Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1925-08-20

inmate at Miami. Inc pfoJecC was
too big to grasp at once, and Mr.. Gill
breath did not get much encourage
ment along the line. The people of
the south had crawled through mud
so long that they had become con-
frmed in the habits of the mud tur-
tie. No organized system of financing
good roads had ever been offered and
SO far as government units undertook
the work past methods had been hap
hazard. inefficient and without sub
stantial results.
While Mr.. Gilbreath was in Flori-,
da in the interest of the proposed
highway eight or ten Chattanoogans,
members of the Chattanooga Automo
bile club, having fully digested the
proposition, got together and decid-
ed that on the return of the good
roads disciple they would discuss
with him, and others, the organiza-
ton of Dixie Highway association
"a centralized body to sponsor the
project. Mr.. Gilbreath came back to
Chattanooga and little dinner was
given him at which promises were
made that Chattanooga would active
ly cooperate in the promotion OF the
Dixie higway. The Dixie highway
germ at once became active and prov
ed itself an agent of vital force
Mr.. Gilbreath returned to Indian
apolis, and, with his good roads as
sociates, induced Gov. Raulston, of
that state to call meeting of the
governors of the states through
which the Dixie highway was to be
routed. The meeting was held in Chat
tanooga in March, 1915, and was at
tended by seven governors and more
than 5000 good roads enthusiasts. 1t
was the largest good roads meeting
ever held in the United States, and
probably in the world. Officers were
elected as follows:
M. M. Allison, president; c. H.
Huston, first vice-president; w. R.
Long, secretary-treasurer; V. D. L.
Robinson, assistant secretary; W. S.
Gilbreath, field secretary; T. e. Graf
ton, chief engineer; L, M. Coleman,
chief counsel.
State vice president and directors
follow:
Illinois-Richard J. Finnegan, vice
president, Chicago; w. W. Marx,
Springfield.
Indiana-Thomas Taggart, vice
president, French Lick; Carl G. Fish
er, Indianapolis.
Ohio-Harry L. Gordon, vice-pres-
ident, Cincinnati; George w. Harris,
Cincinnati.
Kentucky-H. B. Hanger, vice
president, Richmond; Claude B. Mer-
Ger, Hardinsburg.
Tennessee-M. M. Allison, president,
Chattanooga C. H. Huston, first vice
president, Chattanooga; W. B. Long,
secretary-treasurer, Chattanooga; r.
Hardy, Chattanooga; A. M. Shook,
M. E. Temple, Chattanoo-
ga; A. F. Sanford, Knoxville; j. A.
Batten, Chattanooga.
Georgia-W T. Anderson, vice.
president, Macon; VIM. R. Bowen,
Clark Howell, Atlanta.
Florida-G. W. Saxon, vice pres
ident, Tallahassee; S. A. Belcher, Mi
ami.
The Central Dixie
In Georgia the communities along
the route now known as the Central
Dixie Highway gave the strongest
support to the movement for a ma
tionally connected road from the
start. Early in 1914, Editor lsidor
Gelders issued call for meeting
of the city and county officials from
Macon to Jacksonville to meet in this
city and as a result of that meeting,
at which Pulaski, Wilcox, Irwin,
Ware, and Charlton counties, and
Nassau county of Florida, including
the towns of Hawkinsville, Rochelle,
Fitzgerald, Ocilla, Doug
las, Nichols, Waresboro, Waycross,
Folkston, Hilliard and Callahan were
represented.
Mr.. Joe Brewer was the temporary
chairman of the convention when it
met in the Ben Hill county court
house and VIM. R. Bowen was elect
ed president and Isidor Gelders, Sec
rotary of an organization destined to
put over the biggest road project of
south Georgia. No where were there
more than trails to indicate posi-
BILE highway, but through persistent
efforts on the part of the officers and
members of the association, which
has been kept intact all these years,
the present excellent condition of the
entire route fro mMacon via Perry,
Hawkinsville, Abbeville, Fitzgerald,
Ocilla, Douglas, Waycross and Folks
ton has become a reality.
The first motorcade which attempt
ed to tour this route came down ten
years ago and many of the original
tourists will be in the motorcade to
pass here October Is. The wonder
full improvements made in these ten
years will be revelation to the mot
orists of that early period and Fitz-