The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-10-15
1T NEEDS IMPROVEMENT

ders of Dunnellon took a Star re-
porter over the road to Blitchton
and return Tuesday afternoon. The
Star better idea of the undertaking
1T has been advocating so ardently
for the last three months
AS is we'll known, the Blitchton
road is not only the main highway
thru the northwestern quarter OF
the county, running thru several i'm
portant settlements and connecting .
with shorter roads that go TO others. |
but it is the direct route to Norris !
ton, Williston and other Levy coun- !
" towns that should have the most
Intimate commercial acquaintance
with Ocala.
It was the second time the writer
had been over the road, and the
first time in an auto, and he fully
realized what great need there was
for Improvement and the justice
there is in the complaints Of the peo-
pie who threaten to set up county
seat of their own if they cant OBJ
tain better communication with the
one they now have.
The road was at its best Tuesday
afternoon. The rain Of Saturday
had packed the sand and the dry
weather SINCE had dried the mud.
And vet the road was rough one
hard on auto or buggy. and heavy
enough to distress a team pulling a
loaded wagon. 1t has been imprOV-
ed little if any in ten years.
The half mile or more Of this
road from Exposition street to the
A c. l.. crossing is the very hrst
piece of road that was improved in
Marion county. 1t was built of clay
about fifteen years ago and has been
faced with lime since then. 1t is
fairly good road. what there IS OF 1t.
Out OF the city limits. there are
few short stretches of graded road,
but they soon ended. and the auto
plOwed its way thru the sand except
in the places where the soil and the
Law of the land enabled the road TO
naturally keep a tolerably good bed
The best thing about roads in Flor
ida is that in few places are there
anv difficulties that require elaborate
engineering to overcome. Another
is that the sand furnishes good
foundation for a hardened surface.
II will not wash out under she'll or
lime or brick anywhere near as bad
" as CLAW does. "Clabber Hill was
on its good behavior. and no one
would suppose as the auto easily
climbed it that a moderate rain
would change its hard surface into
sticky mess that nothing but mule
or OK team could pull thru. The long
hill beyond the old McDavid store
looks like a bad place in wet wealth
err
The worst place on the road is
the bridge at Berlin. The bridge is
too narrow and doesn't look very
substantial and the approaches to it
from both sides are thru deep sand
There is much pretty country along
the route. but the man at the helm
of car couldn't afford to take his
ewes off the road ahead. and his
passengers were too busy holding
on to admire the scenery.
Blitchton was reached in fifty
minutes after leaving Ocala. This
was good time for the road, but DIT
Hood is an extra good driver. On
the road. the party passed Mr.. Jack
McCully, who had been in town pre-
pairing for the woodworking, and
County Commissioner Watkins, who
Is taking particular interest in the
road. At the Berlin bridge Mr.. John
Proctor of Pedro, with a force OF
men and a road scraper was hard al
work on that difficult piece of road
Near Blitchton another party of men
under Mr. Priest was at work on a
difficult place and a quarter OF
mile from his home was found DR.
Bitch, who had been at work on the
road all day.
The doctor, Mrs. Bitch and Miss
Legie gave the visitors a warm vel
come. and an invitation to STOP
awhile and rest at their pretty home
out the sun was almost touching
xhe horizon and it was necessary &c
return. The road beyond Blltchtor
70 Morriston was too rough, DR.
Bitch said. for a car. so after few
minutes of conversation the ''eXplor'
ters'' headed for home. Fifty min
zltes from BHtchton to the public