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alto f mtta Scrim ifytmlb nmtovKMiuin Punta Gorda has mor.e improvements than any other Florida town of its size. Paved streets, side walks, sewerage, electric lights, waterworks, etc. The 1915 census gave Punta Gorda a population of 1.772. It has grown steadily since then and the present population Is estimated at 2.000. Punta Gorda. in Tropical Southwest Florida, is Advantageously Located OH Charlotte Harbor. One of the largest Land-Locked Bays on the G4ilf of Mexico, and is a Town with Bright Future, Commercially and Agriculturally Volume XXXII Number 29. PUNTA UOHDA, FLOKIDA, THURSDAY, JULY 22nd, 192. Five Cents a Copy; 2.00 a Year. I1 ENGINEER TELLS WHAT ROAD DEPT. IS DOING Department Working in Nearly Bvery Section Except Tills. An interesting report, covering all work under the supervision of tho state road department on the several state and state aid roads throughout Florida, has been submitted to the de partment by Maj. Charles A. Browm . state highways engineer. The report is comprehensive, covering road im provements in every section. The department will soon have the repo't ready for distribution in pamphlet form. The list of 'oads officially design ated by the department and on which work has begun in one or more coun ties, follows: The state Roads. State Road No. 1 Pensacola fo Jacksonville via Milton, Oestview, De Funiak Springs, Bonifay, Chipley. Marianna, Monticello, Madison, Live Oak, Lake City, Macclenny and Bald win. State Road No. 2 Georgia State line, north of Jennings (Hamilton county), to Fort Myers via Jasper, Lake City, Gainesville, Ocala, Lees burg, Eustis, Orlando, Kissimmee Haines City, Bartow and Arcadia. State Road No. a Jacksonville to Orlando, via Green Cove Springs, Pa latka, PeLand and Sanford. State Road No. ,4 Georgia State line (Just south of Folkston, Ga.), to Royal Palm State Park via Jack sonville, St. Augustine. Daytona, Titusville, Fort Pierce, West r'alm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. State Road No. 5 High Springs (Intersection of State Itoad N'6. 2 anil State Aid Road No. 8), to Sarasota, via Arcner, uunnenon, Inverness, Brooksvllle, Lutz, Tampa, Riverview and Bradentown. State Road No. 9- Alabama State line north of Campbelltown (Jack son county) to Apalachlcola, via Ma rianna, Hlountsville and Port St. Joe. Note Roads No. 6, No. 7 and No. 8 are not state roads. State A nl ltoad. No. 5 Brooksvllle to St. Peters burg via Aripeka, Tarpon Springs and Clearwater. No. 7- Arcadia to City to be extended to St ty line, via Dorr Field Okeechobee Lucie coun and Lake Annie. No. 8 Tallahassee to Gainesville, via Chaires, I .amount. Slrmans, Perry, Mayo and Branford. Note The de partment has also recently designat ed as a state aid road the route from Perry to Gainesville via Old Town. Trenton and Newberry as originally outlined by the Central Florida High way association. No. 10 Panama City to Marianna Among the state roads that have been given no official numer are: From PensacoU north to the Ala bama state line near Flomaton. From Milton to the Alabama state line south of Brew ton, Ala. From itfontlcello to tho Georgia state line south of Thomasville. From Gainesville to Baldwin via Waldo, Starke and uawtey. From Relleview (Marion county) to Plant City via Bushnell, Dade City and Knights. From Leesburg to Winter Haven, via Oroveland and Auburndale. From Haines City to Lnke Annie (DeSoto county) via Frost Proof, Avon Park and Sebiing. From Tampa to Clearwater via Oldsmar and Safety Harbor. From Kissimmee to Melburne via St. Cloud, Ashton and Deer Park. From Sanford to New Smyrna via Osteej). From Orlando ti Indian River City via Fort Christmas. From Miami to j'.arco via route of Tarn imam I Trail. From Bristol to Telogia, via Hos foid, Liberty county. Work Costs Much More. The high cost of materials seem to be the main stumbling block in coun ties where the work is progressing slowly. The expense of building roads and bridges has in most in stances increased greatly since bonds were voted and it Is necessary to vote more bands or revise the plans, so that the more necessary projects may be completed. South Florida 13 conslde-rb!y aheRd of the middle and western sec tions of the states i. road builJing and maintenance. In St. Tohns, Vo lusia, Osceola and DeSoto, especially, excellent progress has been made. The summary of work in Hillsbor ough a-.d Manatee counties Is as fol lows: Hillsborough ( 'ounty. To work has been done on No. 5 