The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1922-09-21

NJ. Winton is his linotype machine.
Sid and Us set type side by side many |
days, for $50 a day, in the good old
days when we both were young, and |
didn't always collect the $3.50. Sid |
was quiet, intelligent and invariably !,
courteous, and except that there are
gray streaks in his hair and he doesn't |
stand so straight, he doesn't seem to
have changed much.
Across the street from the Times
office is the neat and we'll arranged
Office of the Sumter County Chamber
of Commerce, of which Clarence E.
Woods is the competent and energetic
artist Clarence is very much at
home in Sumter county, for he dearly
loves to tell the world about good
things.
We added Graham and Woods to
the party, which filled the Hudson
full, and went careering on down the
road toward Webster. We passed
thru this thriving town and about
four miles further lost our fine road,
crossed the bridge over the Little
Withlacoochee and dropped right into
the mud of fernando county.
1t was pity that at least hun
bred representative citizens of Her
nando county could not have been
present to have seen the sudden
change from an uptodate highway to
worse than neighborhood road. And
only five miles away, across corner
of their otherwise progressive county,
was the beginning of another upto-
date highway, which connected with
the entire South Florida good roads
system.
Mr.. Mayo wanted to drive US across
this corner to Pasco county, where
the links of this good road chain re-
commence, leading to Tampa, Lake
land and all points south and south
east. But hundred yards from the
bridge we struck sure-enough
slough of despond. With the full
force of its powerful engine and
some mighty fine steering, the big car
pulled thru to firmer ground, turned
around and pulled thru again, after
which we concluded we had better
light out for home.
To the best of our information, a
few thousand dollars will put this
fve-mile stretch of bad road in pass
ably good order, and fernando county
owes it to itself as we'll as surround
ing counties to have the work done.
We stopped few minutes in pro-
gressive Webster, a town with good
business and most fertile country
surrounding, and then sped away
northward.
Reaching Bushnell, Woods tried to
make us stay for supper, promising
each big platfull of fried chicken.
We all. especially the scribe, licked
our chops. but the shades of night
were falling fast and all the members
of the, party except the newspaper
man had families to be anxious about
them. So we babe Sid and Clarence
goodbye, and scooted northward like
an express train. 1t seemed little
time before familiar bump told us
we were back in dear old Marion
again.
A rain had been chasing US around
%1n +1o
soon after we left Bushnell it turned
into a storm and seemed to make
headquarters right on top of the auto.
This was not so bad On the Sumter
good road, which was wide and free
from holes, while the lightning kept
the way ahead lit up, but in Marion
there were many creeks and lakes to
negotiate. Nathan proved himself a
good navigator; he knew every rock
| and reef of this uncharted route; the
lamps would glimmer on a sheet of
of spray against the curtains, and we
would be on the other side. Nathan
calculated there would be no speed
cop out that night
Others were not making such good
weather of it. A little this side of Ok
ford we picked up Mr.. Sands, trav-
cling man, whose car had been COM
pletely drowned in the cloudburst. He
wanted to stay with his car until we
could send help back from Summer
field, but Mr.. Mayo hauled him aboard
and again the big Hudson surged
ahead. We reached Summerfeld in
good time and set Mr.. Clyburn down
at his own door. Us Ocala men in
tended to get aboard Mr. Griffin's cal
and go right on home. But Mrs
Mayo was at home and insisted or
our staying for supper. She hadn't
anything for US but lunch, she said
but the supper we sat down to in a