The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-06-30
THE GOOD ROADS RECEPTION IN
OCALA

citizens of Ocala.
Rarely has so many people ever
been called together in this city ioi
any sort of a celebration except on our
big Fourth of July demonstrations
The autoists. indeed, were given
bigger demonstration than was given
to Mr. Bryan on his visit here, when
ne was at the height of his popularity.
1t is estimated that two thousand
people gathered about the band stano
including men. women and children
to meet the autoists and to hold up
their hands in the promotion OF the
good roads movement.
Before gathering about the band
stand they were given good supper
at the Ocala House. There was MOTH
ing dainty nor extravagant about it,
but it was substantial. Smothered
chicken on toast. cold roast turkey,
chicken salad, ice cream, coffee, and
a number of side dishes made up the
menu.
After supper the editor of this pa
per, who was honOred by being made
master Of ceremonies, in a very brief
address welcomed the distinguished
guests to our city and introduced
number of them, and they spoke fit
tingly and enthusiastically upon the
subject Of good roads. which showed
that the subject is deep-rooted and is
here to stay.
Mr. Frank P Conroy, president Of
the Jacksonville board of trade, was
the first speaker introduced, and he
charmed the audience from start to
finish He has d good voice and an
earnest manner and he spoke like one
who has the courage of his convic-
tons.
Mr. Conroy SAID that when the two
great newspapers, the Atlanta Journal
and the New York Herald, joined fore
es and succeeded in getting nation
oil n15AWdE O1dZCQ OUL llOAn view 4 Va II
to Atlanta that the Jacksonville board
of trade got busy, because it did not
propose to see Florida omitted from
the map, as it was a tourists state
and belonged TO be a part of the ma
tional automobile highway, and told
interestingly how the efforts of the
board Of trade of the metropolis bore
rich and immediate fruit He said
that the east coast of Florida had
more travel than it could we'll take
care of, anG if the inland towns would
join the good roads movement and see
that good connecting links were con-
structed that our beautiful inland cit
les would get their full share Of the
tourist travel many OF whom would
become investors and eventually per-
manent residents
Mr.. Conroy said that the trip of the
committee sent out by the board of
trade to agree upon a permanent
speedway between Jacksonville and
Tampa was bearing rich and abund-
ant fruit and read a number of reso-
buttons passed by the board of county
commissioners of Alachua, Sumter,
Pasco and fernando counties saying
that immediate steps would be taken
to build connecting lines to make the
speedway a continuous and unbroken
line down the peninsular.
Mr. F. o. Miller was the next speak
er. He spoke to good advantage and
repeated with fine effect the poem
about the calf that had made the trail
that had made the crooked streets of
Boston famous, and the application he
made of it was exceedingly appropri-
ate. Mr.. Miller's speech was inter
spersed with story and anecdote which
made it most enjoyable.
Mr.. Fred L. Stringer was next call
ed on and made a good plea to have
the speedway touch at the beautiful
city of Brooksville, and told eloquent
~ of her high hills and charming land
scapes.
The most enthusiastic speech of the
evening, and the one that received the
greatest applause and the highest
need of praise was that of Senator c,
W. Drayton of Pasco county. He is a
member of the legislature, and told
of the faithfulness of those who passed
the good roads bill, and how much
they deplored it's veto by the govern
or. He was more in favor of national
highways than he was a great big
navy. He said that the demand for a
national highway was greater and he
put the congressman of the first dis
trict on notice that he must favor the
building of national highway by the
United States government if he ex.
pected to receive the vote of Pasco
county
Mr.. ]. C. Getson made a strong plea |
for the road IN mass thrOuob c,,x,4