The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-05
First Steps IN The Interest Of
GTeOfer P0|QtkQ QDd q
GTeQteT County.
County Commissioners Decide 10
Build 0 WOgOn 0Dd Fool Bridge 10
Connect This City Win
E0St P0I0Ik0.

Lu0l | ululhu.
A bridge will be built across the
st. Johns river, connecting Palatka
and East Palatka.
That was decided at a meeting of
tho Board of County Commissioners
on Tuesday.
There We're present at the meeting
Chairman F. j. Fearnside, and Com
missioners Rogers, Strickland, Allen
and Hancock. They all voted for
the proposition as being in the inter-
ests of the whole county.
The Board also decided on certain
plans and specifications for the new
bridge and next week these plans
and specifications will be advertised
and bids for building the bridge
asked for in conformity with the
adopted plans.
The decision to build this bridge
marks a forward move for old Put
nam. 1t is the beginning of do
something policy that is bound to re-
suit in great increase to the material
wealth of the county. Good roads
are not only being agitated, but be-
ing built and the present county
commissioners are entitled to great
credit for the energy they have dis
played in this matter. The bridge
means a good road into Palatka fol
that rapidly building up section adj
jacent to the city on the east side
extending to Hastings and beyond.
The building of this bridge was
originally urged by Chairman Fearn-
side. He has worked indefatigably
for it for the past several months and
in his work he has had the hearty
support of other commissioners,
Praise for the work is due in equal
proportion to Commissioners Strick-
land, Rogers, Hancock and Allen
They all are keenly alive to the needs
of the county. Early in the year the
board authorized the chairman tC
get plans from bridge builders.
Mr.. Fearnside then opened cores
pOndence with different bridge build
ing concerns with the result that six
companies have had representatives
here who have made soundings OF
the river bottom aud secured Other
needed data. Each of these cOmpa.
MES then submitted plans for the
bridge and these plans were laid be.
fore the board at its meeting on
Tuesday last.
After careful examination the
board decided on a set of plans anC
will ask for bids.
The News has talked with some o
the progressive men from all sections
of the county and the universal yer
diet is that this one act of the count,
commissioners will do more to ad
vance Putnam county, by showing t.
the world that we are alive, than an,
thing that has happened in 20 years
Putnam county has some of tn
very best farming land in the Who'll
state. Some of it is on the east sid
of the river, but there was neve
much inducement to settle it becaus
of lack of facilities for getting +
market.
The bridge will remove that obiec
ton.
In two years time potato farm
will stretch in unbroken body fron
the east bank of the river to Hasting
and beyond. Around Palatka prope
for several miles there will be celer
and potato farms, and the Who'll
western section of the county will b
transformed. The peninsula sectio
t by that time will again be producin
, both the quality and great quantlt
of golden fruit which in former year
: made it the most famous orang
, growing district in the state.
Prosperity is advancing our wa
with giant strides. The board q
+ county commissioners has simply de
= cided to build bridge that it ma
cross and recrOss to the eastern an
western sections of the county.