Progress Report #9: Bonifay to Chipley: 8 miles

Lawton Chiles Walks—and Talks—Through Florida

Progress Report #9: Bonifay to Chipley: 8 miles

113 down, 87 to go to Tallahassee!

I was delighted today, as I was walking down the road, to look up and see Sen. Dempsey Barron. He came riding up on a horse, leading another horse. He was really trying to tempt me, I think. He kept handing me the reins of that horse and telling me that I needed to get up on there and travel a little by horseback. I resisted, but he's still around and still persisting. Dempsey, I want you to tell them about that horse.

Sen. Dempsey Barron

"Well, we were having a conference down at my law office in Panama City today and it was voted by the members of my firm that we probably should establish a Pony Express to move Sen. Chiles along a little faster. So I brought the horses up and thought I'd tempt Lawton to join me in a ride, but as always he was a man of his word and continued to hoof it across Florida.

If Lawton shows the same perseverance in his walk across Florida that he shows in the Florida Senate, I'm sure that he will make it all the way through Florida and eventually walk into Washington, and when he does, we will all be better off for his being there. One thing for sure, he'll know all about the primary road system of Florida, foot by foot."

Gosh, I certainly was pleasantly surprised today. As I was walking into Chipley, a car drove up and out of the car hopped Tom Bailey, the former superintendent of public instruction for the state of Florida. He said that he'd heard about my walk to Tallahassee and he'd driven over from Tallahassee to walk with me a while. This is his former home country over here.

Tom was a school principal in this area at one time and has a lot of people around here that he thought I ought to meet. He came out and walked with me the rest of the way into Chipley. I was so delighted to see him. I later asked him if he would accept an honorary chairmanship for my campaign for the United States Senate and he said he certainly would. I am delighted. Tom, I want to tell you how much I appreciate your coming out and walking with me and agreeing to serve as honorary chairman for me.

Tom (Thomas D.) Bailey

"Thank you very much Lawton. I'm be very pleased to serve in this capacity if I can be of any service to you in your campaign for the Senate. I had the pleasure of working with you when I was a member of the cabinet and state superintendent of education and you were in the Senate. You were always very courteous and very understanding of our educational problems. I know of your service in the state legislature as senator, I know of your integrity as a man and I am very pleased to offer any service I can to assist you in winning not only this nomination but election to the U.S. Senate. I think you will be a great credit to the state of Florida."