The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-05-11
STORY OF AUTO TRIP
FLORIDA TO MICHIGAN
BEAUTIFUL SCENERY MUCH OF
THE WAY
Dayton Hurd Tells of Interesting Siehts
and Experiences In
Southland


rived in Clio last week, making the
homeward trip in the same machine
he used in going. Mr.. Hurd says that
he put in an altogether delightful
winter, ds the weather was almost
ideal. He and Manley Brewer occu-
pied house boat during the winter
and had splendid time. Mr.. Hurd
says the fishing was fine and fish
supper or dinner or breakfast could
always be procured by making a little
effort and the fish were the finest he
has ever eaten. Manley was, as all
his friends know, quite badly crippled
from rheumatism when he left Clio,
but Mr.. Hurd says that frequent
baths in the salt water, followed by
baths in the warm salt that lines the
ocean shore has completely restored
| Manley to health and that he can now
walk as well as he ever could and is
completely cured of his old infirmity.
This statement will give much pleas
ure to Manley's many friends and
must be true, as he has enlisted as a
ships carpenter in the naval reserves.
In this service he is now engaged, but
will not serve continuously unless the
war situation becomes more acute.
Mr.. Hurd left Miami, Fla, on Apr.
8, and says that as he drove north
ward through the northern part of
the state he saw many acres Of splen-
didly growing potatoes and vegetables
and that the seqson is considered fav-
orable in Florida, although a freeze
destroyed the oranges so that thou
sands of boxes Of them lie rotting
under the trees and many Of the ear
lier vegetables were spoiled. The
freeze came early enough in the sea-
son, however, so that replanting was
! possible, and the vegetables are COM
ing on. nicely again.
On the 18TH, Nh. Hurd arrived at
Atlanta, Ga, Nwhere he says he saw
the finest court house ever, the cost
of which was one aud one-half mil
lion dollars In all OF the southern
cities the streets are very narSpw.
! Thus far the roads were very goon.
On the 18th of April Mr.. Hurd ar
rived in Chattanooga. whence he
drove to Pulaski, Va, the drive being
one of the most pleasant imaginable,
over mountains and through green
valleys and past vast orchards of
fruit trees all in bloom; "some of the
prettiest sights man ever witnessed"
to sum the matter up in his own Ian
guage. In Virginia he saw many
large and fine herds of cattle, ell gray
Durhams, and many focks of splen-
did sheep. Leaving Pulaski, he drove
to historic Roanoke, seeing many fine
herds of beef cattle en- route, and
passing one fruit farm of 5000 acres,
all solid fruit trees and the property
of one man. The soil of Virginia, Mr..
Hurd says, appeared TO be mainly a
clay as red in color as brick and when
wet as sticky as glue and yet, when
well handled, capable of producing
good crops. He also visited Rich
mond, the seat of the Confederate
government, saw the old capital of
/ the Confederecy and the beautiful
monument that marks the grave of
Jefferson Davis.
Pesuming his Journey northward,
he touched at Cumberland and Har-
risburg. travelling through mountain
Gus country al OF the way, observing
that hs went up one nil three miles
long. and when we went down the
other side it was just as far" In this
section the farmers were planting
corn This lap Of the journey took
the traveller to Fitt-5ugg through q
country where there were hundreds
of coal mines and oil wells, tne coal
cropping from tEe hillsides in many
! places IN such duani0es that g could
be had for Jhe 5igsiug
From iittsburg to lhe Chic city Of
East Lii etpool Mr HJrd had one Of
the finest drives cf the enJire trip,
crossing the Ohio river on bridge
200 feet above the w4tel Leaving
East Liverpool he drove 30 Cincin-
matt, where he encountered the wintry
weather that has been troubling us
northsfners and found ii raining hard.
From Cincinnati he drove to Cieve-
land, from Cleveland to Dundee,
{ Mich, in one day, tAen to Detroit and
thence home. Mir. Hard SAID that
/ notwithstanding the cold weather it
surely looked good TO him not to see
the hills and mountains, but instead
the level and fertie fields of old
Michigan.
Mr. Hurd says thet methods OF ag-
riculture in many places in the south
are very primitive. a great deal of
the blowing Is done with one horse
and in one place ne watched the ooer-
alton of a wooden plow. the motye
3ower of which was single mule,
and which scratched up the ground
to the depth Of about an inch, merely
tickling the bosom Of mother earth,
so to speak.