The Ocala banner., 1922-08-11
SUMTER COUNTY DELEGATION
VISITS OCALA

Sumter county sent up Tuesday
large delegation Of officials and citi-
zens to appeal to the commissioners
of Marion county to change the inter
section of road 124 with State High
way Nc. 2, so that it will not be
dangerous right angle but be joined
by graceful and sensible curve or
fork, obviating the danger of collision
and also to give southbOund travellers
,heir choice untrammeled by an alb
rupt angle tending to divert them
from their possible destination to the
south of Belleview, where the objec-
tionable junction has been tentatively
located
The Marion commissioners and en-
gineer Thrasher threshed the matter
out good naturedly with the visitors.
and arrived at the conclusion that
every consideration of safety, fairness
and good engineering practice war
ranted. the change asked for by the
Sumter people. Accordingly, the juno
tion Of 124 and No. 2 will be on a
safe curve to the left instead of at
a perfect right angle, which latter
practice is universally discomtenanc-
ed by the State Highway Department.
whenever possible to avoid such juno
tiOns
The visitors were: Chairman OF
Sumter Commissioners Hunt, Com
missioners FARRELL, Wildwood, Odell,
oxford. and Commissioner-elect F. L.
Rutland, of Coleman, who is also
president of the new Sumter chamber
of commerce, whose Secretary. Clar-
ence E. Woods, accompanied the dele
cation, and presented the appeal of
the Pasco county chamber of com
merce for the alteration sought by
the Sumter people. Also, there were
Circuit Clerk Potter, County Judge
McCollum, who was chief spokesman
for the visitors, Mr.. Frank Cotton, Of
lower Sumter, Mr.. John O. Smith. a
! leading citizen of Center Hill, who
made strong appeal for the change,
also Mr.. T. S Beville, commissioners
elect, Bushnell.
! Engineer Thrasher frankly admitted
that the proposed angle junction was
in violation OF engineering practice
kand was not seriously contemplated
Chief Engineer Cooke, of Tallahassee,
also wrote TO the commissioners that
he hoped such change would be made
IN the junction as would be acceptable
tO all concerned, in another letter read
stating that his department practice
20 eliminate wherever possible right
angle turns" Following all this testi-
mony, the Marion commissioners ex-
pressed their opinions that the change
should be made and the same will be
at once constructed.
The Sumter people have no objec-
tiOn to the retention of the present
planned junction nor to the addition
OF another fork to the left, but they
strenuously objected to the pocketing
OF traffic at the abrupt junction men
toned. and were content to believe
that Marion county would not force
upon travel the single junction men
tened. Sumter's interest in this mat
ter is Of interest to Ocala and Marion
county, inasmuch as the Sumter peo-
pie have completed a million dollar
highway to the Marion line above
Summerfield, and desiring to travel to
and from Ocala did not desire to have
the real terminus OF, their road at
Belleview completely subordinated to
any narrow or purely local consider
ations, involving danger of life, and
misleading possibly to travellers who
might desire to take the road south
ward over Sumters model rock-as-
phalt road 40 miles long, said to be
really the shortest route to Tampa.
Verify, "alrs we'll that ends we'll"