The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1938-04-12
Council Concludes Negotiations
With drummer Company Relative
To Bond Re6unding Proposition
FURNISHES FULL DESCRIPTION AND
ADVANTAGES OF OVERSEAS HIGHWAY

OellBnlIully interesting TedulnS
is furnished by G.. J. Kochender-
fer, editor of the Mansfield
Ohio News-Journal, in his de-
scription of the Overseas High
way, and the territory through
which the roads and bridges
pass.
With Mrs. kochenderfer, Mr..
Kochenderfer has recently COM
pleted trip to Key West where
he was pleasantly entertained.
and given the opportunity of a
detailed view of the highway and
the assembling of data for the de-
scription and intimate recording
of views which are told in the
following article:
From now on you will be
hearing much about the newly
completed motor highway, on
which you can make the entire
trip to Key West in your car, with
only a nominal toll instead of the
rather high ferry charge it has
heretofore been necessary to pay.
Recent completion of the
overseas motor road, which
opened for traffic today, marks a
undermining of Henry NJ. Flag
ler's engineering miracle Of a
quarter of century ago when he
extended the Florida East Coast
railroad to Key West. thus ac-
complishing what even his asso-
ciates had regarded as an impos-
sibility.
Future visitors in Florida will
have opportunity to enjoy the
pleasant, and sometimes thrilling,
experience of driving mile after
mile over fine highway that
makes amazing jumps from key
to key by means of bridges that
rest on piers and girders of the
old railroad, operation of which
was abandoned after large por-
ton of it was destroyed by the
hurricane of September, 1885.
Carried through with federal
aid, it is the hope of Key West
residents that the highway will
also mark the opening of a new
day for this southernmost city in
the United States and will estab-
liSh il as a resort spot, at least
to the extent of restoring a part
of the prosperity if enjoyed years
ago when il was an important
cigar manufacturing center and
the sponge industry was thriving
in that vicinity. before moving up
the west coast to Tarpon Springs.
Motorists looking for some
thing different will find the drive
to Key West well worth while.
not alone for the quaint attrac-
tiveness Of the little city in its
genuinely tropical setting. but
also for the novelty provided by
the overseas drive that covers
a considerable part Of the $50
miles from Miami.
While the first part Of the
drive. after leaving Miami. may
be considered uninteTesting--
leading down through Homestead
and into monotoEous expanSes Of
pine trees and senfi-tropical vege
tation lining the highway on Ell
Their side-all Tnonotony vanishes
with arrival Al the first 81 the
keys and hint of the adventure
that lies ahead
Crossing from the Florida
mainland 10 Key Largo and con
tinuIng along those narrow strips
of land that are of coral forms-
ton. and between which the va
ter Of the Gulf Of Mexico merees
with that of The Atlantic OCEAN.
motorists are greeted BY neW
Scenes Of beauty all along the
way. with the rad ahead seem
ing TO rise directly from the clear
depths Of great bodies Of water on
both sides. with beautifully va
RED coiorfng extending 10 the
skyline st many points. some
tirnea broken ~ tiny islands and
by the fishing boass OF larger
ships FAR out - So.
Most impressive experience RI
she first trip. perhaps, Is provided
oy driving over the seven-mile
bridge from knights key . Duck
igcy. for which the concrete piers
and sseel xirders 81 ths cd rail-
road provide TIRE foundation. with
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