Toad north of Tamva, but on the por tion south of Tanr a n survey was made iii connection With federal all project No. 17, !.i Manatee county, from the Manatee county line to a point opposite Winiau:na, which is Acceptable to Hill .borough county and results in saving a mile and one half of construction in Manatee coun ty without adding to the length In Hillsborough. Plans for three bridges on this road in Hillsborough have been prepared and a project state ment akinr for federal aid is ready to forward for apr-roval. It Is expected that as soon as the convict unit in Manatee county tln- ishes its work there to move it Into j Hillsborough to assist in the con struction of the roal from the end of the present brick surface near Wi Ir.iauma to the Manatee county line. Manatee Comity. I Federal Aid Project No. 17, ex tending oa road No. 5, from the Hillsborough line south through the town of Parrish to what is knovn as the Palmetto district, has had all surveys made and now ready to sub mit for project agreement. This ; line originally was 11 miles long but by changes in alignment both in : Manatee and Hillsborough counties has been shortened by over two and one-half miles. A convict camp was located on this project in January. All the right of way was cleared and grading commenced when it was de elded to employ this force in the com pletiOO of a portion of No. 5 road i.i ; the Palmetto district and joining pro- i ject No. 17, where at the request of the commissioners of Manatee coun-1 ty, the automobile fund of that coun- ; ty is being expended. The comple ttoa of the Palmetto district togeth- i er with project 17 and give a 1 C foot ' hard road from the north line of Manatee county to Bradentown. District, and providing methods of The entire amount of the automo- administering, financing and other bile fund will be ex.-ended In the wise managing the task of reclaim Palmetto district. ling hundreds of thousands of acres MODERN HOTEL TO BE BUILT ON SEMINOLE SITE. . I nis ueciuon i pon new iwuik Opened for Business Wednesday. The Fidelity Trust Company. Pun ta Gorda's third bank and youngest business institution, opened its doors for business Wednesday morning In Its temporary location in the rear of the Johnson building on Marian avenue. It is understood that plans for a commercial hotel and business build ing to be erected on the corner wuere the old Seminole hotel now stands, and a part of which will be occupied by the new bank, are maturing but have not reached a point of deflnlto- ness as to the size and cost of tie building. It is understood, however, that architects are working on the plans and Just as soon as men and materials can be secured the old hotel will be moved to another loca tion, where it will be conducted as a moderate priced hotel or rooming house. It is expected that work on the new hotel will be started some time In early winter. Probably no other Florida town of equal size is so well provided for in the matter of financial Institutions as Punta Gorda, for It now has three strong banks, the Punta Gorda State Bank, th;1 First N tlonal Bank and the Fidelity Trust Company, each being largely owned and officered by local people, each one occupying places of equal importance in serv ing the various requirements of the community's people. Thrift itampa will slick when a fellow needs a friend. When Folks want Anvthtae Done, the go to J. Fuller Pep, for he's a Ninety Horse-Power Booster and Liberal with his Time arid Money for anything to Better the Town. Ole Hezeklah Use- less allows as how J. Fuller Is trying to Run Things, but If Folks were all like He, this would be a Hot Sketch of a Xownl HOME FOLK AMONGST PUNTA GORDA'S bVKB 191 Mot j'BssBff' Hassst r Kv. jF fiw-VBHwl Smooth Cayenne Pineapples Ctrowlng Under Shed at Punta Oorda Plants in fruit Notice the tine large peclmem EVERGLADES DRAINAGE BOND ADVOCATES WILL ACT IS CONSTITUTIONAL MEET JULY 20 AND 30 Sweeping Court Decision Clears Way Will Gather at St. Augustine to Dis for Dig Issue of Bonds. cuss Various Plans. Constitutionality and validity of he act of the Florida legislature eB- Publishing the Everglades Drainage Florida were upheld in a sweeping decision of the Supreme Court of iFlnriHn announced a few davs ngO. 1 ci,ci,n Judge Wilson and concurred In by Circuit Judge Perkins Justices Judge Perkins West and Ellis being disqualified was read July 5, but not announced until recently. It holds the act in question good In every respect and sweeps aside every objection and con