Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-04-02
GOOD ROADS IN FLORIDA
The VERY Low COST OF THEIR
CONSTRUCTION.
Cause. stated by Mr.. VI. o. Eldridge-
Effect of the Great
Freeze.

Mr. NJ. O. Eldridge. acting director of the
office of public road inquiries Of the Asricui-
turaI Department, has just returned from
trip 10 Florida He went south to attend
and address a good road convention recent
IL held at Orlando, Fla, and to examine the
tropical conditions under which good roads
are now being built in various parts of that
state
In an interview with a Star reporter Mr..
Eljiridct says: I'm spite of the great freeze
Of 1875 which almost paralyzed the orange
industry of Florida, the people of that state
have built, under these trying conditions,
hundreds of miles Of good roads These
highways are as durable and perfect as the
stone and gravel roads of some of the
northern states. and on account OF the lux
I.riant tropical growth which borders them
on every hand they are as beautiful as any
highways l have ever seen, not excepting
the masterpieces of the road builders art
which traverse the rocky slopes or the Alps.
The most remarkable thing about these
roads is the cost. which is only about one
sixth as much the stone and gravel roads
Of the northern states
Low Cost of Construction.
Po,ds fifteen feet wide are being con-
structed in Orange county in the vicinity of
Orlando and Winter Park for 500 per mile,
and where convict labor can be had (Which
fortunately is very scarce in Florida) good
roads have been built for $3.50 per mile.
This remarkably low cost is due to the fact
that these roads were built by simply mix
ing the sand. of which the original roads
were composed. with clay. which has been
discovered at various points in the state. A
large deposit of this clay was discovered
near Barlow. and many of the streets and
roads in Orange county have been built by
mixing Barlow clay with sand. which when
placed upon the prepared sand fOunda ton
and rolled 50 consohdates and cements to-
gether as to form compact and smooth
surface. After these roads are once built
they are not worn and cut to pieces like the
highways of the north, due to the fact that
no deep freezes occur to disrupt their sur
faces and fOunda lions in winter. and that
the water flows rapidly 10 the sides OF the
road during continued rains and sinks into
the sandy soil alongside. Another reason
why these roads do not wear rapidly is that
many of the vehicles in Florida. even the
buggies and light spring wagons. have beer
provided with wide tires. and have thus be
come rOadmakers- As a result of wide tire:
and good drainage some of the streets Of
Orlando. Fla. which were built over ter
years go of sand and clay. are as good. Il
not better. today than they were when they
built
Effect of the Big Freeze.
You said something about the grea
freeze Of 1895. which destroyed the orang
people Of F'lorida?
Il heard a gentleman say that the effec
could not have been worse had every hom
in the state been destroyed by fire. Hun
dreds of people went to sleep one night wit
Incomes ranging from $1,000 to $4,000 pc
year and upon awaking in the mornn
found that nature had made them pat
pers Hundreds OF homes have bee
abandoned and the houses and oil
orange trees have been left to decay
One picture will serve to illustrate thes
conditions. In driving from Orlando {
Winter Park. in central Florida | ha
occasion to notice one of these abar
duned homes. The fences We're all droppiy,
to pieces and what had formerly been on
If the finest and most productive orang
groves in the county was nothing but row
of dead trees, some of which had rotte
and fallen to the ground The house Il
Gated in the center of this grove, whic
must have one day been a delightful an
comfortable home. surrounded with al til
BEAUTIES and Iuxuries that heart could wis
for. had become nothing but a tumblin