Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 293, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1918 — BERT HOPKINS WRITES OF JOURNEY TO SOUTHLAND [ARTICLE]

BERT HOPKINS WRITES OF JOURNEY TO SOUTHLAND

D. ~H. Yeoman has received the following Interesting letter' fyom his son-in-law, A. R. Hopkins, telling bf Mr. and Mra. Hopkins’ trip to Miami, Florida in brief detail: ♦ * Miami, Fla., Dec. 9, 1918. Dear Dad: —Here Is a little history of' our trip. Stayed all night at Dal’s; left there, about 9:30 and stopping at Vincennes the. first night. Thence to Evansville, where we were delayed half day, owing to high wind a ferry boat would not take us across the Ohio river until next morning at Henderson. To Hopkinsville, Ky.» that night, then through Nashville, Murfreesboro, to IShelbyville, Tenn, third night. From thence to Winchester, where we got oft the road, and got the wrong road

over the mountains at Montague, Tracy City into Chattanooga at 8 p. m. Our trip down the mountain was the wildest ride I ever experienced. Road was so steep that I had to put the car in low speed and use both brakes to keep it under control. The road wound around, back and forth, dropping from one ledge of rock to another, with the mountain straight up on one side, and almost straight down on the other, ana when hialf way down night came on, and finished by aid of our headlights. I never realized how dangerous a trip I was making until it was all over. Then, after reaching the foot of the mountain, ferried' across a iriver, then a 26 mile ride after dark over high hills, and around hills, over a strange road in the dark to Chattanooga, arriving at 8 p. m. Left there next morning, -driving to Atlanta, from there through Macon, Georgia, to Oglethorpe, only 10 miles from the famous Andersonville prison. On down through Valdosta to Madison, Lake City, Cainsville, Florida, through Palatka? (Dr. Brown’s town) down the east coast through Daytona, Palm Beach to Miami, arriving here Saturday, December 7, at 6 p. m., after a trip, (speedometer registering) of 1,605 miles, without changing a tire of ptamping up a tire oh the entire trip and passing every car along the road headed our way. Passing dozens of big cars all along the route, stuck in the bad roads, hut our little Dodge pulled us through every piece of road we hit without getting stuck a single time. On our trip we- struck some good roads, but through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and Florida hit some ,of the worsst roads that we ever pulled over. Our worst Jasper county roads are good beside some we. went over. Georgia and northern Florida had just had ten days of steady rain,, which the people tell us had never been known before, making very bad roads.

Our first drive to Vincennes Ist day *...■.. 210 Vincennes to EWansville, 2nd day '■'90 t Evansville, Ind. to Hopkinsville, Ky., 3rd day 106 Hopkinsville to * Shelbyville, 4th day 143 Shelbyville to Chattanooga, Tenn., sth day 116 Chattanooga, Tenn, to Atlanta, Ga., 6th day 126 Atlanta to Oglethorpe, 7tih day 151 Oglethorpe, Ga. to Madison, Fla., &th day 163 Madison io Cainsville, 9th day 109 Gainsvillfl' to Cocoa, 10th day 185 Cocoa to Miami, 11th day. . 206 Total miles., traveled 1,605 The above was a wonderful trip, but would not advise,,, anyone to make the same .trip if Georgia and Florida had much rain, as rain makes the red clay of Georgia and the mud of Florida a very difficult trip to make. The famous Dixie Highway is only on paper, and will be for years to come, as it leads through hundreds of miles of country that to me seems absolutely worthless, and we have driven many, many miles without seeing a human being. And now, while you folks in Rensselaer are shivering around your fires, probably snow and ice on the ground, I am sitting at a desk writing this letter with the windows open and the soft southern breeze floating in, flowers blooming -in the yards, airplanes humming overhead (as there is an aviation camp here) and can hardly realize the change • from Rensselaer to Miami. We “are being entertained at the beautiful/ home of Mr. and Mrs. Ed Taylor (Mrs. Taylor was formerly Miss Nellie Van Smith and lived in Rensselaer several years ago.) Their home is 'just about 100 yards flrom the bay, in a very beautiful part of the city. I only wish I could transport the entire city of Rensselaer to this place for the winter. Very truly, BERT HOPKINS.