CDW: NO FOUR LANE HIGHWAYS BACK THEN?
MB: NO.
CDW: I GUESS U. S. 17 WAS KIND OF THE MAIN DRAG BACK THROUGH PALATKA
THEN WASN'T IT?
MB: IT WAS PRACTICALLY THE ONLY ONE EXCEPT FOR S. R. 20.
CDW: WHAT DID U. S. 17 LOOK LIKE BACK THEN?
MB: IT WAS A TWO LANE ROAD AND FAIRLY NARROW. THE OLD WEIGHT
STATION WAS DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF U. S. 17 RIGHT
ACROSS FROM WHERE IT IS NOW, AND THEY HAD A STRETCH OF ABOUT A
MILE THAT WAS EXPERIMENTAL PAVEMENT. CAPTAIN HANCOCK AND I
FINALLY HAD TO GO BEFORE THE GRAND JURY WHEN THEY FOUND OUT IT
WAS MADE WITH COQUINA ROCK BECAUSE EVERY TIME IT LOOKED LIKE IT
WAS GOING TO RAIN, PEOPLE WOULD RUN OFF THE ROAD, TURN OVER,
RUN INTO EACH OTHER--IT WAS JUST A MESS.
CDW: COQUINA--THAT'S A MIXTURE OF SAND, SHELL, AND CLAY?
MB: AND IT WON'T SHED WATER AND WATER WON'T GO THROUGH IT AND IT
WOULD JUST SIT ON TOP THERE AND THEY WOULD HYDROPLANE.
CDW: IT KEPT THOSE 2 TROOPERS BUSY IN CLAY AND PUTNAM COUNTY.
MB: I TELL YOU, IT SURE DID.
CDW: WHERE WAS THE PATROL STATION BACK THEN?
MB: IT WAS IN THE LOCATION WHERE IT IS NOW IN EAST PALATKA, BUT IT
WAS ABOUT ONE THIRD THE SIZE IT IS NOW. THE ORIGINAL PATROL
STATION WAS UP ON WHAT WE CALLED THE HILL SECTION UNDER THE
WATER TOWER.
CDW: WHAT ROAD IS THAT ON?
MB: IT'S ON DIANA DRIVE AND IT WAS ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS OFFICE.
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