Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-09-11
Building for
Pernnanency

faced roads throughout the State,
Georgia will have no roads.
Grading and regarding, smooth
ing and re-surfacing our main
arteries is an expensive subter-
fuge. After each rain the work
must be done all over again,
then if the rain is heavy one,
the fills and top-soiling are lit
orally impossible. No sooner
are these mud-holes dried up
than dust makes the road almost
unbearable.
But the worst feature of this
temporary road fixing is the new
er-ending detouring and incon-
venience that meets every tour
ist, making of him a "knocker"
instead of a 'booster" for the
State.
An instance Of this unfavor-
able advertising is seen in the
following, dated from Clearwat-
er, Fla, and recently reprinted
in several newspapers.
A motorist who has just return
ed to Clearwater from soiourn
in the mountains of North Caro-
lima is responsible for a bright
remark. Such remarks are scarce,
SO this is one quoted.
What Florida needs m re than
any other one thing is good roads
in Georgia"
This auto tourist went on to
state that the roads south of
Macon would be all right, if those
Georgia people would only leave
them alone for day or so, and
allow motorists to get by.
When | went to the Land of
Sky this Pinellas citizen de-
clared, "the roads from Valdosta
clean into Macon were good
enough for anybody who did not
object to lots of stale dust. Above
Cordele they seemed especially
good. / gave myself three days
= to drive from North Carolina to
Clearwater, and it might have
been easily done, if those Geor-
giasfolksg hadn't torn up the high
way after | went up.
Coming out of Macon, and
rolling along as nicely as you
please toward Perry and its
peaches, at the turn of the road
Icame acrosssa big road sign with
q map and everything on it, which
explained that the scenic route
of America was through Fort
Valley. Just to show that there
were no hard-boiled feelings, /
turned to the right, and went IL
miles or more out of my way
SIMPLY ran into a place where they
were Building the road south of
Fort Valley.
Il Now, am not superstitious,
and don't believe in signs, like
sTerms Are Cash and that like of
bunk, but a little ways down the
roadway another sign confronted
me. 1t said Take this road to
Ijnadilla.' Not having paid much
attention to the highway coming
up, only following the number
pf phone poles, turned to- the left
this tine, and went down that al
legged national highway until it
'petered out in a cornfield. Had
TO turn back, or go eight miles
out of my way, according to what
4 negro field hand said.
"Then just north of Cordele,
where the travelling had been good
on my way north, found that
miles of the road had been plow-
cd up and the slabs of sunbaked
clay looked like an ice gorge in
the St. Lawrence. Took me most
Of the afternoon to get into Cor
dele. Nobody seemed to think
Chat it was anything unusual to
tear a road all to pieces and fur
nish no detour although it is an
outrage upon touring autoists.
Il made up my mind that Geor-
eians had sworn to make travel
ing as hard as possible into Flor
4da" concluded the victim Of Geor-
gia roads.
One can readily see the ad-
verse comparison this and hun
dreds Of other autoists make be
tween the roads of North Caro-
Ina, Georgia and Florida. Rid
ing over hard-surfaced roads ir
florida and North Carolina,
with Georgia roads in between,
can't but greatly damage the
State as whole. A man seek.
ing investment for hi money
would not hesitate long as be
tween the States north and south
Of US and Georgia. He woulc
naturally select one of the twC
States with paved highways.
Sumter county is doing he
part, and will continue to d,
so, as will the other large anC
prosperous counties. but Their
are many counties financially I'm
4 able to carry out their part Of
system of hard-surfaced roa,
building. Until a State system
of highway buildino adeouataI