The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-01-17
PALATKA LENDS
Chief BOOSTERS
To Assist in the Development
of ST. Augustine.

The first annual dinner of the St
Augustine board of trade was held al
the Hotel Alcazar on Tuesday night
when an even hundred citizens, rep.
resenting all line of business and pro.
fessional life in the Ancient City were
at the table.
Among the guests of the evening
were Howell A. Davis, president of the
PaIatka board Of trade, and w. B.
Royster, the secretary, who occupied
places at the speakers table. Speak
ing Of the Palatka visitors the st.
Augustine Record says:
W. B. Royster, commercial secre-
tary Of the Palatka board of trade,
was next presented and made Il
ight-from- the shoulder business
talk that brought home many truths
to his hearers. He urged that in en-
ploying a secretary it should be borne
in mind that the secretary should have
the strong support Of the citizenship
of the city. He told how Palatka has
grown famed as a great winter resort
and always will be. When you de-
velop st. Augustine all Florida bene.
fits. A map of Florida made in 1925
shows all Of the state south of DuvaI
as being in st. Johns county. Twen-
ty-three thriving counties now COM
prise that territory. Old st. Johns is
their mother county. Mr.. Royster
also told Of the manner in which he
is always given financial and moral
backing for any project which he
brings before the board there with the
result that great good is being ac-
compIished in bringing about the full
development of Putnam county.
"Hou have magnificent city," he
said, "and you should go ahead like
Jacksonville is doing, not in size, but
in progressiveness. There is one
thing would urge, however. The
Palatka board of trade primarily
works for Palatka but never against
any other city or town in the state.
We work for Palatka first, for Putnam
county next and for Florida. There
was never such development of anv
section of the United States as will
be seen in Florida during the next ten
years. The eyes of the nation are
upon the state.
Don't spend all of your time upon
st. Augustine. Develop your agricul-
tural section and everything else you
want will come"
Howell A. Davis, president of the
Palatka board of trade, is fair sam
pie of those Palatka boosters. He
was so enthusiastic over Palatka and
over the state as well that it proved
very contagious. He gave official fig
ures showing Palatka to be the best
paved and sideWalked town for its
population in the United States.
He told of how the board backs up
the secretary in anything which he
suggests, always without question and
of the results being attained. He also
dwelt upon the fact that the Palatka
board has never been invited to be rep
resented at any meeting Of any organ
iZation but what the Gem City has
been represented. He urged that any
board should be careful to allow no
invitation of this kind to go by with
out being taken advantage of.
First of all the carrying on of the
work of the board requires full coop
GRAFTON with your secretary" he said,
"and then you should work for youl
state as well. Not a community in
Florida can go ahead but what its 60
ing ahead will benefit the rest of the
state.
"Good roads have a tendency to-
wards the better cementing together
of the friendship between various
towns"
Palatka's board of trade has two
hundred and fifty members. "The best
thing you can do" he said, "is to get
together and develop your agricultural
section. We have pushed develop
ment work not only in Putnam county
but in your own. This new interurban
line will open up twenty thousand
acres of fertile land for development.
Twelve thousand acres of it are in
your own county, And we are work
ing to open up other sections. We
know it will help Palatka. | ask you
to work along the same lines and then
see the results"
Other boosters to speak at the meet
ing were from Jacksonville, Gaines
vile, Hastings, and other points.