The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-04-03
VISITING ROAD BOOSTERS ARE
SHOWN SIGHTS. OF PENSACOLA
AND SURROUNDING COUNTRY
Mobile Party Visit Air Station Barrancas and Site the
Proposed Bridge Over Escambia River at Ferry
Harral B. Ayres Tells of the Gulf Boulevard Section

L
After spending Saturday night and
the better part of Sunday in Pensa-
! cola, the delegation Of Mobile business
men and good road boosters left yes
terday afternoon on the return trip
1 to the Alabama, city. While the visit
was informal in character and extern
/ sive entertainment was impossible on
account OF the very brief notice which
had been received in advance of the
friendly call, every effort was made
to receive the visitors in q fitting way,
their welcome beginning when they
were met enroute to Pensacola by
party OF Pensacola business men, later
being guests for dinner at the San
Carlos, after which an informal adj
/ journment was made to the nnezzanine
I floor Of the San Carlos. where hosts
and guests became better acquainted
land exchanged views as to the posi-
bilities OF the. Gulf Coast boulevard
one Of the movements in connection
with the Old Spanish trail, in which
both Mobile and Pensacola are vitality
interested
| In the party which made the trip
from Mobile to Pensacola via the Old
| Spanish trail in less than five hours
were w. A. Steadman, secretary of
| the Automobile club OF Mobile, ac-
companied by his wife and daughter;
George Zolezzi, assistant secretary OF
| the Automobile club; F. Taylor Peck,
representing the Kiwanis club, and his
wife; Warren Roberts editor of the
| Mobile Register, also Kiwanian; E.
| NJ. Bailey, representing the Chamber
OF Commerce and Rotary club; Harral
B. Ayers of San Antonio and Mobile
managing director Old Spanish Trail
association; James Coleman, C. A.
Barth and C. c. Johnson. all Of the
Mobile Automobile club, and Mr.. and
Mrs. A. NJ. Maragnus, guests of Mr..
and Mrs Peck.
Visit Reservation.
| Yesterday morning was spent by the
/ Mobile party, accompanied by a num-
| Der of Pensacolians, in visiting the
Naval Air Station and Fort Barrancas,
where they found much to interest
them in the planes and equipment of
the yard, and in the old historic Span
ish fort at the army post.
/ Later in the forenoon they made the
| trip to Ferry Pass to view the site
where will be located the great bridge
which is to span the Escambia river.
The party, who made the trip from
/ and to Mobile in their automobiles
along the Old Spanish trail, was head
| ed by H. b. Ayers, who, as managing
director of the Old Spanish trail is
also l1eenly interested in the plans for
a Gulf Coast boulevard.
( Before leaving Pensacola, Mr.. Ayers
! had the following to say about the gulf
| boulevard seetion:
| "The Gulf boulevard section of the
| Old Spanish trail, Pensacola to New
| Orleans, embraces 200 miles, The
! three cities represent about 100000
people Statistics of other sections
| show that when the highway is COM
pleted that will connect these three
! cities, $4,000 cars will be owned by this
( population. In their natural social and
| trade intercourse the boulevard will
| carry 1000 to 5000 cars a day-this is
based on statistics OF travel in other
sections less populated, less interest
/ ing.
! I'm tourist attraction from the north
| thousands of cars will come and travel
this highway and settle and build UP
the country, or fill the hotels far be-
yond all present capacity to care for
them.
J THE day is rapidly approaching
when Florida traffic will not work
eastward through northern states, but
will drop down directly to the Old
Spanish trail by tens of thousands, for
many north and south highways are
| building.
Texas is developing two important
highways from the north. The Me-
ridian, into San Antonio, is fully
/ financed from the Oklahoma line. And
the Old Spanish trail is nearly COM
plete from San Antonio to Houston,
223 miles, and financed for paving to
! the Louisiana line east of Houston. The
whole distance from San Antonio to
Louisiana line will be financed for paw
ing, and paved, in year or two.
Louisiana has, under a constitu-
tional amendment, $4,000. 900 to $4,000
900 annually for her highways. She
| is rapidly getting at work on the
broken pieces on the Old Spanish trail
across Louisiana. She is committed,
| for primary attention, to the Jefferson
highway (from Winnipeg, Canada,
| through Louisiana to New Orleans.
Louisiana has also just let contracts
| to build all the Louisiana part of the
JdchsOu HiSAW1S 1hOAA SAiCa6O' AAeSS
are the great northern feeders now
SO rapidly financing to feed into that
section. Alabama, as a result Of the
$25, 900 900 bond amendment, and the
Mobile bridge decision, will build her
trunk line through Birmingham. Mont
gomery to Mobile. This trunk now is
good south to the Alabama line. Ala
bama has just voted to bridge over
the Tennessee river. This trunk also
will branch to Pensacola, and another
branch will connect the Old Spanish
trail at Mariana and go to Florida
over the Old Spanish trail as soon as
the Apalachicola bridge is completed,
and Lake City to Jacksonville new
paving is ready.
I'm word, traffic Of the future will
| NOT all go eastward on nothern