The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1915-03-04
VOLUME XXIII-NUMBER 9
THE NEW ROADS
OF SOUTH DeS0T0
WILL EQUAL BEST
Engineers Now at Work on the
Project
ATTENDING TO ALL DETAILS
Drainage to be Looked After as
It is Important Matter-Capa-
BILE Men on the Job.

Not any other section Of the
State will have better roads than
this southern portion of DeSoto
county when the project for the
construction of a system of i'm
proved highways, as is now con-
templated and provided for by the
issue Of 100000 of bonds, is car
ried out.
The purchasers of the bonds
have called for the last install,
ment, and it is expected that with,
in a few days all the moneys rea-
lned on the bondb will be in hand
The sum is considered ample fo1
the purpose. Engineers are now
hard at work getting all the de-
tails worked out, preparing the
profles and specifications, so that
bids for the work may be intelli-
gently submitted by the contrac-
tors.
One thing that is being
given particular attention
by the engineers is the
matter of drainage. This is
a matter that ordinarily is lost
sight of in road construction in
Florida. Even some of the gov
ernment road experts attach but
little Importance to it, when OF
reality it is of vital Importance.
This one thing alone that will
enter into the construction OF
roads in the Punta Gorda special
road and bridge district-the pro-
vision for complete and perfect
drainage will be worth thous-
andS Of dollars to this locality, as
it will prolong the life of the roads
and reduce the cost of mainten-
ance to a minimum.
County Commissioner W. NJ.
Whitten, who himself is an expert
civil engineer, having devoted the
best years of his life to the work,
and having been employed on
some big drainage and road pro-
jects back in Indiana, where he
lived before coming to Punta Cor
da, is giving his personal atten-
tion to much of the engineering
work now being done in this dis
trict. The service he is render
ing in this way is Invaluable, for
his past experience is such that no
detail affecting the usefulness,
life and cost of maintenance of
the roads will be lost sight of.
He is seeking to subserve the
ends of economy in every possible
way, and has already worked out
plans whereby hundreds Of dol
lars will be saved; and it is GER
tainly fortunate for the people of
the district that they have in Mr..
Whitten a Commissioner who is
willing to render the services he
is rendering.
In the work he is doing, Mr..
Whitten has the cooperation of
capable and patriotic men as
bond trustees. These men are A.
B. Tucker, H. r. Dreggors and G.
NJ. Carrier, who are taking a live
ly interest in the matter and lend
ing their efforts to see that the
people of all parts Of the district
get the greatest possible returns
from the expenditure of the bond
moneys. In the engineering
work, Mr.. Whitten has enlisted
the services Of c. l.. Bannister and
j. d. Carmichael.
1t viii take considerable time
for all the preliminary work that
is being undertaken to be COM
pleted, but it seems wise not to
rush matters unnecessarily. Bids
will be called for as soon as pos
sible, and when the contracts are
let then the work will become WIS.,
ible and go forward more rapidly.
By the end of the year new roads
in this vicinity-in the Punta Cor
da special road and bridge district
will begin to show up to advan-
tage and will prove an attraction
TO both visitors and settlers.
While no brick or concrete
roads are provided for, the thor
oughness with which the details
of construction are to be worked
out and the work carried through
insures to this section a system of
roads that will compare with any
in the state and in many respects
prove superior.
o-DoafC m HARM G hin