The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-10-21
COUNTY ACCEPTS
THREE FINE NEW
STEEL BRIDGES
TWO ON LAKELAND AUBURN.
DALE ROAD AND ONE ON
ROAD TO KATHLEEN
Fine Road Construction Being Done
by Convicts on Lekeland.Au.
burndale Road

! Yesterday tire county commission.
ers inspected and accepted three
steel and concrete bridges just com
pieted in this sCctiol. Two of these
are located over the two forks of
Saddle Creek OIL the road to Auburn
dale, between this city and Carriers:
the ether is over what is known as
Lanier Creek, on tie Kathleen road.
The party o. inspection consisted of
Commissioners Ilo!brook, E. S.
Whldden, j. K. Bryant, and A. r.
Mann; Mr.. Tate, county commits
sioner Of Pasco county, who wished
to see these BRIDGES; Mr.. j. G..
Swindell, Editor M. f. Hcthering-
ton, and Mr.. II. G.. Smith, the lat
ter representing the buiMers.
TIE brid:c over Larier creek is
60 feet In length; over the west
prong Of Saddle creek 90 feet; and
over Saddle creek proper $50 feet.
All have a 1C-foot roadway. They
were built by the Champion Bridge
Co., of Wilmington, Ohio, under the
supervision Of Mr.. II. G. Smith,
who has been down here for the pur-
pose for reveral months.
The bridges are OF steel with sup
ports of reinforced concrete. The
floors are also Of reinforced concrete.
They are as substantial structures
as can be found anywhere. and win
stand as monuments to the commits.
sioners under whose administration
they have been built long after the
present generation shall have passed
away. Both bridges and the road
grades approaching them are safely
beyond high water mark. The Sad
die creek bridges especially span
what heretofore for LARGE portion
OF every year has been impossible
barriers to people desiring to travel
the road between this city and Au-
burndale.
After careful examination Of
the work by the county commission
ers and the citizens who accom-
panied them, the BRIDES were ac-
cepteh, everybody being satisfied
that the county has secured in them
a great and lasting improvement,
we'll worth the cost, which totals up,
for the three bridges complete. $S,.
2920S.
In the neighborhood Of the Sad
die creek bridges Commissioner IIol-
brook has force OF about forty con.
victs at work grading the road to
Auburndale. The greater portion Of
this grading work between Lakeland
and Carriers has been completed, md
the road is ready for the hard sur
facing. It is a splendid piece Of
road work. Mr.. Holbrook having
Strengthened out the route to con-
form to section lines as far % pos
sible. and there are stretches OF
miles straight as the crow flies md
graded to the nicely Of a city park
way. This road will be a great
commercial feeder to Lakeland, CIV
Ing means Of access to this city to q
large number of people who have
heretofore had to travel sand
streaks and trails through the
swamps. Looking on this splendid
beginning, one cannot but deenly re-
gret that Mr.. Holbrook cannot car.
ry to completion the work he out.
lined ard to which nc has given
such conscientious and unselflsh la
Dor.
The ccnvicts are worked under
the supervision Of Mr.. c. G. Fletch-
ct, anu IL IUc Guilty htAc eVoi eii'''
over, It would be impossible to find
a man better fitted for the position
he occupies. The trcn'nent OF con-
victs is a matter f. which the writer
has always taken a deep interest.
and he took this occasion to sDeak
DriyateIy to sor,e nf tie men work.
ing on the road. They declared en-
phatically they Rad no complaint to
make; that their treatment was as
good as they had right to expect,
or better. In fact, they did rot
seem to realize that they were con-
victs, and went about their work
with a cheerfulress that spoke more
than words Of the good
and kindly treatment