The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1919-10-09


sand S0-inch cloth steamers were
attached to every car and other ve-
hicle in the county, there being only
six refusals. A parade was held
prior to the day of election in which
there were over $50 cars in line from
every part of the county. The cleo
ton carried by a three TO one vote,
and the work was al once begun and
carried to a successful conclusion
about a year ago Since that time
two district bond elections have been
carried and further mileage Of near
ly rs miles added TO the mileage il
volved in the county wide issce, so
that now Polk county has a total
mileage Of about 800 miles Of sheet
asphalt roads ramifying every portion
Of the county. A very important
feature of this extensive road build
ing is that the interest and sinking
fund on the bonds have been taken
care of for the past three years with
out any material increase in taxes
and the slight increase would not
have been necessary but that the
commissioners decided to build right
, through incorporated towns which
,-1,o 49,, bla IN Ana- bond scrY1a INV
their own paving, the cost of which,
however, is being re funded to the
county annually by that portion OF
the road tax coming back to the in
corporated towns.
There is no county in the State
which has greater or more valuable
resources than Polk county, all Of
which are now having wonderful de-
velopment on account of this splen-
did road system. Lands which pre-
viously were held mot selling al
| $50 per acre are now being readily
sold at more than twice that figure
and a tremendous increase in the
taxable values Of the county has come
and is on the way The reason why
the taxes have not been raised is be-
cause the amount previously spent
on constructing clay roads and main
tanning them, wearing out at one end
before they were finished at the 9th.
er, now takes care of the interest
and sinking fund on the bonds. The
roads are standing up well. no ma
terial deterioration having taken
place, except in rare inekances where
improper hauling has been done and
which has now been put stop to by
legislation. Experts say that with
proper care and maintenance these
roads will last indefinitely and every
effort is being made by the taxpayers
TO get the County Commissioners TO
properly care for and maintain them.
These roads 60 through the splendid
citrus section of the county, which
shipped this past season more than q
million boxes of fruit: the famous
strawberry section; the phosphate
region which ships annually more
than 60 per cent of the worlds out
put of phosphate; fine vegetable
and trucking section, and the finest
farming lands in the State. The
main highways, such as the Dixie and
the Lee and Jackson, are fifteen feet
wide, the less travelled roads being
nine feet of asphalt with three feet
clay shoulders on either side for
passing. All bridges and culverts are
either steel or concrete, and the en-
tire system has received the highest
praise and commentator on the part
of experts in road and bridge con-
struction.
Some specifications of these roads
may be of interest to the reader.
The Dixie Highway commences one
mile to the north of Loughman, where
ii meets the 0sceola county brick
roads. This road runs south and
west through the famous citrus and
farming sections of Davenport.
Haines City, Lucerne Park, Florence
Villa, Winter Haven and Eagle Lake.
all of which have high elevation and
lakes in abundance, and south through
the rich farming districts of the low.
er lands of Barlow and Fort Meade,
on to Bowling Green, where il meets
the brink of DeSoto county a total
distance Of about 81 miles.
4 The Lee and Jackson Highway con
\ meets with the Dixie at Haines CITY
and runs west through the fine citrus
sections OF Lake Alfred, AuburndaIs
and Lakeland, all Of which have higr
elevation and abundant lakes, to tbs
Hillsborough county line, where
short stretch Of four miles, TO b
paved with asphalt block this year
: connects at Plant City with the briei