The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-07
Stream of Autos
Pouring Ito Fla.
Says Mich. Editor
New Wintering
In This County

Writing to his paper, the jackson
(.dtch.) Patriot from Crooked Lake
in this county, Editor f. W. Barber
says:
In writing of the number of pas
senger trains leaving northern cities
daily. crowded to capacity with
tourists and settlers bound to Flor
ida, at least fifteen in number. and
the steamers that leave Boston, New
York, Philadelphia and Baltimore
regularly, the persons who come In
were overlooked. These
add largely to the list of Florida
eomers.
AN estimate has been made that
one hundred tourist automobiles
Gay would speed along the Dixie
Highway when open for travel, but
already, as demonstrated by present
experience, this is found to be en-
tirely toe low an estimate. Reports
OF the machines that came over sec
tions of the highway in December,
made to the Dixie Highway associa-
tlol. show that even before the road
is completed the number of tourists
exceed the original estimate.
John e. Gilbert of Jacksonville
chairman of the Duval county high
way council, has reported to the
Dixie association, of which he is a
member, that the number of tourist
cars entering Jacksonville during
December exceeded enc hundred a
day, and this does not take into ac.
count those bound for the west coast
and for places in central Florida
which entered the state by way OF
Tallahassee, Monticello, Live Oak
anG Lake City.
From every leading highway thai
enters Florida from the north the re
ports are uniform that the number
OF cars in each locality is many
times greater than have passed ovel
the different routes in any previous
year. If the more than one hun
dred autos that whirled into Jack.
sunville daily in December brought
IN average of five persons each, the
rumber of tourists was over 500 fol
each OF the thirty-one days, or over
IL. 600 during the month
And these auto tourists are pour
ing into Florida, mainly because OF
tire luxury of its winter climates
| far during the three weeks we have
been here the wather has been like
the pleasantest June days in Michi-
gan--over the incomplete Dixie
Highway and other routes from the
North. AS yet the Dixie Highway
is not announced as being open for
travel. Candid statements have been
sent out by the highway association
in letters, in leading newspapers
and in automobile publications, to
this effect, so that tourists should
not be deceived by expecting I'm
ished highway.
Georgia, through which practical
lv all the automobile tourists pass on
their way to Florida. is doing good
work in the matter OF improving Its
main-traveled raods. The State. we
are told. has no prisons for male
convicts. but utilities them in max.
/, ing better roads. In this way crime
/ is made to serve society. whose laws
It has violated. and more labor is
devote to the Improvement OF high
Ways than in but few ether States
In Florida State convicts are used
/ for road work. and many counties
have voted bonds In large amounts
to improve their highways. Last
year Polk county. wherein we are
spending the winter. voted $1,000.
+ 600 in bonds. which sold above par
for making a clay foundation and a
hard asphalt surface en- pit miles oil
its roads. including that portion o'
the Dixie Highway which passes
through its territory, north and
sorth. on the way t. Miami. the so
called magic city" on the eas'
coast
One section OF this hard-snrfacet
road. commencing at Haines City. ,
station on the railroad OF the Allan
tic Coast Line company. will pas,
a,ong the entire length OF th'i
scenic hiehland portion OF Poll
county. and for more than two mile
will skirt the north shore OF beauti
FIJI Crooked lake. and for severa