The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1922-07-06
i'm WEST COAST
ROUTE POLK HAS
CLOSE INTEREST
Polk County Motor Club Prepared
To Do Fine Bit Of Work for
This Section
BY Polk County Motor Club


iprove that the motorists invariably &c
down the East Coast when compelled
ito enter Florida by the East Coast
route. The approximate check made
by the A. A. A. in 1921 show 1S,600
automobiles entered the state by way
of the eastern route. This 18,600 in
cludes only automobiles of the better
class, as the cars counted were Ford
sedans and higher priced cars. Out
of this 1860 cars that came by the
eastern route only 1000 came to the
west coast. Only II per cent of these
motorists ever saw this section of the
state. Another conclusive proof of
the fact that we do not get our share
of the better motors is the. absence
of the real high-priced automobiles.
The famous high powered and high
priced Sunbeams, Rolls Royce and
many of the real expensive motor cars
are numerous and common sights in
Miami, Palm Beach .Daytona and st.
Augustine. They would be a curios-
ity in this section.
The reason that these automobilists
and tourists of the better class always
go to Miami and the famous resorts
of the East Coast is that the only
route into Florida that was in any
way possible was the one that leads
down in that direction. When u party
of tourists arrived in Jacksonville
and headed south they were compell-
ed to go to st. Augustine and Day
tona. These cities offer many attrac-
lions to the traveller. Hotels, fine
bathing beaches, theatres, real places
of amusement, and numerous other
means of enjoyment. In these places
the tourist gets good impression of
the East Coast, and naturally having
seen the advertisements and litera-
ture on Miami, and Palm Beach, has
a strong desire to see the world
famous Fairgrounds. 1t is easy to
decide to continue on down the East
Coast to these places and let the trip
to the West Coast go until they come
back up later, which is generally too
late, and the trip to Lakeland, Tam
pa and St. Petersburg is forgotten.
Miami, Daytona and Palm Beach
were small places not so very long
ago, but the people over there had
the foresight to look ahead and know
that if they went after the tourists
they would get them. They certainly
have succeeded. Big men, men OF
wealth and position, became interest
ed In their part 70 the state and saw
where millions of dollars could be
made. Carl Fisher, the owner and
originator of Miami Beach, trans
formed a thickly overgrown tropical
island into one of the most famous
beaches in the world.
Polk county contains just as many
opportunities. Orange groves by the
thousands of acres, orange land that
has never been touched, is abundant.
Hundreds of beautiful lakes, and the
best system Of hard surfaced roads
in the South. If we can get the
people to come to Polk county to see
these opportunities, is there any
doubt that they will take advantage
of them? Then the question comes,
how to get them first, before they get
to the East Coast. The only answer
is a route into the western part OF
the state that runs direcly to Polk
county.
That is now the biggest work and
problem that the Polk County Motor
Club is working on. AS explained
IN these columns before, we now have
clubs il the counties north of this
county. Clubs that are affiliated
with the A. A. A. and are working
in harmony with our club. The new
proposed route is to be called the
Fl. Myers-Chicago route This new
road comes into Florida by way OF
Jasper and Live Oak and continues
south through Gainesville, Ocala
Leesburg, and into Polk county. The
clubs north of us, Gainesville, ocala
and Live Oak, are earnestly at work
on their county roads. They are be-
ing scraped and rolled, permanent
lcrews are assigned to steadily keeI
them up to the standard.
The Northern clubs of the A. A. A
are authorized for the first time to
route members to Florida. Prior to
this year, before clubs were estab-
lished and work on the roads begun
the members that applied were told OF
the condition of the roads to Florida
land advised to ship their cars. The
! Zones that did come had 30 come by
Jacksonville. Now that the clubs OF
THE North are routing their members
Ito us we must establish service sta
Itions and legal services along the
route to give them the service their
membership in the Northern clubs
call for.
I. Polk county will be a clearing
house for this part of the State
When a member coming down from
the North gets in Lake City he stops
land asks for information. He is
then routed on< down to Lakeland
twhere he will come into our club and
lget information regarding our county
, and the surrounding towns. This
, winter we will have to route, advise
land take care of thousands OF mo.
florists. This club must be prepared
Ito do this Polk county will give Q
/ .hgood impression to the motorist when
llhe first comes into the<county IL We
t, thave good club and are equipped te
! take care Of him. Here we can tel
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