The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1918-04-11
The Tamiami Trail

Jungle; CnlcK, maILeu mp
fathoms deep in mud and muck,
overgrown with a tangled vegeta-
ton of twisted, luxuriant, tropl-
cal plants, vines, trees, and MOSES.
With this as a background-miles
and miles of this, with the only
variation that of thicker mud,
denser vegetation-fill in the de-
tails of the picture. Through 50
miles of this country are only Sem
mole Indians, who can live where
other human beings would die
rather than to make the struggle
necessary for existence.
"And now turn the mental leaf
in another picture; companion to
this one. See the fertile fields,
the grasslands, the canals, lined
with palms and tropical ferns. Be-
tween two of these canals note the
roadway; a smooth surfaced, wide
thoroughfare over which countless
automobiles and trucks are being
driven daily.
"You would say that there is no
connection between the two; and
yet this very transformation is
taking place in Southern Florida.
Men who can look beyond the
days work, who refuse to be dis
couraged by the thousands of
handicaps encountered hourly, are
building just such a highway as
that one seen in the second imagi-
nary picture, from Marco to Mi
ami, through the Great Ever
glades.
The Tamiami Trail will extend
from Tampa to Miami. Manatee
county has practically finished her
section of this great cross-state
highway This means that from
Tampa to Punta Gorda one can
travel with comparative ease. just
north of Punta Gorda the great
Charlotte Harbor needed to be
bridged. The bridge should be
completed early in the summer of
1918, despite the fact that the u
|nited States government has COM
Wandered a great deal of the
crushed rock and other material
which was intended for this work.
"The road from Punta Gorda in
DeSoto county to Fort Myers in
Lee county, is in fair condition. 1t
is a well graded and wide thor
Ioughfare, surfaced or in process of
being surfaced. A recent scheme
to shorten this route by about Is
miles, making the road very direct
between the two cities, is being
fostered. This will necessitate
using ferry across the Caloosa-
hatchee river at Fort Myers. Lee
county has also surfaced most of
the road from Fort Myers to Mar
co, which completes the southwark
section of the Tamiami Trail.
AT Marco, where the eastward
course begins, the work assumes
a different aspect. Dredges are at
work and marked improvement is
noted; but the building of this
roadway through the Everglades
is a mammoth undertaking. Be-
sides the countless benefits which
will grow out of this cross-state
road, connecting Miami with the
West Coast, the work of reclaim
ing the Everglades is receiving its
greatest impetus from the build
ing of this highway. The last "a
miles of this Trail, that leading in
to Miami, will be absolutely
straight-not a curve nor an angle
IN the due east course.
Those who eventually drive o.
Yer this highway will no doubt be
charmed by the novel experience
Of driving through what has once
cen impossible jungle and forest
but no one who enjoys a finished
product can fully appreciate the
energy which has made the
product what it is. Those who
drive over this highway will moi
be able to adequately conceive the
effort expended, the discourage
ments met and overcome, the in
Vulnerable hardships daily en-
countered, and the will power an1
determination necessary to carr,
so great an undertaking through
to completion. AS you make thi,