The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-08-09
WASHINGTON
HOLDS A GOOD
ROAD MEETING
AN IMMENSE CROWD ASSEM-
DLEs AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY
CHEERS NUMEROUS SPEAKERS
WHO FAVOR BONDING COUNTY
FOR GOOD ROADS PURPOSES.
Special to The Journal

4
the county site, yesterday when about
| 5000 people assembled in mass meet
ing to discuss one Of the most import
( ant questions that confronts the peo-
pie today-that of building public
highways by bonding our counties.
| The county commissioners had an
nounced over a month ago that this
meeting would be held In order that
/ they might ascertain the wishes of the
people on this great subject. People
gathered there from many different
counties, most of them being from
/ Washington and Jackson. The crowds
began to gather by seven o'clock and
| by ten o'clock the street OF that burg
would remind one somewhat of the
busy thoroughfares of the large cities
| OF the state. The streets were thronge6
with people from one end to the other
| of all kinds, classes and denominations
| the majority Of whom were so en-
| Unused over the matter for which the
meeting was called until 1t was almost
| impossible to approach them on any
other subject. They could be seen
standing in punches on every corner
| and In every portion of the street
giving their ideas, and making con-
verts for this one great project
Called to Order.
AT ten o'clock the meeting was
called to order by Commissioner J. T
Hightower, after which the address OF
welcome was made in a few but SEN
sible words by Hon. w. G. Jockey, OF
vernon. He impressed upon those who
grand meeting that they were heartily
welcome in their town to help them
solve the problem which is of such
great Importance to them.
Next on the program was a response
by Hon. A. D. Carmichael of Chipley
and 1t is needless to say that his short
speech of about ten minutes was in
strrctive and stimulating. Two or
three OF his short anecdotes for which
he Is famous on such occasion just set
the ball to rolling right. His firm de-
termination was to build good roads
throughout our county, and secure the
money to do this by bonding the
county.
Much Applause.
The audience that sat so patiently
and silently under the shade of the
pine and the oak receiving the breezes
which seemed to them by this time
were as dear as pearls or the golden
gems, had the pleasure next of hearing
the--able address .IttdEe-Ira-A.
Hutchinson, formerly a resident Of Yer
non, but now a highly respected citi-
zen Of Chipley. When the chairman
announced that Judge Hutchinson was
next on the program cheers that went
like the blasting Of an anvil sounded.
and when the echo had sweetly drifted
away the voice Of this young but noted
orator could be heard in a silent way
like the tone of that great and noble
man, Grover Cleveland. He appealed
to the good consciousness of the peo-
pie of our fair county; he impressed
upon their minds the opportunity that
they now had of making a county that
would go down in history in years to
come. He cited to his audience the
condition of this county a century ago
the adverse circumstances that our
forefathers had to confront, then on
the other hand in that cool and de-
liberate way, showed them the ad-
vancements that had been made in
that time, and what great oportuni-
ties it now had to push on to victory
AS a matter of fact, Judge Hutchinson
made some souls happy by his in
structive lecture.
Following Judge Hutchinson was
Hons. ]. H. Drummond, of st. Andrews
Bay, and r. w. Storrs of DeFunial
Springs, who spoke on the subject o.
good roads as a business proposition
Both of these speeches were very In
structive, common sense and logir
appealing to the people. DR. Drum
mond showed them what great a ad
vantage it would be to both this par
of the county, the county between her.
and st. Andrews Bay, and also the en-
tire bay country. Mr.. Storrs, as every-
one knows, is a great booster, and in
his argument brought out the actual
saving to the farmer as we'll as to the
business man. He had the facts and
figures to back himself up. He told
how a farmer in hauling cotton to
would have these good roads to go
over, and in this time save $3.50, be-
sides the less wear and tear on his
wagon and team and the less danger
of losing his religion.
Opposed the Plan.
All went we'll until it was announced
that A. W. Weeks was the next speaker
on the program. Many were expecting
Mr.. Weeks to make a good roads talk,
but when he alighted to the platform
with a smile that would cover the
palm of your hand he said: Ladies,
gentlemen and fellow citizens: I have
not come here today to discuss any
political matter. We all should have
left our politics at home; If we did not
we ought to have done so. I have as
rood a right to my opinions as anyone
else, regardless of who he is, and now
is my time to make them plain, and
I am going to do So" With these few
opening remarks Mr.. Weeks opposed
bonding the county. and in a hard
argument presented his side to a very
attentive audience. His speech was
quite a surprise to many, but the peo-
pie that were assembled there could
not have been changed from the idea
of increasing the value of their county
by the good roads system with can
non loaded with fence rails.
Hon. w. W. Flournoy of DeFuniak,
being unable to be. on the grounds, Mr..
Littleton, a travelling salesman, made
few remarks in regard to the good
roads question. He said: After hear
ing the argument Of Mr. Weeks it is
harder to keep the fight going, but
gentlemen all I can say to you is, keep
the good work going on; don't get dis
couraged. Go, go on" He made sew
eral nice remarks about the roads, told
that he travelled over the public high
ways six days in the week, and the
most pleasure he derived from any of
his travels was over the good roads
from Chipley to Vernon. With these
and a few other remarks he closed.
saying that there was a man to follow
him that was overlooking with some
thing to say. and it was soon found
that he was not far from right
80,