The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1913-11-28
R0ADWORK DAY IN
PUTNAM COUNTY
Was not Generally Observed,
Though Much Good Work
was Done.

Gov. Trammell's proclamation for a
State Roadwork Day on the 21st inst
was more noticeable in the breach
than in the observance here in Put
nam county, though instances of its
loyal observance by communities are
numerous. Here in Palatka Mr..
Newman, captain Of the host, led an
army Of three negroes over to the
East Palatka section to assist in the
work of laying out the new road to
Hastings. These negroes were sub
stitutes for such patriots as w. A.
Walton, and perhaps another. A gen.
erous hearted autoi9t took this army
across the bridge. At East Palatka
it was different; here the people took
an active interest in the work and a
large number of people went at it. A
considerable work was accomplished.
lnterlachen and Keuka don't need
governors proclamation to work
them into a state of enthusiasm over
good roads. They have Wylie, who
talks good roads during his waking
hours and dreams them in his sleep.
lnterlachen has good roads and good
walks made of gravel that lies buried
in its slopes. Keuka, two miles to
the west is similarly fixed. These
are towns of pretty homes and live
np-to-now people, and they realize to
the fullest the value of good roads to
them. Hence, with this realization,
they enthuse and work.
Como tiY,,o ono +bo tnu,,, nf T,,top
lachen borrowed $500 for road work
in the town. 1t wasn't quite enough.
The last half-mle to the western lin
it Of the town was without hard
road, and it was the one break in the
chain of hard-surfaced roads between
Palatka and Hawthorne in Alachua
county. When road work day was
proclaimed the people of Keuka pro-
posed that if Interlachen would vol
unteer to hard surface this missing
link they would have Keuka sup
port The proposition was accepted.
When the day came the people of
both places were there either in per-
son or by proxy and with shovels,
hoes and teams to haul the gravel.
The ladies in pretty grove by a
limpid lake that limped all day met
from the two places with baskets of
provisions-regular picnic provisions
and when the hour of noon came
scores of hungry men were restored
to normal working condition by
fried chicken ham, beans, potatoes,
cakes and pies. After dinner the
men resumed work and the ladies
gathered up the fragments-or start
od-but as there was little to gather
they soon returned home with their
empty baskets. 1t was a happy
neighborhood gathering, in which
town rivalry was lost for the time be.
ing in efforts for the common good.
The full half mile was not COM
oleted, but much of the worst of this
piece of road was made into a SUBJ
Stantial hard surfaced thoroughfare
that ranks with the best N the coun-
". The zeal of the people didn't die
With the going down of the sun. They
will meet again at an early day anc
complete the job
The editor of The Palatka News
viewed this work and he has pro.
nounced it good. He also saw some
Of the observation-disclosures spirit OF
hard roads and wishes it might pen.
citrate into every nook and corner Of
the county. He saw one old gentle
man, 70 years young, who had laboret
all day with a shovel and hoe and who
was enjoying himself. We saw capi
talists and turpentine operators ant
the mayor judge of Interlachen ant
the merchant prince (or PRICE, O.
Keuka working with the men of colo
and muscle for the benefit of theil
community, and it looked good. Th'
women were giving their moral sup
port to the men and feeding then
with pie and words of encourage
ment, and they looked good-wer'
good. We are stuck on the Inter
lachen-Keuka spirit.
West of this work and near Nc
MeeEin the people were also out il
torce making a piece of bad roa'
good. And they accomplished ii
Nearly all the people turned out an
worked like patriots. The News re
grets it has but reager report o
TINS work, DuL IL mas HedIu ellouS
to satisfy it that the people were i
it heartily.
At Crescent City much was don
in the outlying sections of the tow
where the roads were pine-strawe
to assist the farmers in hauling thel
fruit.
Here and there over the count
men got together and performed roa
work, but there was not such a fu
observance of the day as its impor
ance demanded Perhaps this is du
to the fact that this is a busy tim
> especially with fruit growers, ar
that but little tine was allowed ft
organization and the working up
sentiment.