The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1894-07-06
All, THERE

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It is very favorite argument with
railroad men, and men in sympathy
with the movement on the part of the
railroads to shape, dominate and con-
troll the politics Of Florida, to use as a
clinching and conclusive argument,
that the progress Of the state is due TO
the railroads.
Why, says one of them,' in wild
enthusiasm, before the railroads
reached Ocala it was but hamlet
there was not single brick building
in the placer And with the majes-
tic sweep Of astage actor, he pointed to
South Florida and said: "Since cob
webbed with railroads its taxable val
ues have increased from thousands to
millionslu
III it be true that the railroads have
built up Ocala and South Florida, why
is it that they have not built up other
towns and other sections of Florida?
Why is it that they have not built up
West Florida that wide stretch of
country from Chattahoochee to PEN
sacola? Why have not the taxable
values of that section kept pace with
the taxable values of South Florida
Railroads alone being the factor they
should do as much for one section as
another. If it be true that railroads
build cities Baldwin should be a young
New York compared with Ocala be-
cause it reveled it the luxury of being
railroad center full generation be-
fore a railroad had reached Ocala.
So see how fallaceous and untenable
these arguments are. No one denies
that railroads are factors in the devel-
opment and growth of country, but
that they are the sole factors are argu-
ments that will not bear washing.
In the development Of this section
of Florida we shower some of the
glory upon our energetic, enterprising
and sagacious business men, who
starting on nothing, like Messrs. Ag-
new and Weathers, for instance, have
built up large and growing trade;
men like q. M. Brown, who pinned
his faith to Ocala by erecting the
Ocala House, and the men who have
built our ice factories, and cigar facto-
ries and banks, and street railways
and electric lights these enterprises
and the men behind them have been
factors in the growth Of Ocala.
And the newspapers claim some of
the glory. They have not builded for
tunes for themselves and are not sup
posed to share in the benefits of legis-
lation, but in season and out of sea-
son, If there is ever such a season,
they have been industrious in painting
the resources of this section, and the
success of its citizens, in dazzling and
bewildering colors.
And the pioneers in the orange and
vegetable businessmen like Mr..
Eichelberger and Mr. Harris and Mr..
Bishop, do none of the glory attach
TO them? Long before the whistle of
the iron horse was heard, or thought of
being heard, in this section, they
felled the forests and converted them
into profitable orchards. And at Pam
assoffkee, and at Leesburg, and other
sections of South Florida, other pio-
neers followed their example, and
did't wait for the railroads to put o
move on them.
In the growth of this section, have
these men played no part and are en-
titled to no praise?
And the poetry of our climate, has
it been no factor? Have our songs of
it borne no fruit?
And the laborer in field and grove
and mine, who bares his body to sun
shine and showers, is he no factor in
this wonderful development?
And the phosphate itself, bears it no
part in this DEVELOPMENT?
In the development of this portion
of the state the railroads bear very
large proportion, but that it is due to
them alone is no more true than that
one swallow makes a summer.