The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1910-06-23

The County Commissioners Good
Roads Association of the state has
finished its annual session at Gaines
willie and the delegates from a dozen
counties returned to their homes, very
much enthused over the good work
that is being done in the various
counties Of the state in creating bet
ter roads
The people OF the University City
treated the delegates royalty. enter
tanned and took deep interest in the
meetings.
Willis w. Colson called the meeting
to order. Hon. John s. Dampier,
chairman of the Alachua board of
county commissioners being indisposed
and introduced Col X. f. Davis, one
Of the bright and shining legal lights
Of that city, made eloquent and
cordial address of welcome, to which
Mr.. G. Il. Hoover Of Tampa. in the abb
sence Of the secretary, e. l. Bittinser,
made a suitable response, followed by
the annual address Of President j. w.
White Of Jacksonville, that was most
eloquent plea for the upbuilding of
sentiment for good roads and the
good work that has been accomplish
ed in building same in the various
counties Of the state and growing
sentiment for increasing this laudable
and beautiful work.
The secretary was then called on for
remarks. which he prefaced by read
ing an inspiring letter from Glenn
Terry OF New York, but large prop
erty owner at Fort Myers, where he
spends his winters and takes deep
interest in the public improvements of
that growing town and creating
sentiment for good roads. The gen
eral showed his interest in the meet
ing Of the association by sending his
fee as a member OF the same.
The meeting then adjourned to &C
cept a ride over part OF the good
roads OF Alachua county rendered by
the Gainesville Automobile Associa
ton. There was a string Of automo-
biles over a mile long that partici-
pated in this run and the street to the
north Of the court house presented an
animated scene. each auto being be-
decked with a pennant and many Ia
dies in their bright summer gowns
graced the cars.
The University grounds and build
ings to the west Of the city were cir
cled. to give the visitors a good look
at the campus and new buildings re-
Gently completed, one the science hall.
which will be occupied this fall and
added greatly to the comfort and use
fulness of the university. The sum-
mer normal is now holding it's session
at the university and fully a hundred
young men and women are taking the
course and were in evidence as we
passed over the ground and cheered
the procession. The cars then headed
towards Archer for several miles, then
south over the Gainesville and
Micanopy road, which is the connect
ing link in the Ocala road, to Rocky
Point, skirting the big Payne prairie
with it's thousands of acres of fertile
lands, dotted here and there with herds
OF cattle. who had grown fat in lux
uriating with it's rich pasture, then
north along the line of the Jackson
willie and Tampa Railroad and back to
the city and over its very attractive
residence streets.
The trip covered some sixteen miles
and was made at the rate of fifteen
miles an hour. giving the guests an
opportunity to see some of the finest
fields of corn. cantalOupes, melons, etc.
to be seen anywhere in the state. Our
companion was a Mr.. ]. w. Gleason
OF Lenox, Ohio, who has spent the past
four winters in Gainesville and has
fallen in love with the really beauti-
full University City and determined to
try q Florida summer and is agreea-
bly, surprised at our pleasant weather
he Is experiencing, quite at variance
with his preconceived ideas of our
torrfd summers and the erroneous i'm
preston in the north that prevails in
regard to them. Mr.. Gleason comes
from the beautiful and fertile western
reserve country of Ohio, near Cleve-
land and some how had got the i'm
preston there were no good farmin &
lands around Gainesville, but this trip
dfssipated his ideas of the same and
when he witnessed the magnificent
fields Of corn and the luxuriant vines
OF cantaloupes and melons with their
fine yield. he remarked he had no con-
ception what those lands would pro-
duce and when asked what he thought
those fields Of corn would yield an
acre said sixty bushels.
1t is needless to say the visitors were
carried away with the evidences of
thrift and prosperity they saw on ev-
cry hand and voted the Gainesville
Automobile Association the prince of
good fellows and genial hosts.
The feature Of the evening was an
address by Governor Gilchrist in the
court house to a large and deeply in
terested audience. AS the governor S
remarks have been published in the
Star. we refer our readers to the same
and ask careful perusal of his meaty
and thoughtful address on good roads
etc. showing the wonderful strides
Florida has made during the past ten
years in the growth of good roads
sentiment and the construction of the
and progressive counties who have
embarked in this good work can well
feel proud Of. The governor had the
undivided attention of his hearers and
was loudly applauded at the close OF
his address.
Wednesdays session was taken UP
In the discussion of the Jacksonville
Board Of Trades good road bill, OF
which Senator \. S. Mann, good road
organizer for the state is the ardent
champion, who was to have been pres
tained at Sanford because Of his in
teri in a big colonization land scheme
The bill Is intended to create a state
good roads commission and a system
OF good roads all over the state While
the desire is commendable, the extern,
Of the system and its costly nature. in
view of the sparsely settled condition
OF the state, after a full discussion o1
the work was deemed inexpedient fol
the nraaApf and i'm lien thereof he