The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-02-16
TO VIEW HIS "PET'' PROJECT


seas Highway to this city. The Presidents
decision to come to Key West for the un-
excelled fishing that abounds in our wa
tiers before reviewing the naval fleet at
maneuvers in ithe@C Caribbean was one of
the greatest events in the history of this
city.
Every news dispatch, and there will
be thousands of them, will mention the
fact the President is enroute to, has ar
rived at or is leaving "Key Vest Those
two words will invade every newspaper in
America, in Canada, in the entire Western
Hemisphere and throughout the world
They will focus additional attention on
this tiny island, now making bid as an
outstanding resort. No other personality
than the Presidents could bring this city
such volume of favorable publicity.
While this kind of advertising is val
liable and appreciated by all who have
Key Vests interest at heart, the fact that
President Roosevelt is coming to this city
by way of Overseas Highway is probably
more important. He will view at first
hand the marvels that have been perform
ed by engineers contractors and WOrkmen
in transforming the railroad viaducts and
roadbed into that beautiful, storm-proof
and safe roadway between Lower Mate
cumbe and Big Pine Key. When the
Presidents big sixteen-cylinder automobile
hits that 40-mile stretch of highway he
will be proud that last spring he pro-
claimed that highway his 'pet project"
He cannot help but feel that the $780,
600 loaned the Overseas Road and Toll
Bridge District was well and properly
spent.
Before he strikes that stretch and
when he finds his limousine bouncing
around on the corrugated roadway above
Lower Matecumbe, the President very
likely will turn to one of his companions
and ask:
SIS this the Overseas Highway?"
The Citizen hopes that some well-in-
formed Key Wester is sitting alongside
the President SO he can lean forward and
state:
NO Mr. President, this is a section
of the old county road. 1t was built be-
fore federal funds were available for such
projects. The county did the best it
could, but when it got to the long water
gaps it had to stop. There ferry trans
ported the traveller part way to Key West.
After the hurricane of 1885 you approved
of loan making it possible to close those
water gaps and to connect with the old
county road at both ends. Well soon be
to the part the governmet funds built
Then comes the pleasant surprise, the
delightful passage over the new section of
highway, with it's beautiful bridges, it's
wonderful vistas of sky and sea-and then
the bumps beginning at the end of Big
Pine Key. The big limousine will clatter
across a string of wooden bridges, turn
sharp and dangerous curves and slither
from side to side on some of the roller
coasted roadway.
whats that ever there?" the Presi-
dent will ask, pointing to some concrete
viaducts stretching straight and true to-
ward Key West ~
They are the old viaducts of the
railroad,' the Key Wester. should reply.
''The state and the U. S. Bureau of roads
West over those solid concrete piers. But
that will take a long time. The Overseas
Road and Toll Bridge commission, the
same organization that undertook and
completed the section of highway we just
left, has applied for loan and grant from
the government to eliminate these wooden
bridges, to do away with these dangerous
curves and abandon this old road. The
quickest way would be to make this grant
shown capacity to make the bridge pay
its way
And we hope the President is in
formed about the request of the Florida
Keys Aqueducts commission for a grant
and loan to bring fresh water supply
from the mainland to put in the nice new