married on
a train between Hot. Springs and Ren
ton one day last week.
Conway Girl Seeks Heart Balm.
Conway.—Lizzie Dogal has filed
suit in the circuit court against Em
met Keithley asking damages In the
sum of $5,000 on a charge of breach
of promise.
ARKANSAS NEWS IN BRIEF.
Waldron is after a Carnegie library.
A car containing 90 hogs was ship
ped from Washington a short time
ago, the hogs weigjiing 17,000 pounds.
Thirty-six cars of timber, stock and
merchandise were shipped from
Guion last week.
A commercial club has been organ
ized at Rigelow.
It is proposed to petition congress
to make a government reservation
out of Eureka Springs.
An effort is being made to incor
porate the town of Rrookland.
Morrilton may go in for the mu
nicipal ownership of waterworks and
electric light plant soon.
It is thought by some citizens of
Rogers that the body found in South
ampton, England, is that of Daniel
Goods, a railroad conductor, 60 years
old, who disappeared from Rogers
last March after drawing $1,100 from
a local bank.
A town to be known as Wagina
City and to be for negroes only will
be established one and a half miles
east of Altheimer.
A county fair will be held in Van
Buren next fall.
The Dallas Patriot, published at
Carthage, edited by J. J. Morrill, has
just made its initial bow to the
public.
A wagon road will be constructed
from Hartford to intersect the Sugar
Loaf mountain pass road.
The Rock Island has put in firo
plugs at and near its station ueaz
Booneville.