The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1901-04-19
aTRiP TO SILVER SPRINGS.
Occasional" and Party VISIT TINS
Famous Resort and Enjoy
DAVIS Outing.

umus on the score of Aud Lang
Syne,r your correspondent launches
forth i'm a brief recital of the pleas
ures enjoyed recently at Silver
Springs.
Do not get your pencil ready To
mark "unavailablen on this paper,
since it is no attempted panegyric on
the pelucid waters of the famous
springs. but simply short mention
of a DAYS outing and the civilities
showered upon this correspondent
and party by the young men who are
running things" there.
Once, years ago, your scribe essayed
written description of various
points of interest in Marion county,
several of which, like Silver Springs,
had never beer visited by her.
Now, after the lapse of time, which
always brings experience, the attempt
seems presumptuOus, and never more
so than when reading Harriet Beech
er Stoves graphic portrayal of the
lights and shades, the glamour and
wierdness ever cleaning and SHIN
mering in the wonderful depths Of
the springs.
Ocala has, indeed, a very great at
traction in the nearness of spot so
alluring to the pleasure seeker, or to
the ones who, wearied with the eter-
nal humdrum of daily life, may find
there a rest, sOlace, never weary
ing delight.
We could ask nothing better in the
way of enjoyment than day off at
the springs, once a week the year
around. if all of them equaled the
one lately spent there.
Our party drove from Martel, dis
tsnce of fourteen miles, through
Ocala aud over the new hard road to
the springs, where we were met,
first by one, then by all of those who
conspired in making our stay one of
unmixed delight.
| Rev. L. s. Armstead, the popular,
whole-sOuled and esteemed pastor of
st. Johns church at Cotton Plant, led
| the crowd of entertainers, being ably
seconded by his genial little helpmeet,
while his three sons, two of whom are
| in business at Silver Springs, WED lin
OutdOing their parents in hospitality.
We were made welcome everywhere,
were given the freedom Of the springs,
as it were, which included rides in
the jolly little steamer, Helen, fore
noon, and afternoon rides in the row.
boats, and at noon we dined with the
Messrs. Armstead, who are keeping
bachelors hall at the "head."
Young Fred Armstead is agent,
gineer for the Helen. They are very
affable, joviai and worthy young
men, and it is delightful to see the
airs of proprietorship they assume
over their little papa and mama"
as they call them, though the former
probably weighs 200 pounds or more.
We had fish for dinner, caught by
Rev. Mr.. Armstead, and strawberries
and other good things provided by
our hosts.
We enjoyed brief acquaintance
with a party of tourists and health
seekers from Philadelphia, and though
we did not learn their names, we can
never forget their gentle companion
ship, and shall always hope to see
them again, when winters chilling
blasts drive them southwark.
In our afternoon trip down the
stream another and far different party
were our fellow travellers, but it takes
all sorts to make q world.
Two small specimens of the "cOm-
ing man." belonging to our party, |
grew so enraptured with the springs
that they cali talk of nothing else,
and the smaller of the two declares,
among other wonders that he saw, a
gigantic alligator is foremost, being so
large that he opines lit could swallow
a man whole"
Such wonders should keep the hard |
road, which is not so very hard, eth
er, alive with wheels and vehicles of |
all sorts, while the little dummy
would stall from sheer inability to /
carry the enthusiastic pleasure seek
ers. Really, the business of the road |
and on the stream seemed quite |
brisk, and the affable young Captain |
Gibson proved equal to all the pranks
of SOME young girls who undertook to |
run his steamer for him, and lively |
sallies made the trip far from monOt-
onOus.
We left at three, but very reluc-
family, and with a fixed determine
ton to go gypsying again when OPP
pOrtunity offers. OCCASIONAL.