Page 234 - some-stuff-i-wrote-and-some-stuff-i-didn't-(2011)-h-morris-williams

Some Stuff I Wrote and Some Stuff I Didn't (2011) H. Morris Williams

among them the Stutz Bearcat, one of the more elaborate cars of the day,
on a hill in downtown Lake City, in the direction of Lake Desoto.

Each would get a running start and plunge headlong into the water, the
object being to determine who could go farthest into the lake. Naturally,
huge bets were made on the contest. And, as Paul noted, the cost of

replacing an expensive automobile was an inconsequential matter.

Sandy Paul enjoyed the lavish life of luxury on a personal level, as did

other members of his family.

A trademark for which he was known was the unique sight of his

railroad motorcar as it traveled throughout north Florida and south
Georgia in the areas where the East Coast Lumber Company had logging

camps. He often used it for house parties, in addition to moving from
camp to camp, as the motorcar carried eight persons and was a most

convenient source of travel for his purposes.

“We just had to watch out,” Paul admitted, concerning the dangers of

oncoming trains in the dense timber lands. “Many a time I went around a
comer and saw a train coming in my direction. I just had to get off fast

and bring the car with me.”

Paul’s sense of adventure, it seems, knew no bounds as a youth. The

mischievous young man was a constant seeker of excitement. And, in
retrospect, stories one hears indicate he was successful in doing just that.

As Paul describes it, one of the biggest events in the county would occur
when he cranked the engines of his biplane, the first and only one to be

privately owned in Florida at the time.

“People came from all over the area to see the plane,” Paul said. “Very
few people had ever seen a plane, and it was something different to

them.

“I remember one day I flew down to the golf course in Gainesville and

landed on one of the greens,” he continued, “a man came running out

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