tentlon raised by the complainant, Robert L. Bannerman. The Supreme Court's opinion br(i(;e3 throughout this state under clears the way for enlargement of the 8Ucn regulations as may be prescrib Sverglades drainage district, the Is- ed by an act of the ieKslature; pro sue of $2,500,000 In bonds for fln-jvUled tha any bond lggueH au. aneing tire work, sale of such bonds, tborized In pursuance hereof for a etc., and definitely fixes the status ofByHteni of KOod road8 and bridges the hoard of commissioners of thej8naU not exceed in a,0unt five (5) Everglarde drainage district and Its per cenf of the total tal assessment powers ana autnority to act. In the case brought originally In DeSoto county by Rohrt L. Banner man the constitutionality of the act was attacked, various provisions of the legislative enactment being de clared in violation of the Constitution of the State of Florida. Th case was taken to the Supreme Court of Florida on u demurrer filed by the board of commissioners of the Ever glades drainage district to thw bill of complaint filed by Mr. Bannerman. The Everglades drainage district includes most of the Everglades of Florida and embraces an area larg'r than the combined areas of the stales of Ruode Island and Connecticut. Il is declined to be the largest reclam ation project in the world, and is known to embrace Within its boun daries one of the most fertile tracts of land on the fact of the globe, once the tract is drained and the soil made available for agricultural and other uses. Mr. Bannerman, appellant In the case, was represented by Attorneys Aiklnson and llurdine of Miami. The appellees, the board of commis sioners of the Everglades Drainage District, were represented by Glenn Terrell of Tallahassee. DESOTO GAINS 11,084 Increase In Population Nearly Pel Cent in 10 Years. HO The population of two Florida coui.tie.s-DeSoto r.ad Oiceola hoi... in the southern part of the s'.ate, was announced yes'.cn'ny by the cen sus bureau. Each showed a subi tan ti'sl gain, but t' at of DeSoto was nearly SO per cent. Ti e announcements: DeSoto county 2 5,434, Increase of 11,234 over 1910, o- 79.1 per cent. Osceola county, 7,195, increase 1, CS8 of 30.7 per cent. Census of the foUoiring towns in Florida also was Included: dermott, 496; Eustis, 1,193; Leeshurg, 1.835; Mount Dora, 725; Tavarc', 359; Um atilla, 640; DoFu.fr.k Sprlags, 2,009; Lakswood, 363; Paxton, 411. Birthday Party. Little Hazel Anna Oliver, grand daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luvllle pUUTer, entertained a numoer or ner lm,' Wends on July 14th from four t0 six o'clock, in honor of her sixth birthday. The little folk enjoyed Playing various games after which dainty refreshments were served. j Arthur Green, of Jacksonville, was 'here Monday on busicess. MOST IMPORTANT INDUSTRIES Thursday nnd Friday, July 2ft and 130, are the dates announced by the j president of th" Florida State Auto mobile association for the big good roads rally and conference to be held I at St. Augustine beach in the inter est of tire proposed amendment to : tho state constitution to be voted uo- , , w..s , ,np st, )n ,h(1 general election next November. The proposed amendment reads as follows: "The legislature shall have power to provide for issuing state bonds only for the ptirpose of repelling in vasion or suppressing insurrection or for the purpose of redeeming or re funding bonds already issued at a lower rate of interest or for the pur pose of acquiring, building and maln talng a system of good roads and , th at th ,lnlv, of lsaup At the meeting to be held at St. Augustine the several plans that have been proposed by d'fferent ones In favor of the proposed state bond Issue will be submitted and discussed and it Is expected that as a result of this meeting an active state-wide campaign will be carried on in all parts of the state to secure the adoption of the proposed amendment. The meeting will be under the aus picea of the legislative committee of the Florida State Automobile Asso ciation. At a meeting of this com mittee and a number of citizens from various parts ot the slate held in Jacksonville, May 19, the president oi the association was authorized and requested to add to the membership of the committee "the names of five men from this meeting and the pres idents of the different Kindred or ganizations of the state." Carrying out the request the president of the sooiatlon named F. O. Miller, Jack sonville; W. M. Igou, Eustis; David Edge, Groveland; James (I. Yeats, Tampa, and