The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1897-02-26
Mr.. BlTTlNaEa's RETIREMENT.
lie Bids Farewell to the Banner and its
Host Of Friends.

4
new Held, that | should, owing to m,
long connection with the Banner, bic
my many friends and patrons of th,
paper good bye.
shall try to be brief, though if
We're to go over the past twelve years
IN connection with my labors for th,
Banner among the good people o
Marion county, / fear / should en-
croach on their time and weary theil
time and their patience. Very many
of you are familiar with that work
and whether covered the ground il
"a manner that met your approval, and
was satisfactory to my employer, is 8
question leave entirely to those who
lourneyed with me.
trust it will not be deemed unseen.
iy III this connection to remark that
during the years of my connection
with the Banner / visited every sec.
tion of Marion county and learned Ia
know we'll many of IFS citizens mot
only to know them, but to appreciate
their worth as fellow mortals and the
consciousness that many of those &c
uuaintances became my warm per-
sonal friends and staunch supporters
of the paper. Nor do / lose sight OF
the fact that | came among them an
entire stranger and left them with
their good will and best wishes. If |
left an enemy behind me | am not
conscious of ii and / wish here to tes-
tify to the uniform courtesy and kind
ness with which the people of Ocala
and Marion county always accorded
me and in my deep appreciation of
their treatment, | tender my heartfelt
thanks.
| repeat what | have frequently said,
that in my experience through life, /
never met a people whose hospitality
was heartier and whose welcome more
cordial to the stranger than those
among whom passed the last twelve
years; nor community who were
quicker to descern worth and charact-
er and appreciate the same in their
fellow man, than the people to whom
am now writing these words of part
ing.
TO the business men of Ocala / de-
sire to tender my sincere thanks for
the encouragement and business re-
ceived at their hapds, through which
support and financial aid, was largely
due the ability of the Banner to be-
come and maintain its position as the
leading paper of the county. May my
successor be equally generously re-
membered.
In passing | trust it will not be pre-
sumptous in me to say that in the his
tory of Ocala newspaper work, had
the distinction of occupying the posi-
tion of business manager and local
editor OF the Banner for longer pc
riod of time than any person who ever
did that work and ! look over those
years with some degree of pride and a
great deal of pleasure, when | recall
the fact that during that time attend
ed more weddings, picnics, political
gatherings, school entertainments and
church dedications, by special request,
than any man who had preceded me
and faithfully recorded the same for
the information and delectation of the
Banners readers. can not close this
communication without reiterating
my opinion of Florida and Marion
county.
As state it possesses advantages 10
the home and health seeker unsur-
passed in this union and as these facts
are learned its population will increase
and multiply, until 1T will become one
of the most populous states in the
many of the nation.
OF Marion county, my acquaintance
with the state conpels me to say it is
the banner county in fact it is not
necessary to go into details. To this
point my task was an easy and pleas
ant one, but when il comes to bidding
nv good friend and brother, Francis
Eppes Harris, the proprietor and editor
of the Banner good bye, | confess to
the weakness of letting tears dim my
eyes.
might add word of tribute to
his worth as public spirited citizen,
able and conscientious editor and true
friend and a man in whom the "milk
of human kindness flows almost dl-
vine. and liberality of thought and
feeling, that know of truth, but l
forbear, lest that delicate sense of mod
esty which is Unborn in my friend,
should cause him to draw the blue
pencil through these lines.
But | must express oae opinion, OF
the many admirable traits in Mr.. Har-
ris' character, that have never wit
messed in as great degree as he pos
sesses in any other person whom
know: no matter what provocation
and bitterness of feeling engendered
by personal controversy or alteration
and aseeming a justification for revenge
he never took advantage of it, but on
the contrary, the greater his indigna-
tion or bitterness of heart, the quicker
he forgot and forgave. He went far
ther to meet an enemy to reconcile a
difference than any man ever sa"
and resentment, malice and revenge
found no lodgment in his heart. II
was trait so noble in him, that
| know am his debtor for the exam
pie he gave me.
II is needless to add that Mr.. Harris
| and part friends-in fact l look upor
him and feel for him, as though h'
were my brother and in my heart
am conscious he reciprocates that feel
| ing. He has done noble service TO
Marion county in his long newspape
career. He deserves well of her peo
| fhaxys aan rnnfpr will