The Punta Gorda herald., 1922-03-17
TAMIAMI TRAIL BOOSTING
MOTORCYCLE BIG SUCCESS
Met With Enthusiastic Reception
Everywhere: Mass Meeting Fa-
yOrS Short Route

from Fort Myers with mass meeting
at Clearwater Friday afternoon.
unanimously adopted a resolution.
with the approval of w. W Clark
OF the state road department. The
resolution calls on the county COM
missioners and civic organizations in
all counties along the Tamiami trail,
including Dade county, to appear at
the next meeting of the state road
department for the purpose of sup
porting Mr.. Clark in his request that
the Tamiami trail, heretofore recog-
nlZed by the state road department
as state road number FIVE as far south
as Punta Gorda, be endorsed as a
state project in the extension of road
number five through to Fort Myers,
via the short route through New
Prospect. The resolution carries no
request for funds from the road de-
partment on this missing link, but
requests that the state supervise the
survey and preliminary work on the
grade, so that it will conform with
state specifications and will be in line
some time for recognition and COM
pletion.
State road number five now comes
to an abrupt end at Punta Gorda,
leaving a gap from there to Fort
Myers. 1t is not contemplated by the
trail boosters to raise any question
of the construction of a bridge over
the Caloosahatchee river from New
Prospect to Fort Myers now with
public funds. Private funds are said
to be available and when the road is
completed, work on the bridge win
start within sixty days said Francis
w. Perry, representative from Lee
county. The motorcade came from
the Calooshatchee at that point on a
lighter, being thus ferried over with
their automobiles. charter has al
ready been granted to responsible
parties to operate ferry service as
soon as traffic demands it, said
Mr.. Perry, pending completion of the
bridge.
The Cheyalier corporation is ready
to give adequate bond for the execu-
tion of its contract to build the Tami-
ami trail through the southern part
of Lee county and in Monroe county,
it is said, and will give Dade county
an indemnity bond to justify Dade
in changing the route to meet the
grade coming from the west to the
county line
Completion OF the trail from Miami
through to Fort Myers will avail COM
paratively little it was pointed out,
unless the highway is connected all
the way through to Tampa by the
short route from Punta Gorda to
Fort Myers.
Returning to Clearwater from ST.
Petersburg Friday afternoon, large
mass meeting was held with the
county commissioners of Lee, Char
lotte, Sarasota, Manatee, Hills
borough and Pinelas counties all
present either in person or through
authorized representatives. w. w.
Clark of the state road department
and numbers OF interested citizens of
Tampa and towns all along the route
were present.
After leaving Punta GOrda the mo-
torcade, in which were w. II. John
son, Chas Cochran, b. H. Mobley,
Lee knight, Col. Holderby, Col. C. A.
Waltmire, Mr.. Gross, j. f. Skipper,
Clay Chadwick and perhaps others
whose names were not secured, pro-
ceeded to Sarasota, stopping at .sev-
eral points along the way. At Sara
sofa they were greeted by large and
crowd and a big mass
was held that night, when
addresses were made by Sarasota and
Lee county people and by Col. Walt
mire, Mr. Gross, Captain Johnson
and Mr.. Cochran, of Charlotte coun-
ty, according to the Sarasota County
Times, and Col. Waltmire's talk fur
nshed inspiration for added enthusi-
asm.
Col. HoldeTby, Capt. Johnson, Mr..
Cochran. Mr.. knight and Mr.. Mobley
were the only ones of the Charlotte
delegation that went on with the
party to Clearwater, where the
mass meeting was held.
All of these gentlemen returned
filled with enthusiasm and believing
that a great deal was accomplished
by the motorcade toward the quick
of the Tamiami trail, but
all deplored the fact that Punta Cor
da did not have larger delegation.
Arrangements are being made to
and Captain Johnson was appointed
to look after this work in Charlotte
county