George V. Young, Dade City, and derected the secretary of the association .to communicate with the presidents of the various organ izations throughout the state and In form them that they had been named as members of the legislative com mittee cf the Florida State Automo bile Association. Now that the dates for the St. ugustine meeting have been decided upon invitations will be sent out to each of the organizations for the ap pointment of delegates to officially represent them at the big gaod roads rally. Invitations are also being sent to all state officials, all nominees for the senate and house as well as all hold-over senators; the various boards of county commissioners and to all persons interested in having the state construct a state system of permanent roads. At the St. Augustine meeting the plan adopted by the legislative com mittee of the Florida State Automo bile Association for taking care of the proposed state bond issue with out increasing the state tax levy will be submitted and fully explained. This committee has also gone on record in favor of the enactment of a law repealing and abolishing all per sonal property taxes (ad volorem taxes) on all motor driven vehicles upon which a state license tax shall be required. The committee also recommends that the two-mill tax levy, to provide funds for meeting Federal aid for roads be repeated and no further tax for ;uch purpose be : levied, provided the proposed amend jment to the state constitution is adopted. I The plan proposed for taking care jo!' the state bond Issue with revenues derived from the motor vehicle li cense tax is the same as lias already , heen adopted in the state of Alabama and the state of Illinois. In these slates the campaigns in favor of the state bond issue to be tared for with the motor vehicle license fax, was conducted by t!ie state automobile associations. The motorists willing ly agreed to an increase in the ! amount of the state license tax for this purpose. The necessary laws were enacted and the bond issues now provide the funds for tHe con struction of the state system of roads ; in these states. Workng On Trail. C. B. Jennings, of Fort Myers, who recently visiled Naples and adjacent points rt ports that work is under way on the Intersecting sections of the Tamlami trail leading from Na ples toward Haldemann creek and 1 ctosslng Gordon river. This trail !goes near the Naples golf links and Is Ibeng shelled. The 600 foot span at Gordon river and the bridge at Halde mann creek are being repaired. The 'approaches of both bridges are being I raised in order to make it safe travel ing for motor cars and other vehicles. Dr. Balrd. of Fort MyeYs, is breaking and clearing ground near Haldeman I creek, three sections in all, approxi mately 1,920 acres. This 1,920 acre tracl will bo set up in a citrus grove. Mr. Jennings said the branch trail to : Marco is in a fairly good condition. WHITTEN, ALLEGED WIFE MURDERER, WILL HANG Condemned Man showed Little Emotion When Tofd His Fate. Burnard Whltten, the young man convicted of murderinng his wife last May, will be hanged Friday, July 30th, unless the sentence is stayed by the governor. The DeSoto County News gives the following account of the sheriff's visit to the condemned man's cell for the purpose of reading the death sen tence: At 9:40 a. m. Monday, Sheriff DIs hong, accompanied by Messrs, Bally, of Wauchula, J. E. Albrltton, of the sheriff's force, end a representative of the News, went to the old brick Jail north of the court house, passed through the lower corridor crowded with negro gamblers brought In Sat urday night, ascended the i-tairs to the cell room on the upper Moor, and found Whltten, condemned murderer, leaning against the bars. When summoned to attention by the sheriff, he came across the cell and hung to the steel grating while the document of such serious import was read to him. As Sheriff Dlshong slowly and Im pressively read the long death s n tence to the man convicted of slaying his wife, he seemed more unconcern ed than the sheriff or the others pres ent. When the words were reached, "hanged by the neck until you are dead," Whltten's lips trembled and his bare chest heaved, but he dis played little signs of emotion, .sher iff Ulshong, reading slowly, was much more visibly affected than the principal In the tragedy. When com ( Continued on (net pae) MICK1E SAYS SCnAfc CAW. eHC4 ESTElWVtb AM I XPA&tM VJTU "CUV issue, AMD KMGLt.. tllL -rue .. umu M PAW O TlA?K.TOttfclM,j mv VMfcVl M.COVAI