The Ocala evening star., 1914-09-04
THAT sAND-OIL ROAD

AC AOAAoNAhE rum lnC tELuSLlS
Lake Region tells of the inspection
OF the famous sand-oil road of that
town by the big crowd Of good roads
enthusiasts who visited Eustis We'd
nesday:
1t would be work of supereroga-
ti0n should the Lake Region attempt
TO detail the history of the novel
pilgrimage that had our city for its
shrine yesterday Suffice to say, the
Eustis sand-oil road has attained al
most nationwide notoriety, to the
end that the national government,
as well as the governing bodies OF
scores OF cities and counties in Flor
ida are, with few exceptions, making
no preparations for constructing
fard-sarfaced roads without giving
heed to the remarkable demonstra-
ton to be seen in Eustis OF the econ
omy and efficiency of the wonderful
sand-oil road
1T is here! Come and see it,"
That is all Eustis has to say, ex-
noiseless, hard, smooth, rapidly con-
structed of FLORIDA sand, Florida soil,
Florida labor, and asphaltic OIL It's
construction gives perfect satisfac-
1ion, it is economical in cost and up
keep, it is made almost wholly of our
own products, and thus keeps our
money in circulation here at home
and not in distant cities as is the
case where vitrifed brick or con-
crete, etc, are imported at tremend-
Gus expense for material and for
freight.
But to the visitors: Headed by
that inimitable genius, orator, editor
and clown, Rube Allyn, editor of the
Sarasota Sun, about thirty automo-
biles landed in Eustis yesterday fore
noon, emptying their human freight
at the spacious Grand View hotel,
where dinner was served by the Eus-
MS hoard of trade. A brief tour of
the city was followed lby the princi-
pal business of the pilgrimage "a
visit of critical investigation of our
strip of sand-oil roadway, in front OF
the New Oklawaha hotel, on Center
street
E1bHher the caravan of autos head
ed by many of our citizens wended
IFS way.
The long stretch of roadway haG
been washed clean in several places
that its wearing surface might bt
minutely inspected. The visitors
embracing many road experts and en-
gineers, as we'll as county commits
sioners from half dozen counties
men who have to deal daily with th'
vexing and seemingly unsolVabL
stretch of sand-oi1 road and satisfies
themselves seemingly as to it's pres
ent condition. after period of near
Iy two years continuous traff1c-traf
fc that is extraordinary in volume
because every vehicle is driven owe
dT1is smooth roadway even thoug
1t must go a mile out of its way It
enjoy the privilege. 1t is a matte
of common knowledge here that au
9onobfIes and wagons of all kind
traverse this delightful roadway tie
times as much as they ordinarily d
any other public thoroughfare.
Not only this, but during the heav
tourist season this road is subjecte
TO the traffic a score of times dali!
OF the immense autobus of the Ne
Dklawaha hotel-a vehicle that whe
loaded to its capacity of twenty pas
sengers probably weighs 1000
poundsi Even under this tremendou
tonnage the sand-oil road shows nt
the slightest indentation of wear, n
cracks, nor chipping off on th
feather-edge margins, no depression
holes nor deterioration of any kin,
The hoofs of horses find a yieldin
cushion that absorbs the concussio
from their heavy footballs, savin
the beasts from being "stove-up'' {
upon brick or concrete or macadar
roads.
The cost of the construction
such road, as stated by sever
gentlemen who gave reliable figure
is between 80 and so cents per squa.
yard, compared with $1.25 to ST.
for brick.