The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-11-21
ROAD CONDITIONS
CLEARLY EXPLAINED
BY Commissioner Whitten of the
Punta Gorda District
ANSWERING EsTERo EAGLE
Neither the Commissioner Nor
Our People Responsible for
Conditions Complained of.-Ev-
cry Thing Possible Being Done

Editor Herald The American
Eagle devotes nearly the entire
editorial page of last weeks issue
to Punta Gorda and its roads
Permit me to say,
First; The editor, who has re.
Gently driven over our roads
calls attention to projecting nail
heads in wooden bridges. had
given this matter some attention
but will admit that | had not full
ly appreciated its Importance and
will give it more attention in the
future.
Second; The storm that caused
that washout in the Fort Myers
road twelve miles from Punta
Gorda was one of the worst
storms that has visited that Sec
tion since this road was opened
three years ago. 1t convinced me
that we would have to put in two
or three more bridges on that
road to provide passage for flood
water and probably raise the
grade, unless we can get a better
outlet for bitches. | shall put in
a bridge at that washout as soon
as | can procure lumber; expect
to begin next week.
Third; After his recent trip of
inspection over our roads, the Ed
itor reports "about two miles of
very heavy sand in the Punta
Gorda District etc. !" ] shall have
to plead GUILTY to this charge
also. But, in extenuation Of the
crime, will call attention to the
fact that this state is noted for
sandy roads, and that, had this in
spection been made at the time
this road was first opened, about
three years ago, he would have
found at least SIXTEEN miles of
such sand instead of only two
miles, and | will state that my
convicts are moving to that Sec
tion today and hope to improve
the worst of that sand with some-'
thing better than "pine needles
or palmetto fans. Does this in
dicate that the prevailing senti-
ment of Punta Gorda is PRE-
VENTING road improvements to-
ward Fort Myers?
The Eagle quotes from the Ed
itor of The Herald as follows:
" Expressing the feelings of this
writer ALONE, we will say that
we do not care continental
whether we have any kind of a
road, auto or rail, from here to
Fort Myers, for Punta Gorda has
no need for it," and the Eagle
goes on to say: "Now this is Just
what we have surmised is the pre-
sentiment of Punta Gorda.
which is preventing road improve |
nents towards Fort Myers" etc.
Now / wish to say that / am
quite certain that the Editor of
he Eagle is mistaken in the above
SURMISE, and that the quota
ion from The Herald does noe ex-
press the prevailing sentiment of
Punta Gorda, and | know posi-
lively that that sentiment is not
,oncurred in by the Commissioner
rom District No. 3, and that that
sentiment has not prevented road
toward Fort Myers.
For three years / endeavored,
o the best of my ability, to make
he best road possible, with the
means at my disposal, from Punta
1orda to Fort Myers, via Olga
ridge, and have expended about
hirty thousand dollars in open
ng, grading, bridging and parti-
lily draining and surfacing %
niles of new road, the chief OBJ I
ect of which was to reach Fort !
Ayers via the Olga bridge. I
Concluded on page 81 II