A cooe of ow.r .kuo -cue TOMV. SMAU. vaKVaO OH tut novrt ooo . a um o sKOvJW.VK3- 1 A tm EXCHANGE SUPPLY CO. OUYS WARNELL MILLS Biggest Deal of Kind for Sometime ( 'onsummnted Recently. News of one of the biggest busi ness transactions in the state in re cent years comes in the formal an nouncement by President J. H. Ross of the Florida Citrus Exchange, and Its affiliated organization the Ex change Supply Company, of the pur I Chase of the Exchange Supply Com Pany of the Warnell Lumber and i Yeneer Company with headquarters I at Plant City. The transaction in- volvei the ownership of properties valued at approximately a million dollars or more, through the pur chase by the Exchange Supply Com ! pany, of all the outstanding capital stock of the Warnell Co. II Includes the big veneer and crate mill at. Plant City, together with various mill buildings, warehouses, lands, lots and other buildings, the com pany's sawmill at Fort Green, the privately owned Warnell logging road with four locomotives 4bd full equipment, some forty mules, wagons and much miscellaneous equipement. It Is estimated by Manager W. F. Miller of the Exchange Supply C" that the Warnell plant together with the mill of the Exchange Supply Co. already in operation at Ross in Hillsborough county and the mills of the Polk County Sub Exchange at Lake Wales and Avon Park will give thts cooperative purchasing organiz ation of the growers facilities for the manufacture of practically all the orange boxes required by something more than four thousand growers who aie members of the Florida Cit rus Exchange, and w..om the Ex change Supply Co. serves exclusively. It Is also estimated that the timber holdings acquire 1 through this pur chase when added to the present holdings of the Exchange Supply Co. and with the addition of another tract which already under rption, will pro vide a timber supply for tho box re quirements of members of the Florida Citrus Exchange for a period of ap proximately twenty years. Present arrangements provide for operation of the Warnell plant under the old officers and management, thus assur ing the benefit of their experience In tho business, but under control of the Exchange Supply Co. In Its first year the Exchange Sup ply Company did a business In ex cess of $200,000. Its second year's business exceeded $600,000 while that for the third year, which closed April 30, 1920, was In excess of $1, 600,000. The current year's busi ness. It is estimated, will approxi mate three million dollars, even with out the additional volume to be gain ed through the purchase of the War nell properties. ISO.OOO for Publicity. At a recent meeting of the Board of Governors of the Ft. Myers Board of Trade It was decided to employ L. A. Whitney as secretary of the latter body at a salary of $5,000 a year and to raise $20,000 to be used by him In a publicity campaign during the com ing year. Eight thousand of this fund were subscribed in a few min utes, one man giving $2,000. Mr. Whitney Is the secretary of the St. Petersburg ' Board of Trade and is credited with having "made" that city during the seven years he has been boosting It. Mr. Whitney is president of the Old Indian Trails Association, and it is understood is heartily in favor of construction of the Bhort route road between Punta C.ordu and Fort Myers and the con necting bridge across the Caloosahat chee. He will assume his duties at Fort Myers during the early part of September, It is understood. Mils Dipping Vats, Nine new dipping vats were con structed in Florida during June, making a total of 1,618 vats in tlj state, according to the monthly re port of the state livestock sanitary board. The number of cattle dipped during the month in the 10 counties in which the work is now bing carried on was 103,274. The work has progressed nicely and the cattle tick is rapidly being exterminated, through the co-operation of the state livestock sanitary board, county com missioners, farmers, cattlemen, and the U. S. bureau of animal industry. Improving Property. Mr. Klinefelter, who has recently purchased the Burland place In So lana, is having the dwelling moved to a posotion closer to the road and will considerably improve the hou&e. Mr. Klinefelter expects to engage in limited trucking operations. !akmg Improvements. Mr. Hill, of Solatia, has purchased the property adjoining the Oswald residence on the side toward Cleve land and is improving the residence and clearing the land. He will plant a crop of peppers for winter ship- ment.