Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 74, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 December 1918 — REACH THEIR JOURNEY'S END [ARTICLE]

REACH THEIR JOURNEY'S END

Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hopkins Have Interesting Trip to Florida. D. H. Yeoman has received the following interesting letter from his son-in-law, A. R. Hopkins, telling of Mr. and Mrs. 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 (Shelbyvillei, Tenn, third night. From thence to Winchester, where we got off 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 the wildest 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 oh one side, and almost straight down on the other, and when half 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 triver, 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. f 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, Gainsville, 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 or ’pumping up a tire on the entire trip and passing every car along the road headed our way. Passing dozens of big cars all along the route, in the bad roads, nut 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 ami 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 northeirn 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 Hviansville, 2nd day . 90 Evansville, Ind. to Hopkinsville, Ky., 3rd day 106 Hopkinsville to Shelbyville, 4 th - "day 143 Shelbyville to Chattanooga, Tenn., sth day ./>x s . 116 Chattanooga, Tenn, to ta, Ga., 6th day. .. : 126 Atlanta to Oglethorpe, 7th day 151 Oglethorpe, Ga. to Madison, Fla., Bth day 163