The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-05-23
Paper No. l, Twelfth Grade, writ
ten by Miss Elfreida Colwell.
THE GEM CITY IN 1916.

1 n SCUl w NC pSAISNNiJ
! must first be polished and then kel
, clean. Palatka, few years ago, VIZ
/ in what might be called the "roug
state" The polishing began in earn
est in 1913. Now, look and judge.
Lemon street, extending unot
structed from the city limits to tn
new dock, is lined with fireprOo
brick and concrete buildings. Fac
department store has its "rest room
for out of town customers, Wher
cribs for the babies, easy chairs, an
a liberal supply of the current mag
azineE ara always found. Anotne
thing that seems unimportant IN it
self, but which adds wonderfully t,
the beauty of the town, is The alb
sence of all posters.
The river was drcdged last year
so that it admits really large vessels
and a new dock had to be built to ac
commodate the increased traffic. The
approaches to the county bridge nave
been made more attractive and I.vre
imposing than they were three years
ago, by the expenditure Of little
money for concrete, and the grass and
flowers at the Union station are
growing well now, so the entrances to
our town are all that could be de-
sired.
Last August saw the completion of
the new government building on the
corner Of Lemon and Fifth streets,
Two stories in height, it is construct
ed Of dark red .klinker brick relieved
with gray marble, and the grounds,
under the auspices Of the WOman'S
Club, will soon harmonic with these
colors.
Our school buildings are no longer
to be described as ugly, implanted,
With no fire protection and INSULT
GENTLY large and, if environment
counts at all in the development OF
/ childs mind, his ideals will no lon
ger be lowered by the appearance of
the place in which he is taught.
The grammar school building was
finished this summer. A site on the
Heights was chosen, that there might
be enough room for the extensive
gardens that the teachers of agricul-
.ure will preside over The car line
'unS out there now, and the children
are to be given half-fare school tick
Its, so the distance out of town will
Tot matter.
The High School with its well
equipped laboratories for physics.
botany, chemistry, and zoology, and
IS domestic science and manual train !
ng departments, shares with Paac-
as Business College, the square or |
part Of which our old Alma Mater
TODD.
At last we have a play ground fol
he children, with shade trees. grass
nd flowers. There are low benches
catered here and there, sanitary
fountains, see-saws, swings
nd places of shelter during the un-
Xpected showers. The larger chill
rem skate on the cement walks and
he smaller ones play in the piles of
can white sand. Here, on warn
INNER evenings, before the sand
IAN comes, the little ones gather t.
ear stories that are told by different
embers of the "Story Teilers' Lea
le-Blble stories, classic stories OF
rely imaginative tales.
River street is now the "Boulc-
nd The few boat houses and
nall landing places have disappearef
e manufacturing plants have beer
owed a little farther up the river
I'd a low sea wall has been built
ong the waters edge.
Inc ravine, with its lovely trees
IS always been a perfect natural
rk, but since specimens of all Of
e kinds Of Floridas native birds
id animals have been placed out
ere, tourists never pass it by, TO,
ey long to see something that i.
eally Florida"
A clay road, lined with beautiful
mes, encircles the Heights. The
mand for more houses had to be
ct IN some way, so the town de. 1
led to spread out, instead of trvino l
crowd more buildings into the for }
er residential sections. Then the I
lights began to grow. Among the
W houses there is scarcely one with F
a sleeping porch. The fresh ain !
raze" is rather old, but it can neve,
because it is true that pure Ain
better than any medicine. There I
very few fences. Curbings ans y
ageS are used instead, or the greer y
yns extend to the sidewalks. L
me street car line has perbaps 4
'peu 10 llsh our town more II
IN any other one thing. In the fan
1919, an electric company was !.
lnted a franchise and began work "
mediiately. Tracks were laiG n,
'oughout the length of Lemon p. ~
eet' surrounding the Heights. to :,
ravlne and to the mills and fac ,,
les up the river. The first car ~
de Its trial trip in June, 1914. II
success from the very first, foI.
people, especially those who were tn
fortunate enough to own automo- m
IS, We're delighted at chance n in
svate the disagrceableness If the OF
It during the long summer months SO
ms spring the company extended or
line to include some of the ont N
lg towns, especially Silver Lake di
ere a large Country Club has N m
n built. BY the way, we get some "
our water from Silver Lake now II
towns supply was Inadequate So
eS5 were laid to the lake and BARI
the people were furnished With
t water. ''''i
liter the real polishing" was fin tn
sd. the ever present problem Of CO
ming a city and keeping it clean
discussed and settled, in what A.
ms to be a very satisfactory man. vi
GU may remember that we had . sa
anlng week. in 1912, but very liz in.
was accomplished on account Of
rack OF cooperation among tbe a
nIe--each man waited for another If
33egm. In 1914, the Board Of n
de and the Woman's Club apreed ~, r
n May the first, as clean nm" daT u
the latter part of April, a mem,
OF the Board of Trade snnlo 70 af