The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-04-14
ADVANTAGES OF
OCEAN TO GULF
HIGHWAY TOLD
Meeting At Mum Park Addressed
By Prominent Visitors En-
thusiastic For Project

tHuSLdStLS AOI IOJcCt
In spite OF the rather chilly night
air, a good sized and thoroughly rep
reSentative crowd of Lakelanders
gathered at Mum Park last night to
attend the mass meeting called to dis.
cuss the proposed midway Ocean to
Gulf highway, under the auspices OF
the association bearing that name
Fifty-three business and professiCH-
al men. accompanied by about thirty
ladies', from KisSimmee. st. Cloud ana
Melbourne, constituted the m0t0rcade
which arrived shortly after six o'clocE
Among the visitors We're j. Edward
krause. president. and Sam Brammer
secretary, of the association: j. d.
Woodheck, secretary OF the KiSSin-
NEE Chamber OF Commerce, bringing
with him the KisSimmee band of
which he is leader; Hdlrnr j l.
ThoIndyke, of the kissimmee ia
zette: Claud Johnson. OF til" st cloud
Tribune and 81 rley IIcII, of The
Melbourne Times.
After a number of inspiring pieces
by the band the meeting was called TO
order by Secretary a. J. Holworthy,
OF the Lakeland Chamber of Com
merce, who delivered a brief address,
outlining the purpose of the gather
ing and introducing j. Edward Erausa.
Other speakers were Sam Grammar.
w. !. ThCrndyke. STANLEY l.ickty and
Clau1 Johnson
From he curious speecho; ?nl the
facts presented by the sp. akprs. the
purpose of the movement was devel-
/ oped in detail. the following facts
being brought out:
The purpose OF the midway ocean
to gulf road is to connect the Atla,l-
tic with the Gulf of Mexico by hard
surfaced road 135 miles in length.
This constitutes Il saving Of 126 miles
as compared with the present short
est hard road route OF the proposed
highway, ITO miles is already com
pleted and i'll perfect condition. Five
miles more is shell rood. which.
with a little repair would answer nd.
mirably The amount to be paved is
therefore only twenty miles, and this
road, constituting three gaps between
st. Cloud and Melbourne, is already
graded
The road could be completed in 100
days, and the amount of state appro.
priation asked for by the Midway
Ocean to Gulf Association is only
100000 1t is also suggested that of
this sum only about $4,000 would go
ont of the state for material or even
less not over is per cent if asphalt
is used, and the rest would be OK
pended among Florida people for la
dor.
All expensive bridge building is
avoided by the proposed route. it
deviates from the straight line, as the
crow would fly, only ~ miles in the
entire distance. and it would permit
travel over typical first class Flor
IDA highway from the gulf to the
ocean in less than Il day by auto.
mobile. 1t hits the east coast lust
where the mile and half bridge
across Indian river, now within nine.
Ity days of completion, leads direct TO
the ocean.
1t is the purpose of the association
10 hold similar meetings at Tamna
ana Rant City next week. Various
poihtS on the east coast and alcng
the route. as Melbourne, st. Cloud.
klsslmmee, and other cities, have
given formal endorsement to the prop.
.osltlon. Ii is desired to secure ey.
pressions from all important places
whlch would be in any way affected
by the completion of the road and
present the whole matter to the loo.
lSlature and ask for the necessary an.
preparation. ~
Although no formal action was TAX
en- by the mass meeting last night. an
informal expression of sentiment was
given, showing those present unani.
nous for the road.
Inc gentlemen composing the Ocean
TO Gulf Association are business men
interested in the development and
progress of Florida, who are giving
their time to this movement. paving
tneir own expenses, and without any
tnought OF personal benefit excent
what would result from the general
Improvement of the peninsula. Mr.
hrause, Though an Indiana man. own
ing TWO large hotels at IndianaDolis
spends six months of each year in this
state and has built delightful lodge
known as Runnymead, where he en-
Joys life while watching Florida grow
Ihey are intensely in earnest. and
Judging from expressions on the
street, their mission will be fruitful
so far as concerns the enlistment of
the nearly cooperation of lakeland
CONFERRED ORnED nm nC1rn,.